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Is it safe buying video cards on ebay?
- Thread starter Toddo97
- Start date
Avoid eBay for components like that. Newegg really has great prices on new vid cards, often with free shipping. Its not worth chancing it for $15 in savings, you know? Get burned and you're out a lot of money and gain a ton of frustration. Take it from me, buy from a reputable store.
If you want to be safe, buying a product un=opened in a retail box on ebay isn't to risky of an ordeal. HOWEVER! Make sure the seller has a decent rating. If the rating is between 40~350 it is most likely a private individual. But anyone with a 2000+ rating is a large operation.
I purchased a Radeon7500 in a retail box off ebay without any hitch whatsoever. Much cheaper than pricewatch, or the stores.
I also sold that same card a year later here @anandtech on the FS/FT forums 🙂 . Both are great options. Just be careful, and play it safe by buying only from sellers with a good reputation.
I purchased a Radeon7500 in a retail box off ebay without any hitch whatsoever. Much cheaper than pricewatch, or the stores.
I also sold that same card a year later here @anandtech on the FS/FT forums 🙂 . Both are great options. Just be careful, and play it safe by buying only from sellers with a good reputation.
Yep. I have purchased many big ticket items off of Ebay and the forums without a problem including my radeon 9700 pro and a Panasonic HDTV. Just use common sense, and if you really don't feel to good about sending someone soo much money, use an escrow service. I reccomend escrow.com as I have used them before and found their process to be easy and quick.
Texun
Platinum Member
It's a crap shoot. I've bought from Ebay before and have never had a problem. However, if I were buying critical system components like cpu's, RAM, hard drives, etc., then I would rather go with Googlegear or Newegg - someone you know will back you up if it's DOA.
Also, many sellers on Ebay are often on-line merchants with deals that are not worth the risk you take by avoiding a well known and more reputable dealer.
Also, many sellers on Ebay are often on-line merchants with deals that are not worth the risk you take by avoiding a well known and more reputable dealer.
Double Trouble
Elite Member
One should NEVER buy anything of value over ebay, unless you use a credit card to purchase the item. Basically, there's virtually no protection from being scammed -- a credit card is your best defense.
Given that most computer hardware on ebay tends to be somewhat overpriced anyway, I'd skip fleabay alltogether and just go to newegg.
Given that most computer hardware on ebay tends to be somewhat overpriced anyway, I'd skip fleabay alltogether and just go to newegg.
billandopus
Platinum Member
Ebay sounds like an interesting concept but the execution of it all kinda freaks me out. I'd rather go with a reputable store first IMO.
alkemyst
No Lifer
ebay is no different than anywhere else...the transaction depends on the seller.
Those with high levels of great feedback can provide a great deal at a far lower price than anywhere else many times.
You have to be technical savvy as tech support is almost never available and often when things are sold 'as-is' they are really DOA...I love the merchants that claim (I could not test this drive because I already have 4 IDE drives and no more ports available, or mention scsi they don't have a scsi machine, but you see them selling other scsi parts that have been fully tested in their machine).
It's like any market, you got the scammers and the honest people.
Those with high levels of great feedback can provide a great deal at a far lower price than anywhere else many times.
You have to be technical savvy as tech support is almost never available and often when things are sold 'as-is' they are really DOA...I love the merchants that claim (I could not test this drive because I already have 4 IDE drives and no more ports available, or mention scsi they don't have a scsi machine, but you see them selling other scsi parts that have been fully tested in their machine).
It's like any market, you got the scammers and the honest people.
Schadenfroh
Elite Member
i got both of my voodoo5s off of ebay. they all work good. also got PSU, and many many other things off of ebay. i built a shrine for my old voodoo5 out of legos and i have it sitting on my desk, so i can look at it and wish 3dfx would have lived.
billandopus
Platinum Member
Well, I respectfully disagree to a certain extent. I know what you're getting at ... it's just that dealing with private parties and/or online merchants is very different than dealing with Newegg or Mwave or Staples etc ... i'd rather wait for a good deal to come along with those more reputable merchants than deal with an online flea market - because that's what it is. If you get screwed with the Neweggs et al at least you can get Visa to intervene or have the BBB get involved.
If you - by your own accord and decision - decide to go privately with another entity then you are playing within the realm constructed by Ebay which has been demonstrated in the past to be not as reputable remedy-wise as with actual businesses.
It's a risk that people take and they do so in the hopes of getting a good "deal" that you may not be able to get with a reputable merchant for a particular product. To equate the two is not correct in my books.
I buy off ebay all the time. Including an open-box Geforce2 GTS a few years ago.
As everyone else has said most of the time if you're dealing with another individual things will go fine.
When you deal with people/companies that make a business of selling on ebay, that's when you can start to see delays, and/or other problems.
I have been ripped-off once on ebay. I bought a TV-tuner card about 2.5 years ago, and after a month and a half I hadn't gotten it yet, and the execuse emails had stopped coming. Luckly, ebay will refund you (all except 20 bucks). So in my opinion, the real auctions to stay away from (if you're at all leary) are the ones that are for items in the $10-$30 dollar range. For the most part it's not worth it, or even possible for someone to fight the other person, or ebay over such a small sum of money. Once you get above that price range, there is much more at stake, for buyer, seller, AND ebay. So in my opinion you're more likely to have a successful transaction.
As everyone else has said most of the time if you're dealing with another individual things will go fine.
When you deal with people/companies that make a business of selling on ebay, that's when you can start to see delays, and/or other problems.
I have been ripped-off once on ebay. I bought a TV-tuner card about 2.5 years ago, and after a month and a half I hadn't gotten it yet, and the execuse emails had stopped coming. Luckly, ebay will refund you (all except 20 bucks). So in my opinion, the real auctions to stay away from (if you're at all leary) are the ones that are for items in the $10-$30 dollar range. For the most part it's not worth it, or even possible for someone to fight the other person, or ebay over such a small sum of money. Once you get above that price range, there is much more at stake, for buyer, seller, AND ebay. So in my opinion you're more likely to have a successful transaction.
chocoruacal
Golden Member
LMAO...I love all the personal generalizations about Ebay. Fact: there's NO TELLING what you'll get. Could last a month....could last 5 years. Unless its a retailer selling new parts with warranties...you'll never know. Personally...I would NEVER buy high end computer parts off Ebay.
onlyCOpunk
Platinum Member
It al depends on what you feel comfortable doing. I've bought tons of stuff on Ebay from my video card in fact an OEM GF3 Ti500 to front row concert tickets (obviously a scalper). I've also sold a ton of stuff like my old PS2 and my very first cd-writer. I think it's generally safe, if you have a question about the product or how the seller works e-mail him. A good seller will respond back resonably fast, and a lot of times you can jsut tell if the seller is a flake or not, at least I can.
I bought a vid card off yahoo auctions in January 2001 for $35. It was a good card for the time and an awesome price. After Christmas is a great time to buy from auctions because everybody got what they wanted for Christmas so prices are low. Anyways, the card died on me after 3 months. Lesson learned, buy new with warranty. It is worth it.
Man do I have a story for you.
About 2 months ago, my friend across the street won an auction on ebay. He didn't check the guys history, just saw that it said it was in the positives. So he emailed the guy, told him he would send a check. Month goes by, my friend had emailed him 6 times since the first. No replies. He calls the bank to verify the check had been cashed, It had been. So I decided to email the guy too.
I asked him if he could please send the items that my "client" purchased and that I was an online crime investigator. I said I would come to his house and remove said items if required. And by law I was able to do so. The guy emails me back.
"I sent the items already, don't threaten me." So I sent another email (wow the guy respondes to me, but not my friend? hmmm) "You have 5 business days to send these items. If when we reviece these items, and the post date isn't (whatever the hell it was.) 1-5 days.. I will be at your door step. My client has payed me well, so much infact I will be willing to take the extra step. Physical confrontation."
5-6 days go by, I get an email from Ebay. Saying that this guy had found MY ebay account (my bad, I used my email account that's on my ebay account.) and that I had physically threatened him. He also said that my ebay account was permanently suspended.
Long story short. My friend and I are both screwed. You gota hand it to this crook, he's really good. Here's the trick. Remember how I said his history looked 'positive.' Well it did, at first glance. If you click it to read the actual reviews. You'll see that ALL his transactions up until the last 9 or 10 have been perfect. Then they are all pure negative, saying stuff like. "it's been 4 months, he hasn't contacted me, nothing, and he changed his email address! DON'T BUY FROM HIM!" etc etc. So apparently, he got just enough positive to make that icon glimer with trust.
Obviously that doesn't happen all the time. Hell I've ordered 10-11 items from ebay. I've had zero trouble. Same with my buddy. If you order an item under a certain dollar ammount, ebay won't investigate. My buddy fell under that rule. And therefor this guy can laugh all the way to the bank. I can only offer two words of advice. 1. Don't order anything from a PO box. 2. ALWAYS look at thier feedback, make damn sure they are legit.
Because once they have your green, you're Fux0red in your buttz0r. 🙁
That deal with the 9700 sounds really good, if you go ahead with it, I wish you the best of luck.
Ruckas-
About 2 months ago, my friend across the street won an auction on ebay. He didn't check the guys history, just saw that it said it was in the positives. So he emailed the guy, told him he would send a check. Month goes by, my friend had emailed him 6 times since the first. No replies. He calls the bank to verify the check had been cashed, It had been. So I decided to email the guy too.
I asked him if he could please send the items that my "client" purchased and that I was an online crime investigator. I said I would come to his house and remove said items if required. And by law I was able to do so. The guy emails me back.
"I sent the items already, don't threaten me." So I sent another email (wow the guy respondes to me, but not my friend? hmmm) "You have 5 business days to send these items. If when we reviece these items, and the post date isn't (whatever the hell it was.) 1-5 days.. I will be at your door step. My client has payed me well, so much infact I will be willing to take the extra step. Physical confrontation."
5-6 days go by, I get an email from Ebay. Saying that this guy had found MY ebay account (my bad, I used my email account that's on my ebay account.) and that I had physically threatened him. He also said that my ebay account was permanently suspended.
Long story short. My friend and I are both screwed. You gota hand it to this crook, he's really good. Here's the trick. Remember how I said his history looked 'positive.' Well it did, at first glance. If you click it to read the actual reviews. You'll see that ALL his transactions up until the last 9 or 10 have been perfect. Then they are all pure negative, saying stuff like. "it's been 4 months, he hasn't contacted me, nothing, and he changed his email address! DON'T BUY FROM HIM!" etc etc. So apparently, he got just enough positive to make that icon glimer with trust.
Obviously that doesn't happen all the time. Hell I've ordered 10-11 items from ebay. I've had zero trouble. Same with my buddy. If you order an item under a certain dollar ammount, ebay won't investigate. My buddy fell under that rule. And therefor this guy can laugh all the way to the bank. I can only offer two words of advice. 1. Don't order anything from a PO box. 2. ALWAYS look at thier feedback, make damn sure they are legit.
Because once they have your green, you're Fux0red in your buttz0r. 🙁
That deal with the 9700 sounds really good, if you go ahead with it, I wish you the best of luck.
Ruckas-
What else are we supposed to say in response to his question? I could print out what ebay says, but of course they're going to tell you it's safe, they only profit if you use it, and you're only gonig to use it if it's safe.
...that's not a personal generalization... is it? 😉
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