# Buying a router from Ebay - fate or just bad luck?



## aesmith (10 Dec 2009)

Hi,

I'm starting to think I am fated to live life without a second router for the table. (unless I do something rash like go into a shop and buy a brand new one of course).

One of my few Ebay rip-offs was a so-called Elu 177E. When it arrived it was a poor condition Elu 131 fixed speed, nothing like the photos. A long saga followed involving the seller claiming it was conveniently lost in the post on return and basically I ended up out of pocket. (I was tricked into closing the Paypal dispute, a mistake I won't make again).

Now it looks like another Ebay failure, although a Triton this time, and it looks less and less likely it will end well. At the moment the seller's not replying to my emails and it looks like it might end up as a Paypal if the router doesn't turn up soon. 

Considering how much I've bought off Ebay, its a coincidence that both of these were routers. Is someone trying to tell me something?

Out of interest, I wonder how many people have had 100% success on Ebay and never ended up burned?


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## markwuzere (10 Dec 2009)

not many. i avoid buying powertools from ebay unless i have had previous experience with the seller, the few times i have risked it have usually ended it tears


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## Dibs-h (10 Dec 2009)

On the whole I try to collect or have someone collect Powertools - from individuals that is. Companies selling are usually ok.

Again it's common sense - if the lsiting is private and you can't make out from their feedback what they've been selling - I usually stay clear, unless I can collect.


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## aesmith (10 Dec 2009)

Dibs-h":3gqtsugk said:


> Again it's common sense - if the lsiting is private and you can't make out from their feedback what they've been selling - I usually stay clear, unless I can collect.


That's good advice. A check of feedback would have steered me away from the first guy who was clearly quite happy to rip people off.


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## Karl (10 Dec 2009)

I think I have to say something here - I am the seller of the Triton router.

There were issues relating to the payment - nothing to do with Tony, rather that the receipt for the router was slightly less than I expected, and it wasn't clear from my Paypal account whether the funds had come from Tony. I won't go into it too much as it has been going on for a good number of weeks now. Suffice to say that it made me nervous as I hadn't seen anything like it before (and i've sold and bought a good number of things off the bay before).

I didn't want to get scammed myself. I was (perhaps overly) cautious in relation to the sale, and clearly cheesed Tony off in the process. Apologies to Tony.

Tony - you have a PM.

Karl


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## Dibs-h (10 Dec 2009)

Karl":14zxw17x said:


> .....the receipt for the router was slightly less than I expected..
> Karl



I've never sold stuff on the Bay - but will be doing at some time. Although I've sent and received via Paypal and they do deduct their % before putting the money in. Something like 3-4%.


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## disco_monkey79 (10 Dec 2009)

I've bought 2 power tools on Ebay, and been disappointed both times. Won't be doing so again, unless I can inspect first.


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## matt (10 Dec 2009)

Never had a problem as a buyer. As a seller I had a buyer who tried to blame me when he mistook "unused" as new which was very stupid given he was buying a classic collectable Parker pen set! I offered him a full refund but never heard from him again.


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## white_sw (10 Dec 2009)

I buy and sell on eBay and have only been caught out once when buying NEW computer items from USA. Well, they were not new and didn't work anyway ! In the end I lost out because Paypal insisted I return the item tracked and insured before the dispute was settled. In the end I had to walk away with my tail between my legs and cut my losses. Last time I ever buy something costly from USA unless I know and trust the seller. Seller just ignored me, probably laughing all the way to the bank with my dollars ! Fortunatly I didn't get stung at customs too.

Another time I thought I had been caught out, but in the end got the item purchased after almost 6 weeks and a refund due to Royal Mail's screw up.

So if you look at it that way, I pretty much break even..

I've also had some great bargins too..

Sam


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## newt (10 Dec 2009)

I am a philistine never go near the place.


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## greggy (10 Dec 2009)

well guys, i have sold loads of power tools on the bay. and bught many other things too. my feedback is 136 and 100%. i have never had any issues with a seller or a buyer. i may be one of the lucky ones but i think its up to the buyer. always,,,

check their feedback
read all the feedback
look at what they sell
look at what they buy
and also see how long they have been a member.

i am writing this reply on my latest ebay buy
http://www.johnlewis.com/230664393/Prod ... m=82715397

brand new never been out of the box, security seal still attached
starting bid £350.00 no bids because it had just started. one phone call later and its in my home for £290.00


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## MikeG. (10 Dec 2009)

aesmith":eusca119 said:


> Out of interest, I wonder how many people have had 100% success on Ebay and never ended up burned?



Me. Four out of 4 have gone smoothly. Including a router!!


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## Mike.C (10 Dec 2009)

Karl":2dn5ixxw said:


> I think I have to say something here - I am the seller of the Triton router.
> 
> There were issues relating to the payment - nothing to do with Tony, rather that the receipt for the router was slightly less than I expected, and it wasn't clear from my Paypal account whether the funds had come from Tony. I won't go into it too much as it has been going on for a good number of weeks now. Suffice to say that it made me nervous as I hadn't seen anything like it before (and i've sold and bought a good number of things off the bay before).
> 
> ...



I think that Karl deserves a BIG pat on the back for having the guts for to come forward and admit he is the seller and due to being over cautious has p1ssed the buyer off. It should not only put Tony's mind at ease that he is not going to be ripped off, but also that there are genuine problems that are both out of the sellers and buyers control. =D> =D> =D>

My only problem on ebay was over a fly killer, you know one of those blue lights, which was broken when it arrived. I emailed the seller a number of times, but as it was only £7, when he never replied I just could not be bothered to chase him and so left it. Stupid I suppose as a £7 rip off could be £700 next time. :roll: 

Cheers

Mike


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## jlawrence (10 Dec 2009)

I think I've only been burned once - for a dell server - which is currently going through the paypal complaint. Fingers crossed I'll get the money back.
It's the only thing I hate about paypal, it's not as straight forward as just raising a chargeback.


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## wobblycogs (10 Dec 2009)

I've never bought anything but I've sold quite a lot through the bay even though I can't stand the place. Generally people are pretty honest but there were a few buyers that would try to rip you off. The most common scam was "I never recieved it" which normally just meant a claim from Royal Mail but that gets old quickly. When you are selling low price goods it doesn't pay to send it recorded delivery. 

The worst was a guy who bought an item (new), used it for a bit then claimed it didn't work and wanted a refund. When I got the piece back it was working fine but looked like it had been dragged backwards through a hedge so there was no way I could re-sell it. Wow, he called me every name under the sun when I told him I wouldn't refund with it in that condition. I ended up giving him a 75% refund and re-sold it for about 10% of what I bought it for so making a significant loss.


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## Paul Chapman (10 Dec 2009)

newt":y9fuaa18 said:


> I am a philistine never go near the place.



Same here - I know of too many buyers who've been had. I also know of many who have had no problems but ebay is not for me.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Lee J (10 Dec 2009)

I got ripped of when I sold a car stereo on ebay. sold for £70, I posted it but instead of sending it requiring a signature I just opted for standard parcel postage which gives you a receipt. Buyer claimed it never arrived, called me a liar and said I hadn't posted it, I sent him a scan of the receipt, he reported me to Paypal, they refunded him and charged me. 

So he probably got the stereo and his 70 notes back. 

I know where he lives though - my day will come.


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## aesmith (10 Dec 2009)

Mike.C":141zpr0n said:


> I think that Karl deserves a BIG pat on the back for having the guts for to come forward and admit he is the seller and due to being over cautious has p1ssed the buyer off. It should not only put Tony's mind at ease that he is not going to be ripped off, but also that there are genuine problems that are both out of the sellers and buyers control.


I absolutely agree, talk about putting your head over the parapet!!!


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## white_sw (10 Dec 2009)

jlawrence":39tkgdln said:


> I think I've only been burned once - for a dell server - which is currently going through the paypal complaint. Fingers crossed I'll get the money back.
> It's the only thing I hate about paypal, it's not as straight forward as just raising a chargeback.



You can always give you credit card company a bell and rase a chargeback with them. That way it is out of Paypal's hands. Have a look in the help section on Paypal.

https://www.paypal-marketing.co.uk/safe ... kGuide.htm

Sam


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## mahking51 (10 Dec 2009)

Hi All,
I do a fair bit on EBay (Feedback 2100 99.9% +VE) and generally have very few problems (so far!)
I NEVER buy electrical goods of any kind, asking for trouble in my opinion.
ALWAYS check a sellers feedback in as much detail as possible.
DON'T be afraid to email or telephone before bidding, anyone who is reputable will not be afraid of contact. If they just have a mobile that makes me slightly nervous.
From a sellers POV if it is an expensive item and buyer has less than 10 feedback I always contact before end of auction to check that they are aware of costs, shipping etc and are serious about completing the sale.
I ALWAYS send stuff over £20 in value by a signed for postage method, make this clear in the listing or your T&C's if a business, if they don't like it then they should not bid!
The only trouble I have had is stuff getting 'lost' in transit - far more often than chance would dictate. Italy by far the worst offender with any eastern state a close runner up!
Depending on the item I have found it usually easier to bite the bullet and get on with things rather than chase few quid for ever.

Just my thoughts, hopefully helpful.
Cheers,
Martin


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## Benchwayze (10 Dec 2009)

Blame eBay and PayPal (One and the same anyhow) for most of the bum deals ...

I have finished with them myself except for buying items I can collect thereby seeing before buying. If I don't like, I don't have to hand over my cash and to heck with the infantile, sycophantic feedback system. 

John 
:twisted:


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## SPinonit (13 Dec 2009)

I've bought quite a lot and sold a few items on ebay, most of it went very well but one in particular was a bit of a nightmare.

A new set of TaylorMade golf clubs from the US, which was less than half price in the shops over here - but they were a new range and not yet even on sale in the UK. Too good to be true - yup you bet they were.

After ages of trying to contact the seller in the US, I filed a complaint, which I had to chase up via Visa as Paypal were less than useless. I finally received a set of clubs but they didn't appear right, so I took them to my local golf pro shop. He instantly said they were fake and helped me get in touch with TaylorMade (TM). TM sent a courier to pick up the clubs and then sent me a letter saying they were fake and could I help with their investigations into fake imports.

The TM letter helped me to get a full and instant refund from Visa, whilst they began to try and recover the money from the US seller. A few days later, I received a phone call from a US attorney, who said he was working with the FBI and the seller I had bought the clubs from was already under investigation. I verified this seemingly far fetched story with TM, who confirmed that it was absolutely true.

I heped them with some new information, as I got the seller's mother's home address - something they had not had before. Under US law, your family (parents at least) are also liable for your debts.

To cut a long story short, the guy was caught and prosecuted by the FBI and his mother's house was repossesed. I got a brand new stand-bag from TaylorMade as a thankyou - at that time still not yet released over here and I bought a genuine set of clubs.

Other than that, I think I've been pretty lucky, but I never buy from someone with less that about 98% feedback and a couple of times I have asked previous buyers what the item/service was like, before I commit to buy.


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## mailee (13 Dec 2009)

I have bought lots of tools and machines on E-bay without a hitch. Only time I had a problem was buying a set of chisels which didn't arrive. i did get my money back through pay pal so no problem really. I always check the feedback first and never buy a machine without looking it over first. :wink:


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## Mike.C (13 Dec 2009)

SPinonit":1ocdz76y said:


> I've bought quite a lot and sold a few items on ebay, most of it went very well but one in particular was a bit of a nightmare.
> 
> A new set of TaylorMade golf clubs from the US, which was less than half price in the shops over here - but they were a new range and not yet even on sale in the UK. Too good to be true - yup you bet they were.
> 
> ...



Sorry to change the subject but that is F-ing disgusting. What the hell has the parents got to do with some scumbag who rips people off? If it can be proved that they knew or were someway involved thats fair enough, but from what you are saying anyones parents are liable for their childrens debt. If this is true then it is way out of order.

Cheers

Mike


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## andycktm (13 Dec 2009)

Just curious karl why did you not reply to Tony's emails?
Does ebay give the impression never to trust the buyer?
Even though its usually ebay at fault?


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## SPinonit (13 Dec 2009)

Mike.C":2ovodfkk said:


> If it can be proved that they knew or were someway involved thats fair enough, but from what you are saying anyones parents are liable for their childrens debt. If this is true then it is way out of order.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Mike



Mike - I'd normally agree and I initially responded in a similar way to you. However, it appeared the parents did know about their son's illegal activities and had blocked the investigations as much as possible. The son was using their home address for much of his correspondence - I only found out about it because the golf clubs came with an address that initially looked unconnected to me, the seller or the golf clubs. At that time, I worked in police intelligence and so I used my skills to do a bit of dgging and found some connections. Before the guy was prosecuted, he had already conned quite a number of people in the UK - it seemed that he liked to advertose over here in particular, partly due to the exchange rate, but I suspect partly due to the difficulties people would have tracking him down. He was part of a multi-national fraud ring, pimorting and exporting hundreds, if not thousands of sets of fake golf clubs from China. I know for a fact that he conned thousands of pounds out of UK buyers and heaven knows how many others around the world. The FBI don't investigate small-fry and I think the scale of penalties probably well matched the scale of the crime. As they say "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" and I'm afraid that I have little sympathy for him or his family - al of whom no doubt enjoyed a more cosy lifestyle than they should have.

Mike - nice avatar by the way.


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## Karl (13 Dec 2009)

andycktm":d23at7di said:


> Just curious karl why did you not reply to Tony's emails?



I did reply to all of his e-mails except his last one, as I was hoping to get a definitive answer from Paypal before reverting to him. Unfortunately I hadn't got chance to finalise the matter with Paypal before this thread was started, hence Tony's comment about me going quiet.

Cheers

Karl


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## woodsworth (13 Dec 2009)

I buy a lot off ebay sight unseen. I've only had several problems out of £20000 i've spent in the last couple of years. Part of the problem with buying equipment is even if it isn't what they say it is you've already paid for the transport, and you have to pay to get it back to them, once the math is done it makes more sense to keep the item unless you simply don't want them to get away with selling rubbish. 

If your not looking at it as a gamble then you aren't going into it with the right attitude. Some times you win some times you don't. I don't bother with the feedback system as most people selling tools do not have big feed back numbers so they can easily start a new account. The longer they've been on ebay the higher their feedback number and the smarter they are. The real deals are not with them, you may as well buy from axminster and get good warranty and after sales service. The good deals are the risky ones, so if every penny you spend counts don't gamble. 

The real winners on ebay are paypal and ebay to them it's a numbers game. For the rest of us it's about finding a bargain. I've done worse at car boot sales.


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## jlawrence (13 Dec 2009)

There are bargains to be had - but as has been said it is normally only from the smaller sellers.

Karl, once this is all sorted would you mind letting us know what the oddity was with Paypal ?


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## jimi43 (16 Dec 2009)

I have been buying and selling on fleaBay since 1999 (when it was just a little com in the USA) and went straight to .co.uk when it opened.

I have a smallish (511) number of transactions and every single one of them has resulted in 100% feedback no matter which way they go.

You have to know how to trade on eBay both ways...it is simple and many of the tips above are omitted by most of the people either scammed or disappointed in one way or another.

I always get better deals on fleaBay than any other source...great place...nothing like it.

Yes of COURSE it costs money if you are a seller...have you been to a REAL auction lately...it is far less a rip off than their commissions and many have made serious money from that company too. It is called business costs!

Nice to see this one end in a good way...and I agree...KARL is a star!

Jim


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## Mike.C (16 Dec 2009)

SPinonit":3c2vcwn4 said:


> Mike.C":3c2vcwn4 said:
> 
> 
> > If it can be proved that they knew or were someway involved thats fair enough, but from what you are saying anyones parents are liable for their childrens debt. If this is true then it is way out of order.
> ...



Now that is a different story and they deserve what they get. I would have thought that the company would have given you a whole set of clubs for the work you put in, but at least you got something :twisted: 

Cheers

Mike


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