Ebay buyers. Are they Stupid or too lazy???

[kichu]

I always wonder why would somebody buy a used , like new item from ebay when they can buy a brand new one cheap from somewhere else?
Let me make it clear, I always buy (or atleast check the prices of) things from ebay, especially electronic items.
Last week I was trying to find a cheap Financial calculator from ebay, people were so crazy to bid used calculators (with minor scratches, missing manual etc.) for prices atleast 25-30 % more than the one I got from best buy. Office depot, walmart and almost all other stores have it cheaper than ebay.
Second Instance I got a Nokia shorty phone from Radioshack much cheaper than ebay's listings price.
Why would people do this? Are they stupid or are they just fascinated by bidding or are they too laz to walk in to the stores?

[CJsoccerchic]

I've wondered that myself too... But I have come across amazing deals on eBay as well... so i guess what it comes down to is.... Is the buyer educated to know that a USED item going for x price plus x shipping cheaper then going to the store and buying it new? Personally, I price check everything everywhere! if it seems like a good deal to me, then I go for it.

[sweeps]

I think you're right, sometimes it's just a foolish bidder -- maybe they get caught up in the competition and don't want to lose. But there are a few other possibilities. The bidder may have an ebay or paypal coupon which makes the item worth the price. Or the bidder may have no intention of paying for the item -- he may be using a 1-time user id just to see how high the bidding will go, and/or he may have stolen someone's paypal account.

[abowers]

I think some bidders may just be uneducated as to what some things really retail for, and get really into the bidding. There are a lot of really good deals out there, you just need to do your research and know what the things sell for in a store before you bid on them (and then take shipping cost into consideration).

I wouldn't buy electronics on Ebay to begin with, I'd rather buy them new so they hadn't been tampered with and if it's a big electronic purchase there'd be some sort of warranty.

[Fern]

I agree with abowers. If you haven't bought a particularl item recently, you might have no idea what these thigns are going for these days, and in many cases, prices are a lot cheaper now than they used to be. Think about how home computers came down so much in price; same thing with digital cameras.

I think people are just conditioned to believe that buying 'used' means it's cheaper than buying new and can't be bothered to actually check the prices.

[yamborac]

I've been looking for used digital cameras for my grandkids because it makes no sense to pay $90.00 for a new camera for an 8 year old who doesn't really care that much about resolution and the camera will be obsolete in a few months. The problem is that foolish ebay customers are bidding up the prices on cameras to ridiculous levels. You can buy a new Kodak digital camera on Walmart.com for like $59.00 and they ship to a store near you for free, but ebayers are bidding up used Kodak cameras that are several years old to about the same level. It's insane. The result is that instead of being able to get my grandkids a nice used digital camera at a reasonable price on ebay, I'm frozen out. It's ridiculous.

[luckykate]

I guess some people are oblivious to the actual value of the items they want or are just too lazy to hunt for bargains...or the seller really sold the item and its value on the bidding page.

[elessar78]

Not everyone lives in a metropolitan area with access to Big Box stores. For the time it takes to get to a Big Box store, the cost of gas, and the hassle... depending on what the product is, sometimes paying the premium makes it worth it.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by elessar78

Not everyone lives in a metropolitan area with access to Big Box stores. For the time it takes to get to a Big Box store, the cost of gas, and the hassle... depending on what the product is, sometimes paying the premium makes it worth it.

Another thing to consider is that ebay is international. The bidder could be in New York or could be in New Zealand. You never know. I've sold on ebay for almost 14 years and have shipped items to virtually every developed country in the world during that time. An item that is cheap and common here, might be quite rare and expensive somewhere else.

[elessar78]

I like ebay for used stuff like electronics (I bought a first gen SlingBox this year) and collectibles (things that don't necessarily have a set market price). Used Electronics are actually a good buy on ebay because you have more recourse than, say, Craigslist.

As a buyer you have to know what eBay is good for. I shudder at the gift card market on eBay... people paying above the stated price of the gift card??? I know that gift cards have become collectibles in recent years, so that may be the reason but I doubt it.

[krantcents]

Originally Posted by kichu

I always wonder why would somebody buy a used , like new item from ebay when they can buy a brand new one cheap from somewhere else?
Let me make it clear, I always buy (or atleast check the prices of) things from ebay, especially electronic items.
Last week I was trying to find a cheap Financial calculator from ebay, people were so crazy to bid used calculators (with minor scratches, missing manual etc.) for prices atleast 25-30 % more than the one I got from best buy. Office depot, walmart and almost all other stores have it cheaper than ebay.
Second Instance I got a Nokia shorty phone from Radioshack much cheaper than ebay's listings price.
Why would people do this? Are they stupid or are they just fascinated by bidding or are they too laz to walk in to the stores?

Like most auctions, people get caught up in the excitement! Although I have checked ebay, I have never bought anything. I must be in the minority!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by elessar78

I shudder at the gift card market on eBay... people paying above the stated price of the gift card??? I know that gift cards have become collectibles in recent years, so that may be the reason but I doubt it.

I've asked this question a couple of times, here and elsewhere. The best answer I've gotten is that some people participate in certain discount programs that make paying close to or even over face value still a good deal. For example, Bing had a 15% off ebay purchases coupon one time, so even someone paying $102 for a $100 gift card was still getting a good deal.

In case you think the deals are scams, somehow, they are not. I've sold several gift cards on ebay and they have all sold for very close to face value and one sold for over face value. I got paid on all of them with no problem.

[Homebody]

Some people may bid on items that are not available online or in local stores. I live in a rural area with not many shopping choices and occasionally buy on E-bay, especially yarn!

[cjscully]

I've bought and sold items on eBay for years. I always check prices and availability of the items I'm interested in buying before I start bidding on eBay. If I find something I'm interested in bidding on I always set my max bid right up front. If bidding on the item goes above that limit, I'm out.

Coupons may effect the max bit amount, but not the general practice.

[cypher1]

I gotta disagree with not buying used items on eBay or even Craigslist, and going brand new. If you know what you're looking for in an item, and familiar with the prices locally, online, and suggested retail, you can find some killer deals or take advantage. Here are some examples of items I've bought and sold on eBay, and some on CL. Some may seem extreme, or even a burden to complete the transaction, but I always made or saved money, also factoring in my time invested.

Cell phones: when iPhone 3G first came out a couple of years ago, I sold my friends' used 2g 8GB phones after jailbreaking and unlocking. They sold for $350+ each to various states. When I got a 3G 16gb for $100 to extend my plan, I hacked it, and sold online for $550 with 2 days. Recession or not, didn't stop people from spending $600+ for a cell phone.

Home theater: I've bought all my used used definitive technology speakers, fronts, rears, center, online. Saving at least 65% off than what they went for locally. There is still risk involved, and you have to know what to ask before buying. My Denon reciever was $450, used for 5 months, normally 1100, and still included the extended 4 year warranty from Best Buy. Although I bought a $3500 new subwoofer for $750 on CL, from the owner of recording studio/reseller of high audio equipment, locally (who I later found out helped Prince produce his first album back in the day).
I bought a brand new PS3 for $300 back when they were 400.

Tools: The best $400 of rent income re-invested, went into a 6 piece brand new Dewalt 18v tool set, which went for 650 on Amazon.com at the time.

Laptops: I sometimes I'd buy bulk older IBM or HP refurbed laptops on CL from data recycler/warehouse. I'd test, fix, reload with free OS, and either sell on eBay or locally, staying above 50% profit of what I initially invested.

Cars: My friends and I have bought various cars on eBay, running, and not. But then again when we were younger, we loved road trips, so it was 2 birds with one stone. One friend bought an old CRX with no rust from FL, which he towed himself, for a project of his. Another time he flew me with him to Cleveland, to pick up an 05 Toyota Sienna AWD for his wife. The dealership was selling for $5000 less than in our state, and AWD was rare for that model, which he was looking for, for quite some time. I once took a took a U-haul truck from MN to Iowa to tow an 95 Integra with over $3500 of work put into the head alone (the GSR block had a bad crank rod), for $1500 on eBay. I knew I could make back the 1500+fees/gas alone from just selling the interior, lights, wheels, suspension, all online, while keeping the whole engine swap. Extreme, I know
A couple of years ago my friend had a customer at his shop who needed to sell his restored 1967 Volvo 1800S, identical to the one from the Saint tv show (too young for me). This car was beautiful for the condition, and had no mechanical flaws. I'd have bought if I could spare the $4500 he needed to get back. He couldn't find a buyer locally, and asked if I try online. It ended up going for around $8200 from an avid buyer from Denmark. I charged my seller $300 for the transaction since it was a lot of paper work for international transport, to complete under my name, and I had to open a separate savings account receive the money. It was a pretty interesting experience for my friend and I, to say the least, and I got paid for it.

Of course some these examples are rare, or pretty extreme. I've been more of a CL advocate for the last few years. But if you know what to look for, used or not, it can be to your advantage, while weighing the risk or potential scam. An item is only worth the amount you can find a buyer willing to pay for it. Ebay definitely has pros and cons, for various items, but it still hasn't died down as a phase for the rest of the world.

[AmySL]

Well, I'd put my money down on stupid.

[MrPolarZero]

Well, that would depend on the item that you are buying. If the item is still good as new, then it would definitely be a good discount, instead of having to look for a brand new one.

[nanamom]

Not everyone has transportation. We are a one car family and I bid on things on ebay that I can't shop for. I am careful to figure the cost of shipping into the purchase price and to see what it would go for other places online.
I just bought 50 Italian charms for a dollar with 5 dollars shipping. These sell for 1 dollar each. I plan on making my grandkids (the girls) bracelets for Christmas.
Sometimes there are bargains and sometimes there aren't. People aren't stupid, just uneducated sometimes

[bjl584]

I wonder if OP is still pondering over this issue? This thread is from 2006.

[ColinWalker]

I have found many deals on eBay myself. It's really all about how informed the buyer is. Personally i buy things like lens caps for camera lenses, roughly 10$ retail in a camera store... and 2$ free shipping on ebay. eBay=Buyer beware... that's about it.