Has anyone ever used this?
I bid on a small wood lathe in the States.

 

I use paypal all the time. It's really handy. EBAy I've used quite a few times now and never had any problems



Jim

 

I have used both many times without any problems.

 

I have just sarted on both, seems safe enough.

 

I have used ebay and paypal for quite a few years now. While there are some real horror stories out there about paypal, I have never had an issue. I am not a heavy usesr though maybe 5 or so transactions or so.

 

I've used both several times without major hassle.

What I've learned from E-bay:
- make sure you can agree on the Shipper AND shipping costs before bidding. Some sellers can charge a hefty little premium for packing stuff up and shipping it*, and cross border can add a further boost in fees. Shippers like UPS clear stuff through customs AND charge you for it, again sometimes pricey for small stuff. Just kinda be heads up about shipping costs and don't be afraid to ask the seller for an estimate before bidding on items (Mentioning you are from Canada, if appropriate) if you anticipate might have substantial shipping costs (like say a wood lathe)

* I'm sure from a seller's standpoint some small items are a pain to pack up, and the shipping cost may legitimately be high compared to a successful low bid. Just probably better to ask before bidding than to be nonchalant and think "aw, heck - how much can it be?"

- if you're laying out subtantial coin for something, check the feedback rating of the seller - if they've sold hundreds of items, they might have one or two negatives, but if they had 10 negatives LAST MONTH, watch out

Bill

 

The shipping would be $99.00 to Canada.
I only bid $99.00 for the lathe.
In the add I saw shipping at $49.00, but did not notice the US only tag.
I sent the guy an email "splainin" the "sichiashun" but have yet to hear from him.

I'm not very afraid of getting a red star beside my name or some goon knocking on my door.

 

I always ask if they are willing to ship through the post office(which lets you avoid brokerage fees) and get a shipping quote first.If you ever read the ebay message boards there are some sellers who view it as a golden opportunity to overcharge you on shipping if you don't.To some sellers the term "actual shipping charges" means postage, to others it includes packaging costs,gas money and a big lunch on the way so take it with a grain of salt.Paypal tends to protect the buyer in a dispute as there are certain rules a seller must abide by in order to accept it such as shipping within a certain time frame and being able to prove the item was shipped.Also Paypal fees are paid by the seller as well.I have had good luck so far using regular U.S. post office air mail but surface mail tends to be very slow and by the time you receive the item it is generally too late to file a Paypal claim if there was a problem.

 

When I was down in Deloraine, we always had stuff shipped to Bottineau, ND. It was only about 30 miles away, and doing so meant we got our stuff at least ten days earlier.

 

Is that the place where there is a giant turtle or something along the side of the highway? I vaguely remember that from truck driving days.

 

I think their is one in Bottineau as well; he's riding a snowmobile if I remember correctly. But you're likely thinking of Boissevain, MB.

 

No, the one I remember was in ND, I was way too tired and was looking for a place to pull over and sleep and that friggin' big thing freaked me out!

 

ebay is good if you dont mind buying someone elses headaches LOL

its a flea market for junk that people wouldnt pay for if they could see it, and sellers that do sell alot, know this...youve heard the rumours about "used car salesmen" well ebay is full of that type of thing...cept they sell smaller things than cars...

paypal is safe...

the only ones that are doing really good on any transaction on ebay are the owners of ebay...

ask a million questions about everything you can think of... pictures can be sooooo deceiving...and "salesmen" know the exact angles to take it to make it look as if it was perfect condition...until it arrives and you compare what you thought you were getting with what you actually received...

I quit ebay after a year or so...better off buying something in the classifieds in your own town...there is 99% of the time...some little hidden thing wrong that you dont know about until you use the item a couple times...this has been my experience...

it got to the point that if I was going to complain, which would be justified...then theyd give me back a negative just because i did to them...so i just stopped using it and got them to close my account...you get what ya pay for yes...plus shippping, handling, duties, etc...

I hope you get a good deal...and i hope you are happy with what you buy...

i just had to add my opinion as a 200+ item purchaser on ebay...for things ranging from $20-$500...it was fun...but in the end i had a collection of useless junk...

bought CV joint set for car...1 was not even for my car
bought a clutch kit...got the wrong one
bought ceramic canisters...arrived all smashed up
bought dvd box set...wrong one came
bought 2 playstation games....only 1 arrived, with no packaging just the disc
bought son a toy monster truck...said it was new, but it was broken in the package
bought a RC car body...came in a box with mold and spider webs in it
it goes on and on and on...

 

should add, i thought of just not posting, cuz everything i have to say isnt all positive...

if i weighed out the good transactions against the bad ones...there was probably just as many good as bad...but overall...the bad ones left me with a feeling of not being happy with it...

i once paid about $400 US for a foil stamping machine...so you could put designs on paper, leather, etc... thing was a useless peice of junk...and i had planned on using that in my work, to bring in some extra money...the accessories pictured in the ad, where not even for the foil stamper that they came with of course the seller didnt know anything about it all, and never did state they were for this machine...

any kind of junk you can buy for $5 at a flea market, you can sell on ebay for $100 LOL

i never did get into selling anything on there...

people buy skids of crap from auctions and pay $500 for a skid full of stuff...by the time they are done selling it on ebay they make $10,000...on stuff that a store was going to throw away...returned items, factory seconds, left overs from companies going bankrupt... etc..

 

I have used ebay more than I would probably like to admit-250 transactions from 154 different users. I have had no problems at all. It really has been a positive experience for me. I live in Estevan though and get everything shipped to Noonan, ND where I pick it up and bring it across the border myself. I have bought everything from .99 cent items to 799$(5 20" alum procomp rims)items and have never had a problem. Bought items from Singapore, Germany, Hongkong, and the Philipines. You do have to watch the sellers feedback and check shipping charges out tho. Ebay is good for buying things that you cant find anywhere else. just my 2 cents.