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I am Tired of looking at E-Bay for a GPS


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Im just sick and tired of biding on e-bay. Look at the biding and see the same name bid 6 times in a row. Or just a crazy bid to start with.

Nothing to stop the seller from biding up under a different name and have you ever tried to contact e-bay? Good luck in doing so.

I am looking for a Magellan gold, Platinum, Color or Garmin Vista or Legend. Used is ok as long as the unit is in good working order. Would like one with the pc cord, car cord. Mapsource a + also. Again I am not looking for a new unit BUT I am looking at the price. Not a used one at a new price. Anyone out there have one? Lets talk.

Thanks

 

Rick

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quote:
Originally posted by Shadow's:

Im just sick and tired of biding on e-bay. Look at the biding and see the same name bid 6 times in a row. Or just a crazy bid to start with...


 

Rick, I don't have one to sell, but I have some info about eBay, if you (or anybody else) are interested (if not, you might as well skip the rest of my post.)

 

[Mistaken and badly formatted comments about proxy bidding removed. You can still see my original post quoted in another message below.]

 

A better way to bid (IMHO) if you can be at your computer when the auction is about to close is called "sniping". Instead of bidding during the auction, wait until the last minute. People who want something want to be the highest bidder, even if there's a week left on the acution. So if you start the bidding, someone might outbid you. But if you want until near the end, there will be fewer people looking at the auction and you're less likely to get outbid. Plus as a result, you tend to get the item for less than if there was a early bidding war.

 

I get lots of stuff on eBay - PDA accessories, shirts, other stuff. It's a pretty good system. It's just hard to get a deal on certain things, like GPSRs.

 

migo_sig_logo.jpg

 

[This message was edited by hoovman on August 09, 2003 at 10:27 PM.]

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It's tough to get a good deal on a used GPS on Ebay. You're better off just biting the bullet and buying one new.

 

Most GPS units sell for the new price even when they are used. You would be lucky to get a high end unit for $15 less then new. Keep looking at the deal sites. Sometimes a Legend or Vista can be had for a great price if you use a coupon and rebate.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.

Sydney J. Harris

 

The fool who knows he is a fool is for that reason very wise. The fool who thinks himself wise is the greatest fool of all.

Shakyamuni

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quote:

Rick, I don't have one to sell, but I have some info about eBay, if you (or anybody else) are interested (if not, you might as well skip the rest of my post.)

 

When you see the same name bid 6 times in a row, it isn't a weirdo making 6 different bids. It's a result of what they call proxy bidding. It means your bid is the _most_ you'd pay, and you want eBay to automatically bid more than any bid that's under that bid. eBay keeps your maximum bid a secret, only upping your bid by increments as needed.

 

For instance, say the current bid on something $50, and I'm willing to spend $100. I bid $100, but eBay posts my bid as $51. Now say you bid $60. Your bid won't register since I've already told eBay that I would pay $100 before you even bid. Instead, eBay _automatically posts a $61 bid from me and tells you that you have already been outbid. Same thing if someone else bids $65 - it shows a $66 bid from me. And so on until it looks_ like I bid 6 times in a row. Only when someone bids more than my $100 will their name show up as a bid.

 


 

Actually you are so very wrong with your explanation. When you see where someone has posted several bids in a row each for a few dollars more then the last one, it is because they are a newbie (or a moron) The real fact about the proxy bidding is, lets say I post a max bid of $100 and the starting bid was $25, Ok let's say my bid was the first one, it shows up as $25, then when a newbie comes along and see the $25 bid, he thinks that is good deal and bids $26, but of course he is outbid because my max bid was much higher, so he thinks he will up it to $30 and again he gets outbid, so he goes to $35, outbid, then $40, outbid yet. The only bids that shows up is his bids and not mine (since my bid was already there) this is why you see the same person with several bids, and it is not the person who made the higher first bid as explained above. That info was so wrong, anyone who knows anything about Ebay knows the the way it works. I just wish people wouldn't pass bogus info on a fact when it is clear they know nothing about ebay.

Get your facts straight please.

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quote:
Originally posted by rayt333:

Actually you are so very wrong with your explanation ... That info was so wrong, anyone who knows anything about Ebay knows the the way it works. I just wish people wouldn't pass bogus info on a fact when it is clear they know nothing about ebay.

Get your facts straight please.


 

Rick,

I was mistaken about how the proxy bidding system shows bids, as rayt333 so nicely pointed out.

 

Amazon.com seems to be down right now, but they have new Vistas on sale for $254 with free shipping (I know you said you wanted used, but Harrald is right).

 

migo_sig_logo.jpg

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Did you see that post in this forum - at the top right now on Sunday afternoon - with a Garmin Legend & accessories for sale?

 

I bought mine off eBay, brand new. One of those "Buy it Now" deals, from user gpsworldsupply. Ordered it Wednesday morning and it was here on Friday. I am very pleased about that!

 

-Andrea

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quote:
Originally posted by ChevyFam:

I bought mine off eBay, brand new. One of those "Buy it Now" deals, from user gpsworldsupply. Ordered it Wednesday morning and it was here on Friday. I am very pleased about that!

 

-Andrea


That's good to know, good price, fast shipping, etc. I was looking at his auctions as well, he seems to have a ton of them, are they refurbished?

 

Check my scandalous stories, site, and my fishing skills

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Is ebay really a good place to find a GPS deal? I see Yellows go there for $100+ all the time. Doesn't seem like a deal to me.

 

Just wondering what others have found. I've gotten better deals from boat shops and amazon.com than anywhere else.

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

Assimilating golf balls - one geocache at a time.

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quote:
Originally posted by trippy1976:

Is ebay really a good place to find a GPS deal? I see Yellows go there for $100+ all the time. Doesn't seem like a deal to me.

 

Just wondering what others have found. I've gotten better deals from boat shops and amazon.com than anywhere else.

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

_Assimilating golf balls - one geocache at a time._

http://www.mi-geocaching.org/


eBay is a good place to sell a GPS icon_smile.gif

 

Check my scandalous stories, site, and my fishing skills

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I think the problem with the proxy bidding on eBay is that (and I say this as a newbie, since what you described happened to me when I bid on my first eBay item - a compact flash GPS card for my Dell Axim). I posted a bid on something, and because my bid was lower than the proxy bid of someone else, it IMMEDIATELY told me I was outbid. So I raised my bid (as rayt333 mentioned) because I don't have ANY idea how much the other guy bid. As soon as I submit my new bid I got the same message saying I was outbid.

 

So really it's not the newbie's fault - it's the eBay system. It only shows you the first bid, and lets you know that you have been outbid, but it doesn't show you the new high bid. So it makes sense that you would rebid, in an attempt to get the item. It seems silly.

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It's really not that silly if you think about it from a different standpoint. What is "silly" is that people don't bid what they are willing to pay. They want to watch it go higher and see what happens. Really, this is the "silly" part.

 

Bid the highest you are willing to pay. Period. If someone else has a proxy bid higher than that, then they will get it -- and you can be done. If someone else does NOT have a higher proxy bid, then you will be the high bidder -- and win if no one beats you, of course.

 

Makes perfect sense -- and means one bid and then nothing to worry about.

 

Or, you could snipe if you'd rather.

 

In any case, it isn't the system that is silly, in my opinion. Proxy bidding works -- if people don't act so "silly" when using it. icon_smile.gif

 

- John...

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quote:
Originally posted by John & Bretta:

It's really not that silly if you think about it from a different standpoint. What is "silly" is that people don't bid what they are willing to pay. They want to watch it go higher and see what happens. Really, this is the "silly" part.

 

Bid the highest you are willing to pay. Period. If someone else has a proxy bid higher than that, then they will get it -- and you can be done. If someone else does NOT have a higher proxy bid, then you will be the high bidder -- and win if no one beats you, of course.

 

Makes perfect sense -- and means one bid and then nothing to worry about.

 

Or, you could snipe if you'd rather.

 

In any case, it isn't the system that is silly, in my opinion. Proxy bidding works -- if people don't act so "silly" when using it. icon_smile.gif

 

- John...


 

The above statement says it all, when you bid, either at first or when sniping, bid the highest price you are willing to pay.

You can tell the "newbie" ebayers but the number of bids they place for an item, with each bid a few dollars higher then the last one. The system works if you are smart enough to know how to use it. If you nickle and dime the bidding process (and lose the item) or let the competitive nature make you over bid and pay too much then shame on you.

I have bought many items on ebay and most were bargins, I have also bid on many items that went for more then I was willing to pay, I never secondguess myself over a bid.

Some rules to help:

1. before bidding figure out a maximim price you are willing to pay.

2. make only one bid and use your maximum price

3. you can snipe your bid or bid early but never fret over lost items.

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quote:
Originally posted by trippy1976:

Is ebay really a good place to find a GPS deal? I see Yellows go there for $100+ all the time. Doesn't seem like a deal to me.

 

Just wondering what others have found. I've gotten better deals from boat shops and amazon.com than anywhere else.

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

_Assimilating golf balls - one geocache at a time._

http://www.mi-geocaching.org/


 

I have picked up two new in the box Garmin yellows for $75 plus shipping ($5 to $7)

BUT I was also outbid for maybe 15 or so before I got the 2 I won, and yes several of them went for more then Wal-Mart was selling them for.

Just goes to prove that stupid people has ebay account also.

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quote:
Originally posted by trippy1976:

That's pretty consistent with what I've seen. I see about 70% on ebay go for above retail either before or after shipping is added.

 

I like the guys selling $70 units with $35 shipping icon_smile.gif


 

A few points to ponder:

 

1. You need to know what you are willing to pay.

 

2. You need to know the shipping before you bid.

 

3. Yes there are morons who will pay more then retail. I have sold at least 100 items for more then the retail amount when I started them significantly lower. People get caught up in the excitement which is why...

 

4. I recommend using a sniping program which will continue to out bisd the person for the minimum amount possible which...

 

5. Is why the posts earlier about repeat bids are wrong (well, not so much the original one). Proxy bidding does continue to bid for you and in addition, some snipping programs can be set to do the same which takes away all the advantage of sniping, however is a feature on a few. All my bids take place in the last 2 to 3 seconds. Repeat bids may also be the result of someone trying to find out the reserve price (A moronic feature that should not exist anyway) and keep bbidding to find out what it is. Each bid will show until you "get the hit".

 

6. Yes, there are many deals if you don't bid early, especially if there are/is a newbie bidding.

 

7. By using a sniping program, you can set up bids on multiple items that are the same, when you get the one for the price you want, you simply cancel the other bids and eBay and the seller are none the wiser.

 

I have never paid over retail on new items and have always found what I want for less then I could get it "on the street" with one exception. I have one bad report on one of my ID's, it is the only one on my personal or any of my business ID's. I purchased a jack for my motorcycle at a good price, $90 at the time. The seller tried to hit me for $125 in shipping. I said no, he complained. Now I always know the shipping first.

 

Baloo - N9SSG

"HAM AND EGGS -- A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig."

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Just another note/explaination on proxy bidding... It drives up prices. If somone's max. bid is $100, and the current is $20, all those people willing to pay upto $90 drive the price up to there. It's a perverse form of gambling for a buyer, and very lucrative for sellers and therefore, eBay.

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

 

PS: I've only purchased several things, ranging from $40ish-$737, but gotten 'em for 50-70% of retail. You can often save $5 by choosing your auction carefully, $7 shipping instead of $12 when the bids consistently reach the save levels.

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I've bought at least three GPS on eBay, all at great deals.

 

One really important point:

 

Refine your searches and SAVE them (in favorites, with an appropriate name). Use some of the advanced features.

 

I suggest running multiple searches for the same item, ie:

 

1) Garmin etrex, >$50.00 (in order to weed out the accessories), newly listed

 

2) run the same thing, except change it to ending first

 

Obviously, research the final prices for items, and determine what is a fair price to pay, and what is a steal. Watch for BIN items listed at great prices, just check the feedback and shipping rates before clicking.

 

I've bought Magellans on eBay for $125.00, and sold the MapSend cd-rom they came with for $65.00, and the pc cable for $10, ending up with a spare mapping GPS for $50.00 plus shipping...

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Some great advice on here about ebay guys. One comment though, I would love to have these one bid max bid people on my auctions. It is a great deal to get an item 70% off but how do you know you couldnt have had it at 50% off? Seems like it is pretty easy to leave money on the table with that strategy.

 

Can not agree more strongly with setting you max price before you start bidding tho, that will save you from the need to win mentality and overpaying.

 

Happy shopping gang.

 

You can steer all you want, but it is all for not if your not moving forward!

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There is some great deals (few maybe) at Ebay and they are lots of good deals. Not everyone gets the "great" deals but it is still fairly easy to get the "good" deal.

Don't go into it thinking you can get an item for the same price someone else got it for (great deal) but look at the average price and decide if you are willing to pay this amount. Bid your maximum amount when you bid, but bid as late as you can to prevent others from bidding your proxy up before end of auction.

 

If you are only wanting the "great" deal then of course your maximim bid will be lower and you may miss out on several "good" deals while getting outbid, but if there is enough of the items you are seeking and you have the time to spend making these late bids (or use a third party sniping software) then you may eventually get one of those "great" deals.

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I'm in Ireland and bought an Etrex Venture used last week for approx $180 which I was delighted with especially as the guy had hardly used it.

 

The new price here is about $335! So I went looking around on the internetand found a great price, but they don't ship to Ireland.

 

The price???? $121.90

 

The link??? http://store.yahoo.com/discountsonline/gaetve.html

 

Hope it helps somebody out over there

icon_biggrin.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Shadow's:

Im just sick and tired of biding on e-bay. Look at the biding and see the same name bid 6 times in a row. Or just a crazy bid to start with.

Nothing to stop the seller from biding up under a different name and have you ever tried to contact e-bay? Good luck in doing so.

I am looking for a Magellan gold, Platinum, Color or Garmin Vista or Legend. Used is ok as long as the unit is in good working order. Would like one with the pc cord, car cord. Mapsource a + also. Again I am not looking for a new unit BUT I am looking at the price. Not a used one at a new price. Anyone out there have one? Lets talk.

Thanks

 

Rick


 

Just picked up a Platinum on Ebay, brand new for $230 shipped. I would have to say that was a pretty good deal.

Rusty

 

RW Da Man!!!

CHS#1

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I recently bought a brand-new Magellan Sportrak Map on E-Bay. My first E-Bay purchase (or bid)ever and I think a got a really good deal. I did wait until there was about a minute left in the auction and I made 2 or 3 bids (in small increments), to become the highest bidder. I paid a decent price, saving about $100US, from what they go for at Canadian Tire (yes, I'm in Canada). I was reluctant, dealing with someone so remote and so unknown and unseen, but I went for it. I knew what the unit was worth, so I was comfortable making my bids. The service was fast and excellent. I don't agree with "bid the most you are willing to pay". The idea is to try to get a bargain. Just don't get caught in a bidding frenzy, or go OVER that max you've set.

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quote:
Originally posted by WCoaster:

One comment though, I would love to have these one bid max bid people on my auctions. It is a great deal to get an item 70% off but how do you know you couldnt have had it at 50% off?


I think you need to review how proxy bidding works.

 

When you enter your max bid, that doesn't mean that's how much you are going to pay, it means that eBay will bid up to that much on your behalf. If I bid $100 for an item, but the next highest bidder has only bid $50, I get the item for $55 (or is it $52.50?). If, on that same item, there is someone who has bid more than $100, they win the auction for $105--whether or not their max bid was exactly $105 or whether is was $1,000,000.

 

Proxy bidding perfectly utilizes the laws governing a free market system. The only flaw is that some people get a little excited when bidding and you see some items sell for more than retail.

 

It's because of this that I had no reservations about starting the bidding on my high-dollar eBay sales at $1 with no reserve. I knew that my items would sell for whatever the market was willing to pay--which is the definition of how much those items are worth.

 

Jamie

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Jamie Z

Well said, I am really amazed at the number of people who fails to understand how Ebay works, and those are the same ones who says such negative comments about Ebay. I myself have found several good deals at Ebay, some items were simply great deals and others were a hard to find item or something, and in all cases I feel I paid market price and had no complaints about the price I paid. Sure there were several auctions that I didn't win but I had my maximum bid made on my behalf, others were willing to pay more then me on those items.

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