[fwarhola]

Is this recommended? What if any are the pitfalls?

Is there any potential problem using second party RAM in a Mac Pro?

Does the ebay seller void the Apple warranty if third party hard drives/ram, etc are added?

[drissa]

It might be worth checking prices against anything available on the Apple refurb store. If they have what you want, you could save more money than eBay prices and get a 'new' machine which has been looked over by an engineer and has full warranty.

[dallenmarket]

Buying on eBay can save lots of $$$, but be careful. There are scammers out there.

Some rules I use:
1. Check the sellers feedback. Look for anything negative.
2. NEVER buy unless the seller has at least a few feedbacks for like equipment or at least equipment with the same monetary value.
3. NEVER buy form overseas sellers. That is where the most scams come from. (U.S. and Canada are safer.)
4. Use PayPal if possible. Checks can give a scammer a long headstart in hiding as they must "clear" before shippping.
5. Never give a seller a credit card number. Self explanatory!!

I've bought everything from $1.00 widgets to cars and trucks on eBay and only had 1 bad experience. Bought a very expensive Sony monitor and recieved a cheap made in Taiwan off brand monitor (smashed as well and not in shipping!!) eBay took my complaint and went after the clown (he was in Chicago and I'm in Vegas). I got my money back through eBay and last heard, they had filed criminal fraud charges against the individual.

[dallenmarket]

As far as using non-Apple RAM, hard drives, etc. It does NOT void your warranty as long as you use things that are Mac compatible.

You can check RAM prices and dealers at ramseeker�: Memory and Ram prices. Apple, PC, Digital Camera by model.

I have found compatibility problems with some hard drives, DVD/CD drives, etc. You'll be OK as long as you either buy from Mac friendly companies like Find the latest Performance Upgrades, Firewire and USB Hard Drives, SATA, Memory, Laptop Battery, and more at OWC , or you check the device by going to its manufacturer's website and see if it is Mac compatible.

[0157988944]

You just need to be wise on eBay. Don't jump at a deal because of a price, listen to your gut, if it says "not a good idea" it probably isn't. And set a price and don't go over. If you don't win the specific one you wanted, its a near guarantee there will be an even beter deal within weeks.

[chris v]

Also, watch the shipping cost. Quite a few sellers make up for the low sale price by gouging you on shipping & handling.

[Faust]

I have bought all my machines (from PowerMac, to Mac Pro, to Macbooks) via eBay. These were always brand new machines from verified Apple authorized sellers. It's saved me a few hundred dollars as opposed to buying directly from the Apple store. The nice thing (though probably not applicable for a first-time-sale), if you stick to one great seller, you can make deals and save even more. I always make sure the seller has 100% positive feedback (minimum 99.9%) and also check how long that seller has been on there. I generally don't buy expensive items from newer sellers.