Buying from ebay

sidbobs · 04-02-2009, 13:59

hi, im wanting to buy a hard drive caddy from ebay and have found that the cheapest are from hong kong, why are all the items a lot cheaper when the seller is in hong kong?
has anyone ever bought anything from hong kong/china from ebay and had it delivered? were there extra charges? did it take 6 months to be delivered?
the item in question is one of these
i would be paying for it using pay pal
any help would be appreciated, cheers

manorguy · 04-02-2009, 14:10

I have bought things from hong kong and china before, there were no extra charges and items take around 7-14 days to be delivered.

neeeeeeeeeek · 04-02-2009, 14:26

Never had any problems with stuff from HK. The items are usually listed as very cheap but the postage charges very expensive.

bkcin · 04-02-2009, 14:26

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayIS...ve&interval=30

That is the negative feedback that they have had in the last month.

That said, they have also had over 2000 positive feedbacks in the same time.

kenthack · 04-02-2009, 16:56

no probs with the stuff from hk
no extra charges but i do believe its possible if customs check and decide they are worth more than stated (plus they sometimes come through marked as sample products lol)
7 to 14 days delivery usually but had quicker

itosan · 04-02-2009, 17:05

Ebay is a scam, rigged bidding, unusually frequent failure in delivery of packages, no communication from sellers, Ebay are feckless in there resolution to problems and on a final note instant money transfer using Pay Pal. Once it gone from your account it's gone!

This is a fine example of the new market economy or is that scammers? new market scammers?

Never had a problem with HK/China but what you going to do if it's not delivered?

Just my 2 pence worth

kenthack · 04-02-2009, 17:11

must be a different ebay im on
dont use it that much but touch wood no real probs yet
had a prob with a charger (sent wrong 1) messaged the bloke and got a refund but due to it being money transfer using paypal it was put on hold for a couple of days
only other prob was a cracked lappy battery but because of the distance from the letter box to where the package was id say that was a postie problem as had allready had others from same seller and no probs

itosan · 04-02-2009, 17:13

Ebay = Luck that's what I like certainties in life!

kenthack · 04-02-2009, 17:26

i darent buy owt now cause i know im going to get ripped off lol
im due a bad 1 i suppose

Eric_Collins · 04-02-2009, 18:26

i bought one of Novatech on eBay, was a USB2 / ESATA in black alloy and was only £10. I got that next day via special delivery too !!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Novatech-Lt...sxQ3asstQQtZkm

Keep your eyes on him

kenthack · 04-02-2009, 18:47

ive got 1 of those enclosures what youve ordered sound piece of kit
only thing ive found is sometimes the cable dosent need both ends plugged in and if i do it dosent seem to find the drive
ive had it sometime and sent it flying a few times so could be the hammer its had

Trickle · 05-02-2009, 21:42

I've made now scores of transactions on Ebay, and have yet to have one go bad including a couple from Hong Kong. [That cpu bracket I put a post up on here asking for one second hand, but in the end couldnt get one anywhere else, is an example.]

... but I still bid/buy in the half expectation that I'm about to be scammed.

Its a caddy. Its pigeon feed money. You have paypal etc protection.
It wouldnt matter anyway if you were.

itosan · 05-02-2009, 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidbobs

hi, im wanting to buy a hard drive caddy from ebay and have found that the cheapest are from hong kong, why are all the items a lot cheaper when the seller is in hong kong?
has anyone ever bought anything from hong kong/china from ebay and had it delivered? were there extra charges? did it take 6 months to be delivered?
the item in question is one of these
i would be paying for it using pay pal
any help would be appreciated, cheers

Ordered one, i'll post when i get it

syne · 06-02-2009, 00:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric_Collins

i bought one of Novatech on eBay, was a USB2 / ESATA in black alloy and was only £10. I got that next day via special delivery too !!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Novatech-Lt...sxQ3asstQQtZkm

Keep your eyes on him

~I've also bought from novatech no probs,
also from hk no probs but I'm always tempted to stay with british sellers for no particular rational reason.

L00b · 06-02-2009, 08:19

I've been using eBay for nearly 10 years this year (same ID/account), buying and selling (301 feedback, 100% positive, some more due shortly).

Never had any issue with buying stuff from outside the EU and TBH, in many cases I'd rather buy from the US or HK than, say, Greece or Italy. For non-EU stuff, the only potential issue is whether you get collared by Customs or not, and end up with a bill for levy and/or VAT on top of the auction total.

Note that it can become messy if a courier is involved and the item gets lost, I once had a running battle with DHL about a bill for levy + VAT on an MP3 player from CA which never arrived (DHL classed it as 'lost'), but which they still passed on to a debt recovery agency (as, of course, I just wouldn't pay it. Loss = no item imported = no levy/VAT due). T'was some fun, I can tell you.

Most CN/HK buyers overvalue the P&P to get the sale (cheap item price) and still make their margin (eBay final value fees are only based on item price, not item + P&P). eBay doesn't like it one bit, but they couldn't police all of the 'small stuff' (sub £10) that HK sellers have on all the time, and the volume of CN/HK stuff has now grown to be too much business for eBay to upset the apple cart.

Just do your homework thoroughly and make sure you always compare the total 'price + P&P' figure for a same item/item with same characteristics.

Richeh · 06-02-2009, 12:55

As I understand it, stuff is cheaper over there because it's so much closer to the manufacturing site, and there's also some saving through tax - that's not to say it's dodgy though.
It can take a long time for stuff to arrive, but it usually arrives in a week or so. Slack delivery is a risk you take ordering stuff from anywhere using ebay.

willman · 06-02-2009, 13:02

I've only had one real issue on ebay - with aguy in Nottingham who wouldn't go through with the sale. He obviously wanted more for the tyre he was selling.

S5Steve · 09-02-2009, 20:49

over 400 items bought 200 sold only ever had 1 issue, just reserch a sellers feedback and you will be ok I personally only buy from sellers with 150 feedback and 99% positive