[selowitch]

I am considering going for a PB on eBay. In the interest of saving myself some serious bucks, I thought of bidding on a 867MHz TiBook DVI that current stands at $690.

The thing is, I know one really has to do one's homework on a seller before purchasing on eBay, and that one does take a risk in these things. Is it possible to minimize the risk of these transactions by going with an escrow company?

[s4iscool]

I would never buy a computer on ebay. Just too risky IMO but i know of people who have gotten good TiBooks on ebay.

[bbales]

I ditto the above. I buy lots of stuff on ebay -- just got InDesign CS last month for a VERY reasonable price, in fact -- but would never buy a computer. Way too many things to go wrong. In fact, I just read an article in the paper the other day about someone who got scammed -- and who actually followed all the rules, supposedly, in protecting him/herself.

I know people have had good experiences, but I just wouldn't take that chance.

Just my own 2 cents...

[Blizzake]

just do your research on the seller. i try not to buy from newer sellers, or if they have any negative feedback.

its a tough call. i like to email the seller and ask a basic question, then keeps asking more, and make sure he actually knwos what he sells. im probally the most annoying buyer there is lol.

i bougt mine and so did a friend, but they were local(within 1 hr) and i did a private deal off ebay. i spoke with teh guy on the phone. i got what i paid for and im very happy.

my friend, met the guy and got an amazing deal and to make sure it worked we used the wireless in a hotel, to send the money.

just becuase its at like 690 doesnt mean ur gonna get it cheap. they "blow up" at teh end, and can get expensive.

my suggestions.
find someone that has a good auction with a buy it now at a "fair price" (more than you want to pay) and talk to him a few times and ask some questions.
then ask if he would like to close a deal outside ebay. ive done this on both sides of the table, buying and selling.

just remeber if its to good to be true. IT IS

and DO NOT pay with anything buy paypal, there is a bunch of scams out there esp. with laptops

[selowitch]

Originally posted by Blizzake:
Find someone that has a good auction with a buy it now at a "fair price" (more than you want to pay) and talk to him a few times and ask some questions.
then ask if he would like to close a deal outside ebay. ive done this on both sides of the table, buying and selling.

Isn't that contrary to the rules? Or at least, you can't do that on the item offered at auction, but perhaps for other similar items not mentioned in the auction?

and DO NOT pay with anything buy paypal, there is a bunch of scams out there esp. with laptops

I use PayPal to receive payments sometimes. Is that a problem because if someone contests the transaction, you end up losing both the money and the item?

[vancenase]

w/ the number of fake transactions on eBay, i personally would never buy a computer from eBay ... furthermore, i would recommend to my friends/family/etc to never buy a computer on eBay as well ...

there are others out there though

an 'easier' sell might be to post it to a local mac user grop (MUG) to see if there is interest and setup a personal meeting.

[Hoops Coach]

For what its worth....about 18 months ago, I found a Tibook on ebay that was a good deal at the time....2000.00 for computer that was listed at the Apple store for 2800.00. I contacted the seller, exchanged several emails and thought all was just right. The seller then contated me off ebay, said it was her ex-husbands computer, and her owed her money so she was liqudating his assets, and yada, yada, yada ('')...to make a long story short, she wanted to close the deal quick. I sent a cashiers check and awaited shipment. I was very excited think what a great deal I had gotten. I waited, and waited, waited....see where this is going.... ('')She never had a computer or never shipped a computer. After 60 days, I contacted the authoroties in my locality. They contacted the authorities in Wisconsin and after 6 months of hassles ('')....she was finally arrested, extridited to Virginia nad ready to stand trial. I invested a great deal of time trackingthe check, where it was cashed, making phone calls, etc....Onthe day of the trial, she miraculously plae bargained the charges and paid restitution. I got my money...every cent, but it was a hassle. SO MY RESPONSE IS NEVER BUY A COMPUTER off ebay. javascript:smilie('') I use ebay for many things and I knew better than go off the auction site to complete the deal.... I still use ebay, just not for large purchases....


Just my experience.... pay a little extra, get a warrenty and feel secure!

[Karim]

FWIW, I have sold about a dozen Powerbooks over the years on eBay. Everybody that purchased one was happy and gave me positive feedback.

Its obvious there are bad seeds out there, but there are also good ones too.

[spiky_dog]

Originally posted by Hoops Coach:
For what its worth....about 18 months ago, I found a Tibook on ebay that was a good deal at the time....2000.00 for computer that was listed at the Apple store for 2800.00. I contacted the seller, exchanged several emails and thought all was just right. The seller then contated me off ebay

stop right there. buying anything off ebay is HIGHLY SUSPCIOUS, and it is your own fault from that point on. that is all.



that said, i wouldn't buy a computer on ebay even through the "proper" channels either. not the least of reasons is that the prices are absurd imo, at least in the mac world. much better to pony up at the apple store.

[Stradlater]

I dunno...I'd have to see the computer...link?

In all seriousness, though, I don't think I'd make a big purchase through ebay.

[Blizzake]

but if u get the right person u can get a good deal. try to find something local and meet the person to see the product.

my friend spent 1400 and got a 867 12 inch powerbook 640ram with ae, bluetooth, panther, 2 batt's, mouse, a case just for the 12inch book(a nice one too), all the org boxes, and a vid adapter. the laptop was MINT, and the guy was anal about how he took care of it.


but there is alot of shady ebayers right now espically, and its honestly sucks because there is alot of oppertunity and everyone would rather scam.

[Hamburglar]

Check out this article, found via Mac-Mike:
http://www.macnet2.com/more.php?id=434_0_1_0

[TheIceMan]

Originally posted by Karim:
FWIW, I have sold about a dozen Powerbooks over the years on eBay. Everybody that purchased one was happy and gave me positive feedback.

Its obvious there are bad seeds out there, but there are also good ones too.

Agreed. I sold my beloved PowerBook on Ebay about 4 months ago. It was the first time I ever sold anything on Ebay. I was actually more scared of the buyer since I was not really familiar with how Ebay worked. Glad to report everything went well. I zeroed out the hard drive and clean installed Jaguar for the new owner. I also gave very specific instructions on how to handle the box and the boot up times. I think he really appreciated the time and extent I went through to ensure that the PowerBook he received was in as good a condition as when it left my hands. Like you said, there are some bad apples (pun intended), and then there are good ones too. Just have to be very careful and sometimes a little lucky too.

[k2director]

I've sold my last 3 Pbooks off eBay, and had pretty good experiences (except for one person that clumsily tried to pull a scam...it was almost comical watching them try to lure me in).

If you're in a big metropolitan area, you can often find people in your area, so you can do the transaction face to face.

If you're concerned about the machine working properly once you receive it, look for ones still under warranty/extended warranty. They exist.

[Crombie914]

I just got a brand new 17 inch 1GHz powerbook off of ebay for $1,500 with out any problems what so ever. obviously i researched the seller and made sure that he actually had the machine in hand, i bought it within 2 or 3 hours of it being posted on ebay, and within two days i had the machine in all the orginal boxes and never been opened. So, if you ask me i would just be very careful about what i get myself into and like others have said only use paypal, and sometimes you can get that steal.

[danbrew]

I really get a kick out of people commenting on eBay. Whenever somebody has a piece of crap they want to sell, folks seem to suggest selling it on eBay. Whenever somebody wants to buy something, those same folks seem to suggest that eBay can't be trusted - almost as if "it's just for junk."

I'm not a huge eBayer - I've sold two things on eBay - a motorcycle and a TiPB. I don't have a great deal of references on eBay - because my life isn't centered around buying and selling at the online flea market. I'm kind of hosed when everybody says "Oh, make sure you buy from someone with a lot of feedback - and especially make sure they have a history of selling the things you want to buy."

Come on - does that make any sense? Do you want to buy a Powerbook from somebody who has one and has upgraded or some guy who is "supposed" to have a warehouse full of them? I'd pick the one guy who was upgrading.

Although not a huge eBayer, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars buying and selling big-ticket items online at other sites and, for me, it always comes down to this -- trust. Now, do keep in mind I'm not stupid (at least I don't think I am). How do I get the trust vibe? A few things: Do I have contact information for the seller? Phone/Address? Does he know what he is selling? Can he answer questions about the product? Will he provide photos (not stock images from the web)? And the most important, is he willing to have me come for a look? Everybody has their own threshold of pain - but one thing I always keep in mind in an online transaction is that I'm potentially going to lose all the money. If I can't stomach that thought, I have two options -- don't do the deal or get a cheap flight and go take a look at the product first hand. Perhaps not an option for a few hundred bucks, but if you were going to throw a few grand at a high-end G5 with monitor, what's a few bucks to go see first hand?

My $0.02.

[fibroptikl]

No, I don't think I would buy a PowerBook off of eBay.

I'd rather just go to the store and buy it; or order it from a reputable online retailer.

[shabbasuraj]

as others have mentioned you win some you loose some.....on ebay....

I have no problems buying things $100 or less as I can stand to loose that much on a deal that goes sour...

I don't ebay much but when I do I make sure that I ask for pics and the complete contact info of the seller...and spend the few bux to call the seller...

but for high end electronics I suggest locating sellers in your local area so you can do a deal in person...

AND DEMAND AN ORIGINAL SALES RECIEPT...for warranty issues, and maybe you can even verify the purchase yourself through the retailer...

last thing you need is your PB getting confiscated by the police in the event that it is stolen property...

[Macola]

Brand new, probably not. Used, older models, sure. I've sold a few lower-end items over the past six months, as well as bought some. It all depends on your level of risk tolerance. Deals that sound too good to be true probably are. If you're looking for a new PowerBook, you won't save more than a couple of hundred over retail, so you may want to save the hassle and just buy it somewhere else.

[AC Rempt]

Like others here, I've sold PBs over eBay, and lots of other things, too. I have a 100% positive feedback rating and am very careful when I buy.

I guess one way to think of it is whether you're personally comfortable with buying a PB this way. If you're really spooked, but still want to give it a try, you can try an escrow service for extra protection.

[Mobile Mod]

Well, i have personally sold many powerbooks on ebay and they are all in exactly the condition I state and everyone who has bought one has been satisfied and left postive feedback in the end. In fact, I am selling my powerbook right now on ebay (shameless plug...) here . Anywho, I think you can trust the seller if they always respond to your emails, and also accept lots of forms of payment, and have 100% positive feedback. Just do your research and make sure you feel comfortable.

Justin

[Dr.Michael]

I have bought my TiBook 500 at eBay and my Pismo 500.

The TiBook was a great deal because it was only 3 weeks old. The Pismo was in a state that was not as good as I had expected from the the description.

But all in all the deals were ok.

I think its important to check the ratings of a seller. There shouldn't be really bad ones.
And its important to avoid unbelievable offerings (AlBook, 1.25, 80GB, 23 Cinema Display, MS Office, Photoshop for 2500 USD or something like that).

A used 867 TiBook is something that can be sold because many mac users buy the latest machines.

I personally always contacted the seller, asked some questions and judged by the answers. If they are friendly and show that he/she knows the notebook and has used it, it might be ok.
Professionals who sell crap or nothing at all don't take the time to write elaborated answers. Owners who love their computer do.

And (don't torture me) descriptions about the technical state of a Powerbook that come from women are - only in my very personal experience - not very accurate. Maybe simply because in technical things they often don't know what they are talking about. (I know I will get many replies on this and will end on many black lists. But its hard earned money we are talking about and this requires honesty.)

[NYCFarmboy]

My ebay mac buying advice:

Only bid on items you can pick up in person and inspect first.

I live in NYC and purchased 2 macs this way, a orange ibook and a green imac. Both were great purchases.

I had purchased another green imac on ebay from upstate and it took a month of threats from PayPal to finally get my imac shipped to me..was a real pain in the ....
(I doubt I would have ever got the mac had I not used PayPal which was very good about protecting me). It was only after paypal froze my payment to the guy I had bought the imac from that he finally shipped it to me.

So..after that hassle: Never again will I purchase anything on ebay unless I can pick it up in person from a local source....its just not worth the headaches and risks of being scammed.

[Dr Reducto]

Beware of people with good histories. Some people buy hundreds of $1.00 stuff to gain enoprmously good records, and then "cash-in" on a huge score like a laptop or such.

[Ohenri]

Originally posted by Dr Reducto:
Beware of people with good histories. Some people buy hundreds of $1.00 stuff to gain enoprmously good records, and then "cash-in" on a huge score like a laptop or such.

You can look @ the transcation histories etc...

Anyhow, there are issues all over the place. Research will make most feel better, but you can get scammed by a neighbor.

I for one bought my Pismo online. Had no issues. The lady was a pleasure to deal with and the whole deal was very transparent. I simply try to buy as close to home as possible... But this one would have worked no matter the distance between us.

No issues.

What sux is that ppl is overall cannot be trusted. That's all. Given an opp to scam/cheat/not pay etc... ppl will take it. Just depends how far they go/how brazen they are...

H!