GPS on ebay

[Via Con Ardillos]

Ive been looking at a new gps unit for quite some time now and throughout my searches, it seems that ebay turns up some of the cheapest "new" units. however, a gps being a somewhat large investment for a senior in highschool, is it reccomended to buy one of ebay. a lot say "new" but i was wondering if there were any special tricks that one would have to look for in order to insure a safe buy? thanks a lot on any input.

[+TacRat]

I bought my first GPS (etrex legend) on ebay and it worked great. And when I upgraded to the etrex legend CX, I got it off of ebay as well. You can't beat some of the prices. One thing I make sure is it is a brand new unit. I won't buy electronics off of ebay unless they are brand new because if one little component inside becomes loose, you just lost. Second, I look at the feedback rating of the person. If they have a poor score, I won't bother with them. Just make sure you read all of the fine print and look over the auction thoroughly. Feel free to ask the seller a question if there is enough time left in the bid for them to respond.

 

If you ever question a bid on ebay, you are more than welcome to shoot me an email and I will look over it to see if it is worthy or not. I purchase a lot of items on ebay and don't mind helping out a fellow cacher.

 

Hope this helps!!!

 

TACRAT

[Suscrofa]

I bought my first GPS (etrex legend) on ebay and it worked great. And when I upgraded to the etrex legend CX, I got it off of ebay as well. You can't beat some of the prices. One thing I make sure is it is a brand new unit. I won't buy electronics off of ebay unless they are brand new because if one little component inside becomes loose, you just lost. Second, I look at the feedback rating of the person. If they have a poor score, I won't bother with them. Just make sure you read all of the fine print and look over the auction thoroughly. Feel free to ask the seller a question if there is enough time left in the bid for them to respond.

 

If you ever question a bid on ebay, you are more than welcome to shoot me an email and I will look over it to see if it is worthy or not. I purchase a lot of items on ebay and don't mind helping out a fellow cacher.

 

Hope this helps!!!

 

TACRAT

 

I had been looking to ebay for a 60CX. The cost was not much better than the one from internet vendor except for some very cheap out of China which turned to be a scam !

Yes, some auctions were bargain but I saw some people paying more than a regulr vendor. It look like some people really want to WIN the auction !

Besides be careful about warranty services.

 

For new, complex and expensive items, I wouldn't buy from eBay.

Edited December 17, 2006 by Suscrofa

[+mgbmusic]

Ive been looking at a new gps unit for quite some time now and throughout my searches, it seems that ebay turns up some of the cheapest "new" units. however, a gps being a somewhat large investment for a senior in highschool, is it reccomended to buy one of ebay. a lot say "new" but i was wondering if there were any special tricks that one would have to look for in order to insure a safe buy? thanks a lot on any input.

 

Got a used Rino 110 off ebay - no problems yet. the until had a scratch ont he screen, but i knew that going in. I figureds "Heck, if _I_ own it it won't stay nice for very long anyway..."

 

--MGb

[mtbikernate]

I only ever buy USED items from ebay. Buying new items from ebay is kinda creepy, unless you can tell that the seller owns a brick & mortar store and is just trying to clear out old stock. A LOT of the stuff labeled as 'new in box' on ebay for really low prices is stolen product, or product from folks who are abusing insider pricing.

 

In some industries, the abuse of insider pricing is so rampant that the manufacturers themselves police sites like ebay looking for folks who are abusing the system. They can and will get those folks fired from their jobs for it. Much of this product is sold for LESS than wholesale cost. You also usually cannot tell the difference on ebay between a legal, but unethical sale of a product purchased through an employee purchase program or something stolen by a professional thief (or an employee of a store that sells the product).

 

Counterfeit product is also a major problem on ebay. I'm not aware of it being an issue with GPS receivers, but I know that a lot of North Face clothing, Arc'Teryx clothing, and Tiffany products are counterfeit. I think I read that 95% or more of Tiffany products on ebay are counterfeit. Oh yeah, and there's counterfeit drugs like Frontline (flea/tick meds for pets) on there.

 

Buyer beware.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

The eBay Seller Rating is your best friend in the online marketplace.

 

It's about the only place you will ever be able to read actual feedback from buyers about every transaction the seller has ever made. You can't get that kind of info about an offline individual or a brick-and-mortar store, and it's simply invaluable!

 

Look for sellers with a high number of ratings (50+, I will rarely buy from a seller with less) and be sure that the vast majority are positive (45 out of 50 or thereabouts). Read any negative ratings carefully to see what went wrong.

 

Avoid any seller with even 10% negative ratings!

 

Use an escrow agent to quarantee delivery. Escrow.com has a great reputation and has given me excellent service and peace-of-mind.

 

If you stick with that it's about the safest marketplace in the world!

 

I sold over $6,000. worth of goods last month alone, about half of that was expensive used ham radio gear, the rest was my '81 Suburban, and bought maybe $700. worth of stuff. I will be listing my '06 Tahoe and '89 Jeep Cherokee Monday.

 

I have bought and sold most anything you can imagine (antigue plate to swimming pool to motor homes!) over the years since eBay got started and have found that you live and die by the Seller's Rating!

 

Ed

[+j_czerwin]

I used GPSonSale.com My father used it and is was suggested to him by his friend who happily used it too.

 

I don't know if their price is what you are looking for, but I didn't find anything better on eBay when I was shopping for my Garmin 60csx. And I got the $50 rebate already from Garmin too...

 

EBay freaks me out on some things because it doesn't seem like shopping in a store. It seems to be more of a game for some people out there... Just from my experiences.

 

Good luck.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

It seems to be more of a game for some people out there

 

Ergo the ratings! Instantly evaluate a buyer or seller's performance and credibility.

[+Tool King]

Ive been looking at a new gps unit for quite some time now and throughout my searches, it seems that ebay turns up some of the cheapest "new" units. however, a gps being a somewhat large investment for a senior in highschool, is it reccomended to buy one of ebay. a lot say "new" but i was wondering if there were any special tricks that one would have to look for in order to insure a safe buy? thanks a lot on any input.

 

All the advice here is good. I found generally better prices (when you consider free shipping) on Amazon.com

No worries buying from them directly. Take a more careful look at vendors accessed through their site.

[+briansnat]

As TAR said, check the feeback. Beware when you see all the feedback coming over a day or a few days.

 

And remember, if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

As an eBay veteran (who bought 2 of 3 GPSr's on the site), I think what everyone says here is true. If you buy it new on eBay (i.e. from a vendor who sells new units in bulk on eBay one by one in lieu of their own Web storefront), you have the benefit of a warranty. But look out for the obvious "too good to be true" scams (I see the one with the Chinese vendor selling it well below normal cost quite often for example!).

 

If you are going to buy a used one, buy from someone who is offering a Square Trade warranty. Usually for about $5-15 you can get a 2-3 year warranty for your used GPS purchase.

 

Good luck!

Edited December 17, 2006 by HaLiJuSaPa

[+Lizzy]

When looking at an Ebay listing, don't make any assumptions. If something isn't stated in the listing, email the seller a question. If the shipping isn't stated, don't assume anything...the seller can add a lot for "handling", so fire off an email. Don't assume it comes with the standard accessories or if the unit works perfectly. There's a huge difference between "item works" and "item works perfectly". Boldly ask if there are any defects, damage, etc. If item is stated as new, it may be factory reconditioned. Beware of a listing that says something like "cannot guarantee if it works, I don't have the proper equipment to test it". I've seen that on listings for something as simple as a Palm that would only take turning the unit on to check if it works! Always read between the lines & look for loopholes in the listing. I suggest using Paypal for added peace of mind vs. paying directly.

[+budd-rdc]

I've used eBay for more than 5 years, so many of the issues discussed here are almost intuitive for me.

 

For your first GPSr, avoid auctions because the risk is higher. Why not take the time to visit a retail store, so you can see the equipment firsthand? Don't forget to factor in the total cost, including shipping, handling and taxes.

 

If you are willing to take the time to research things other than the features of the GPSr (seller ratings, "market" trend, etc.), then sure, eBay can reduce your risk and potentially save you money. If you are serious about saving money and buying it online, look for refurbished units, or in the clearance/close out sections of an online store. In fact, do the same if you are visiting a retail store.

[+j_czerwin]

It seems to be more of a game for some people out there

 

Ergo the ratings! Instantly evaluate a buyer or seller's performance and credibility.

 

I agree and that is good advice, but I think the ratings on eBay are a little slanted. What I meant about "playing games" for example is that if you give a seller a bad comment/rating, he/she will most likely retaliate and give you one back in a volly of emails like a violent tennis match. So most people probably choose to avoid the confrontation and the seller looks better than what their performance really is. I suppose the flip side could be true too, where you can be a great seller and no matter what you do, some people will ding you because you can't make everyone happy. But that supports my point about things being like a game on eBay.

 

But again, I agree that the ratings are ciritical and high #s of sales is a good sign of reliability too. Just look at those numbers with a little objectivity.

[Suscrofa]

Also consider some ratings may be fake and given by seller accomplice like wit thse chinese vendors. Althoguh they are easy to spot, they ae recent and for cheap items. A way to build up some credibility.

 

Anyway just use common sense (wonder why it is called "common" as it doesn't seem to be that common !)

 

OK; now I got to reply to the emails of some poor rich girl from Nigeria who wants me to help her getting a chunk of her deceased father's fortune out of the country !

[+wesleykey]

I've never bought a GPS in a store. I always buy good used equipment off eBay. Watch for reputable sellers and you usually can't go wrong.

[A_Boiled_Lobster]

eBay is usually safe for an inexpensive GPSr. it can be a little cheaper, but as the units get more and more expensive the price gap between a seller on ebay and a regular supplier will decrease.

as for checking the seller's rep goes, take a look at the feedback left. if there are a lot of identical feedbacks left from a lot of diffrent users, be wary and check for more repetition and read the negative feedback. if they've gotten a negative sandwiched between repeats, do not buy from them, they probably spammed themselves with good feeback inbetween awful real sales.

[+GClouse]

I actually got my first GPS at a thrift store for $40.

 

After a while, I decided to go paperless, and got a palm gps sled form ebay for $20 and a Palm M125 from a local pawn shop for $40.

 

What I have found out about buying from Ebay:

check out what available. Put watches on auctions for items that are similar to what you want to see how much people are spending on them. Then decide how much you want to pay.

When deciding whether or not to bid on an item, check the sellers history. Many used items may be for parts or repair. There are 2 ebay sellers in Nashville with brick and Mortor stores that are always getting complaints from people that bidd off something marked "AS IS, for repair or parts" and get upset when it doesnt work.

 

Once you decide how much you are willing to pay, do a little research. Sometimes you will find the same product carrying different brand names. For example, Magellan manufactured some gps sleds for Rand-McNally. Also if you are unfamiliar with the brand, you can search for the brand and for reviews online.

 

Now that you have you price in mind, search for auctions on ebay. type to search gobally. Sometimes the seller may be unfamiliar with the product or brand and will post the auction in the wrong category. I once bought an ultra-rugged itronix laptop for $25 (+$20 for shipping) that was usually selling for $400 simly because the laptop had been OEM'ed through Wang Labs. (Itronix also makes the Hummer laptop and one of the HP-branded ultra-rugged laptops.

 

Once you find the item, subtract the shipping and handling costs from the maximum amount you are willing to pay, and bid the difference. For examle , if you have budgeted $70 for a GPS and you find one, but the S&H is $40, don't bid over $30. It is also a good idea to know what one costs locally, It would be silly to spen $70 on S&H plus the item when you can buy a newer one at the local pawnshop or sporting-goods store for $60.

 

Try to pick auctions that end during the day, preferably on Wednesday of Thursday. Individual items tend to close a little cheaper at those times, and there is less "sniping". Be patient. It may take a month or two, but you can buy at your price.