Do you trust eBay and buy your pens on it ?

[mr T.]

Do you feel comfortable with ebay ?

Do you buy most of your pens on it or maybe you just dont trust the sellers on eBay ?

 

In general: I don't feel comfortable buying at eBay at all, and don't buy anything anymore there. This because the buyers conditions on eBay and with PayPal are not very consumer friendly. The feedback and reputation figures are not a very good indication too (can be manipulated quite easy by seller who wants to). eBay even removes negative feedback from buyers just on request of a seller. The eBay/PayPal buyers protection has lot's of exclusions. And when there is something wrong with a transaction, you may hope PayPal pays your money back on your account, even when PayPal already got the money back from the seller. I didn't mention the fake pens etc that can be found on eBay of course. It doesn't really matter to eBay if their systems are used for selling counterfeits. Ebay only acts when law enforcement or a large multinational company complains. So in my opinion, it's better to stay away from eBay/PayPal and do business with reliable online shops or the local pen shop.

[Dave Johannsen]

Do you feel comfortable with ebay ?

Do you buy most of your pens on it or maybe you just dont trust the sellers on eBay ?

There needs to be a fourth option: I don't trust eBay, but I buy lots of pens there. If you are into obscure vintage pens, I don't really think that you have much of a choice but to deal with eBay. That being said, it's still a (bleep) shoot.

 

 

Dave

[Penumbra]

I trust Ebay, it's some of the sellers that you must be wary of. I have been lucky and successfully bought and sold over 200 items on eBay, including many of my pens. I only go with 99% or better feedback, no "as is" items, and I pay close attention to the shipping charges. I also won't buy from a new lister (less than 2 or 3 transactions). I love eBay.

[sheafferkid]

I trust eBay. I deal pretty much entirely in vintage pens, so I don't have to worry about getting a counterfeit Mont Blanc or Parker Sonnet. The only problem I have with eBay is that a whole lot of people see one item so its hard for me to get good deals with my tight budget.

 

Evan

[HLeopold]

I have been an eBayer for nearly 9 years with over a hundred auctions. I have bought computers, books, fountain pens, crochet hooks (for Diane), a leather pocket cigar case (makes a great pen case for 5 of my smaller pens to travel in), books, pens, did I mention books?

 

I got “burned“ once, and it was neither eBays’ nor the sellers’ fault, it was the Post Office that lost my payment, that really hurt, all of $3. The PO never did find it. Neither the seller or I had a problem with dealing with it ourselves, both came out happy enough in the long run.

 

Feedback is your friend, always check out feedback, and if the seller has any negatives or neutrals READ THEM! Most times you can tell whether or not the seller has a problem or some moron has decided to make a mess of things.

 

I have never used PayPal, I find it a pretty horrid method of payment, lots of horror stories and lots of fake PayPal trolls out there. It is not worth my time or trouble.

 

Never bid on anything the first time you see it, I normally spend a few weeks watching auctions on that type of item to get an idea just how things are selling. (Though this can at times just show you how silly things are, I watched a number of Parker Big Red mechanical pencil auctions where the average sale was between $25 to $35 dollars, with some as low as $20 and a few as high as $50. Then I big on my first, and watched in horror as that particular auction shot up to $235! Went back to watching, picked another one to bid on, that one went over $200, the next one I bid on only went to $180. Yet those auctions I had not bid on went for the usual $25 to $40.

 

I try to study the item type that I bid on, and nothing I saw then or later point out those ridiculously high bids as being unusual pencils in any way. I still don’t have a clue as to what the bidders were thinking of. I finally picked up a couple of nice examples at $50 for one and way less for the other which was part of a bundle of pens, but it was a very weird time there for a while.

 

The best advice for anyone using eBay is know what you are bidding on, have some clue to what similar items go for (in the real world as well as on eBay), check feedback on the seller (or the buyer if you are the seller, you may not have as much choice here, but it still helps to know who won your auction.) Be honest in your dealings with buyer or seller.

 

Lastly, leave feedback! And be honest with your feedback, it helps everyone who deals with that person, buyer or seller, in the future.

 

Out of 104 auctions I have had I can’t say that I have met one lousy seller on eBay, some were much better than others, but not one was bad. I have had more than one who mailed out the item before my payment could have even gotten out of my local post office (one had the pen in my pocket in 3 days flat, on a personal check that had just been mailed out, and he knew that it had only just been mailed.)

 

I tend to stick with the small sellers, those who do at most a dozen or so auctions a month, but even the big sellers have been damned good.

 

I don’t trust eBay, I trust the people who use eBay that I decide to deal with.

[Benjamin McFerret]

I have also used eBay for about nine years but I rarely bid on anything anymore. I have not had any nightmare purchases but I have had many items arrive in less than wonderful condition because the sellers didn't bother packaging my items correctly. Also, over the years, I have learned that I enjoy / trust dealing with certain types of collectors / sellers more than others.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Benjamin McFerret

[Kelly G]

Do I trust ebay?

 

I don't understand the question. What I trust is my ability to find a deal that is reasonably likely to be a good one, where the benefit outweighs the reward.

(snip)

 

But you do have have to know how to work the system on ebay to be reasonably safe - I remember we had an excellent ebay hints thread; perhaps it should be stickied into a FAQ.

 

Agreed. I trust ebay - the site and process. All the sellers; not so much. I've purchased most of my vintage pens on ebay, especially in the early years of my obsession. The primary reason is location - I live in the middle of the US and a long way from any dealer or shows - so, ebay is a great resource for good value purchases.

 

Following the suggestions in this thread keeps you generally out of trouble but there is no guarantee. I avoid sellers with more than a few negative feedback and those who won't clearly answer questions and won't offer a return if not satisfied. Unless of course, it looks like the rare ebay sumgai deal - then I'll occasionally risk a fuzzy photo and no questions.

[nluoma]

I just made my first purchase on ebay this week. I was very nervous (and probably will be until the pen arrives!)

 

I feel better though, after reading through these posts and seeing how many people have had good experiences with ebay (and I have decided to give three weeks before I panic!)

[ramshacklemann]

Here in Chicago there are maybe a few stores that stock and sell fountain pens, but all they carry are the expensive pens (think Sheaffer Valor etc - at full retail price) - so even though I live in a big city, ebay is pretty much my only source for Waterman, Parker and Sheaffer pens. I trust very few sellers on Ebay and only buy from them, even if it means I may not get the best deal. This kinda insanity is called "peace of mind"

 

Edit: for pselling..I mean for spelling <_<

Edited June 20, 2007 by ramshacklemann

[andyk]

The majority of my pens over the past 2-3 years have been bought on ebay, prices are usually reasonable/cheap, usually find that I can get an FP for 25-50% of retail price, sometimes a lot less, I have had some very good bargains over the years. Generally I have been very happy with most of my purchases, especially with used/older pens, I certainly wouldn't have the number of pens I have if it wasn't for ebay.

 

Of all the pens I have bought, I have had a couple of disappointments, a fake Sonnet set didn't realise it was fake until a couple of months ago and a couple of Sheaffer Vacs which were sold with the 'I know nothing about pens' warning and didn't work (one since fixed by fountainbel).

 

My most recent purchase was a Parker Vac fom America (usually bid low, so as not to pay Customs duty etc), pen looks nice apart from a missing jewel ring on the blind cap but doesn't draw ink, still only cost $24.05 plus shipping so can't really complain I can probably get it fixed and have a decent FP for rather less than it would have cost to buy in the UK.

 

As other have said, check the feedback and ask questions and don't bid too high if you aren't sure. Call me naive, but from my experience most sellers are honest and won't intentionally try to rip you off, if somebody has said they don't know if a pen is in working order assume it isn't, bid appropriately and be pleasantly surprised if it does work.

[Tberry010]

I too am very satisfied with my Ebay experience- AND, sometimes you run into people, sellers, who go beyond-example-bought three Estie nibs from AUJOCO, paid by PayPal, received a note that the shipping had been quoted too high and a refund had been made. Aujoco has over 3,000 and a 99.9 so is clearly a good person to do business with, but how many with similar ratings would have spent the time to send back less than two bucks!

There are some not so nice people on Ebay, and then there are people like Aujoco. Tberry010

 

Do you feel comfortable with ebay ?

Do you buy most of your pens on it or maybe you just dont trust the sellers on eBay ?

 

As for me I love eBay.I find it to be a reliable source for pens and for a good confortable prices.

I bought many of my pens on eBay and sold few pens on eBay as well.

I was always very happy with what I got there and never had any real truble with any sellers or the pens I bought.

One thing I need to add I have learned where I can bid and where not and even though there is always a risk involved I think its worth the risk.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Tberry010

[Sabriste]

I'm not sure if I would buy a pen on Ebay...if only because I have so little experience with fountain pens that I don't know which ones would feel right in my hand. Then again, if I had gone to a real pen store and tested out a number of pens, and found some I really liked, I'd probably be willing to give Ebay a shot. But not before then.

[scribbler77]

I don’t trust eBay, I trust the people who use eBay that I decide to deal with.

 

Precisely the point! It is not a matter of "trusting" Ebay, but trusting the seller. (And, for sellers, trusting the buyer.) Ebay gives plenty of information for prudent buyers to make that determination. PayPal certainly makes everything easier for both; the charges are not unreasonable if you compare the alternatives, none of which are really free if they are reliable. (I have no connection with Ebay or PayPal, but have done several hundred transactions involving amounts up to $3,500. with not a single truly bad experience.)

 

Of course, the imprudent can get burned! I know a fellow who bought a car on Ebay for over $5,000. and it was junk. But the seller had zero feedback, insisted on payment by bank transfer to a different person, etc., etc. This was a stupid mistake on the buyer's part who ignored a whole series of obvious warning signs. But Ebay provided the information that would have signalled the careful buyer that this was a transaction to avoid.

 

The original question is as stupid as "do you trust a store for your purchases?" How can that be answered unless you specify what store?

[Pengrump]

I buy pens on eBay that I cannot get otherwise. I have gotten some real lemons on eBay in my early buying days, so now I deal mostly with sellers I know or sellers recommended by people I trust, like the regulars on this board.

[jmkeuning]

 

The original question is as stupid as "do you trust a store for your purchases?" How can that be answered unless you specify what store?

 

Ouch!

[Zarble44]

I always double-check for their PayPal guarantee and ebay seller status. It doesn't make everything absolutely safe, but helps ensure that you have some recourse if there's a problem. Reading the ebay description very carefully is critical. If it doesn't sound exactly right, contact the seller. That'll also help if you have to go to Ebay to complain about product not matching description.

 

If the seller is a little shady, you might find that you were just blocked from bidding on their items with no explanation.

 

 

 

[Wizergig]

Up for auction auction. This auction is vinatge, and mint. It comes in a unique package that is hard to find. Truely a wonderful item. These were not mass produced, and are scarce. Get your limited quantity while they last. These are the one of a kind, real thing. We have searched the world over to find these truely amazing finds, and you will not find them anywhere else. I am an authorized dealer in these so your satisfaction is guarenteed. Low opening bid, with no reserve, but they will not last long at this price. All auctions are genuine one of a kind item. There was only one of each produced. These are no fakes, and are the real vintage deal. Hurry and bid now. Free shipping when you use buy it now. Each additional auction comes with free shipping.

 

 

I have done hundreds of deals on Ebay, both buying, and selling. I have never come across a problem that wasn't resolved. As in the example above you must be diligent to check the description, feedback rating, and the Paypal protection.

[ximhot]

eBay itself provides little or none protection for you. You have to be cautious dealing with sellers. Usually sellers have hundreds of positive feedbacks (at least 98% positive) are trustworthy. Otherwise, use credit card to back up your purchase should there be any problem.

[RayMan]

I've bought many items on EBay, including pens and other items, but I can't say that I trust EBay. It's neither totally trustworthy, nor totally untrustworthy. You have to judge EBay auction by auction, and seller by seller. I keep it at arms length, take a good hard look at the pics, make sure I understand what questions I should be asking and then ask them, and read the feedback. I just don't bid if something looks fishy.

[georges zaslavsky]

I voted for the third option because of some bad experience that some of my friends had and also because of other personal reasons.

Feedback can be misleading, it is not a sign of what the seller sells is authentic nor a warranty that the seller is a pen repairer or a pen restorer. Also bare in mind that the refund policy is not really a real after sales service. Most of the pens on epray are sold in as is condition which means from bad to very average condition. Let's not also forget the benz auctions were some basic models reach the sky is the limit values. Ebay's so called mint is rarely mint. Also let's not forget the scam artists who sell fakes or below average condition products.

Unfortunately also, I am not fond of the paypal and credit card terms of payment. I would rather go to my favorite penshop take the time to try the pen I want, eventually discuss the price and then buying a great pen than having bad surprises.