Buying off Ebay?

[bballdrummer]

hey everyone,

I'm having some cymbal problems so im looking to buy some new cymbals. I've been wondering if it's safe to buy off ebay and whether ill get ripped off alot or buy from a proper shop. Could some people please help me out here!?

Thanks

[sdlatson]

 The best thing to do is look at how many items they've sold and what their rating is. If they haven't sold anything, I never bother with it. Also check out customer reviews.

 I dont think I would ever buy anything off ebay without paypal. So if you dont have a paypal account you may want to think anout getting one. Using paypal is very secure.

[johngault007]

There is nothing wrong with buying off Ebay in general.  You will always have your shady element, but if you are careful you shouldn't have any problems.  Here are some general guidelines:
1) Check the sellers rating from other customers.  If they have 300 positive and maybe 6 or 7 negative over a year, read the reviews.  You can't please everyone, and sometimes people just have problems that couldn't resolve.  On the other hand, if it's consistently negative, and you notice similar issues throughout, you might want to stay away.

2) Ask questions from the seller.  If you are unsure of the item, feel free to inquire via the messaging system.  I have done this on gig bags and had all my questions answered within a day or so.

3) If you don't have a Paypal account, get one.  I have my check card (visa) tied into it, and I can basically purchase stuff without having to transfer money to the Paypal account.  This keeps all sellers from obtaining your credit card information or other personal information that you deem important to safeguard.  CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH!

That about all I can think of, anyone else with more experience?

[petew89]

I've bought almost all by cymbals from ebay.

If the seller is a reputable seller/someone with good feedback, then you shouldn't have a problem

[bballdrummer]

thanks for all ur replies so quick! I'm actually looking at some cymbals right now! thanks everyone

[Raf]

I haven't bought more than 10 things from eBay, but I have bought a darned good DW Edge snare recently and have bought a cymbal before. All the advice you got above is good. I've always been happy in terms of the items being in the condition the sellers represented. I wasn't quite as happy with the cymbal I got only because I didn't do enough homework on it. It just wasn't the sound I was after and I ended up being the high bidder. My bad overall. My advice to you is to KNOW what cymbal(s) you want and wait till they pop up on eBay. It'd be best if you've actually seen them or played at a local shop or somebody else's set before. Good luck.

P.S. Also KNOW the price you're not willing to go over and stick to your guns. Easy to be caught up in the process. If you miss one, odds are another one like it will pop up soon enough.

Raf

[Jethax]

I've bought more than half my kit/cymbals on ebay because it's cheaper and I have NEVER had any problems with it.

I've bought my double bass M birch kit for $600, 3 Meinl MB10's for at least $50 less, all perfectly new and unused, etc..

It really is worth the money saved, I would argue.

[dolau]

If you know what you want in terms of make and type then look for maybe a good second hand example of what you want and get it way cheaper.

If you buy something and find you dont like it describe it faithfully and put it back on and try something new. That way you get to lay the field so to speak and I have got some lovely little cymbals like that and you get to try them at home with your set up to see if you like it

Dont forget the golden Ebay rule- bid in the last minutes not a week before and forget it

I have a full set of Meinl cymbals now that I have built up over a year and love them all and so I sold most of my old cymbals to help pay for them. I have a china on Ebay now

Only one problem I have had in over 200 transactions and then I missed the 45 day deadline to report him to Ebay and get my money back through Paypal.. dont listen to excuses! and always pay with Paypal! Works around the world and currency

[shwoz]

i love ebay
it saved me $200 on 2 cymbals

[UUNO]

The best thing to do is look at how many items they've sold and what their rating is. If they haven't sold anything, I never bother with it. Also check out customer reviews.

 I dont think I would ever buy anything off ebay without paypal. So if you dont have a paypal account you may want to think anout getting one. Using paypal is very secure.

 

 I have bought a number of cymbals off ebay. I will only buy from people with a 100% rating, and I have never had a problem. READ the description completely before bidding.

[deepsnowwalker]

1. I prefer to deal in cash face to face.
2. My son in law just got ripped off for his racing mountain bike via a stop payment somehow on ebay via paypal and is now being sued by paypal. The bike is gone.
3.  I haven't had a problem with e-bay myself but I made only one purchase 6 or 7 years ago.