Buying on eBay

[slob]

Has anyone ever bought anything off eBay? I just had a look today and bike bits are bloody cheap there!

Any idea what shipping costs end up being (an example will do).

[Waylander]

Shipping depends on who you know. And if the seller isn't gonna scrap ya over the shipping. Some of them say that they are gonna ship it this one way that is exphensive and that it absolutly has to be that one but then when you get you find it was sent by a cheaper way and the seller made off with the change.
Just gotta be carefull as always.

[Karma]

Has anyone ever bought anything off eBay? I just had a look today and bike bits are bloody cheap there!

Any idea what shipping costs end up being (an example will do).

I used to do a little business on eBay, not too bad I suppose.

One thing to be careful of, only buy from sellers with 20+ feedback, there have been a lot of people creating alias to boost up their feedback artifically, and lots of people have lost money because of it.

I seem to remember a story in the UK recently about a bloke that was selling TVs and DVDs and computers that he didn't actually have, then took all the money and him and his mates went on holiday to the states or something, said he made about £20k (NZ$50k) off it.

[Warr]

Paying isnt too complicated if you use PayPal.
But best to ask specifically about getting it sent out of the States

[slob]

Cheers for the tips guys!

[TLDV8]

Has anyone ever bought anything off eBay? I just had a look today and bike bits are bloody cheap there!

Any idea what shipping costs end up being (an example will do).

http://feedback.ebay.com/ebaymotors/...k&userid=tldv8

An example would be.. via USPS airmail parcel post ... 2 USD fork legs would run around US$100 for shipping..... You just need to do your homework on what the total cost "might" be.You can get a fairly good idea using the XE exchange rate site and USPS site,but that will not take into account what a seller might charge as a handling fee..as a rule if i see "Buyer agree's to pay all handling fee's" i hit the Back button..i have no problem with paying those but some sellers will set things up where if they don't get the price they want they will add it on as a handling fee etc..One thing with Ebay is not just cost but availibility,in some cases close to new bikes are being parted out...Ebay is probably a little tough as a newbie but once you get familiar its great......... of course there is always the chance of getting scammed or even the item being lost in transit,that is the risk.

[tracyprier]

One thing to be careful of is that many people/companies in the US will automatically use UPS, FEDEX or some other courier-type company. This is all fine and good domestically within the US but gets horrendously expensive internationally.

I always ask for shipping costs using air parcel post. If they won't use that then sod 'em.

Cheers
Tracy

[**R1**]

I bought the undertail for my R1 off Ebay i paid $46NZD for the undertail and $45NZD for shipping, i would like to see someone in NZ buy the same thing here for anywhere near that price

[kerryg]

I bought the undertail for my R1 off Ebay i paid $46NZD for the undertail and $45NZD for shipping, i would like to see someone in NZ buy the same thing here for anywhere near that price

Yeah, I agree. I've made quite a few purchases on eBay over the past few years and it is possible to get a bargain but you need to be VERY WARY about shipping cost ex the USA (ask for a quote before you bid is my advice). Imagine a reasonable shipping cost and then double or treble it and you might be getting close. Sometimes they pack little parts in huge boxes (don't ask me why) and/or charge you far more for postage that the actual cost. Shipping is cheaper out of Europe or the UK so it is worth looking at the eBay listings in those areas, don't limit your search to eBay USA only.

But if you're careful you can score some really good deals. My last purchase was a brand new in box, factory front fender for a Kawasaki 636..for USD10. Even after paying USD40 airmail it still cost only around NZD80...which is a bargain.

[branco]

ebay is bloody great. you can save big bucks. i only try and buy from shops that use ebay, that way you can be assured of a great, safe deal. but be aware that nz customs might hit you up for gst.

[geoffm]

I have bought some bits for the Beemer, unavailable here or expensive. They include a Corbini seat, Koni shock (still to be fitted) - both from the USA, and a replacement ABS computer from Ebay UK. I will probalby get some RZ/ banshee pistons from the US later this year for my RD350LC, as they are a lot less than here.
As mentioned above, freight is the killer. Having a mate their to foward it helps. In my case it all came USPS surface - takes 3 months but cheaper.
A lot of sellers won't ship overseas, so ask before bidding.
There is a lot of stuff I would love to buy, but it is to expensive to ship here. I use an auction program (Harvex, but there are others) to track and place bids. makes it a lot easier.
Geoff

[HenryDorsetCase]

I cant really add much to whats been said here. I bought a CB750 speedo from ebay last year and it ended up costing me $90NZD on my credit card.

I bought a pair of cowboy boots for $30, $30 to ship, and at 72 cents it came to about $80... still bloody cheap.

Paypal is the business, and yeah, ask them questions. Its amazing that some people think the world ends at the US border though. I tell them imagine a globe and see australia? we're just there to the right a little...

[What?]

Like any internet auction / private sale site, the vast majority of traders are genuine, but a small number are cons. Simple rule is don't bid money long distance if you are not prepared to risk losing it.

[TLDV8]

Its amazing that some people think the world ends at the US border though. I tell them imagine a globe and see australia? we're just there to the right a little...

I found this pic helped when linked to a Can i bid request on a US shipping only auctions..unused for some time now.



I only use Surface shipping as a last resort.. airmail is expensive in some cases but it means parts are here in as little as 3 days to around 14.... Surface Shipping can be from 5 weeks off the US West coast to 9+ off the US East coast...and of course there is little comeback if lost,Paypal is fine,but denying confirmation of address's means the same if ripped off...for any newbie it is worth noting if you do not use paypal..sending a airmail bank transfer costs around $25 + extra if registered,some sellers will except Bidpay (the choice of scammers) I have used bidpay back in the beginning when the seller would not except paypal..bidpay is like sending cash to a stranger so there is an element of risk..for its faults paypal is the least hassle.

[slob]

Sounds like it's the freight that determines if its a good deal or not.. I have some high school mates in the US, but not sure if I ought to trouble them with forwarding my stuff around..

I wonder if parcel weight is a bigger factor than parcel size (e.g. engine bits vs fairing bits) in the freight cost..