Ebay..is it getting worse?

[Hacienda71]

Quite a few of the retailers mentioned in this thread have eBay shops. The Planet X shop sells items cheaper than their own online shop but doesn't list everything on it.
There are still bargains to be had on ebay, but they aren't always obvious. I bought a bundle of Giordana kit the other day from a defunct race team, the advert only showed one bit of the kit in the photo and the description was short. Some of it was new still with tags on. For £30 Inc postage I got a ss jersey, a ls jersey, two pairs of bib shorts and a skinsuit. The price tag on the unused ls jersey alone was £70. Some will turn their nose up at logos on kit but for commuting and getting a cheap good quality skinsuit for TTing I have no qualms.

 

[vernon]

It's not Ebay that's the problem, it's the retailers who are selling on Ebay that's the problem.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Are cyclists penny pinching tightwads? Discuss.

Some are. Some aren't.

I do find the shops who try to sell stuff at RRP over the web quite amusing.

 

[sidevalve]

It's not Ebay that's the problem, it's the retailers who are selling on Ebay that's the problem.

Spot on - E bay isn't a charity as some seem to think, it's a business. It puts sellers in contact with buyers - nothing more nothing less. I've bought lots of stuff [and sold a bit too] and the main problem seems to be people who don't read the description [ie expecting "used" to mean absolutely spot on new, "collection only" to mean "if I bid maybe he'll post it anyway" and buying something at a give away price from china and expecting a superb piece of everlasting engineering].
Caveat Emptor [look it up if you don't know it] applies to every deal.

 

[Venod]

Today I have received two items from Hong kong took 11 days and well pleased, I buy a lot of stuff from ebay and found it very good

I,m with you numbnuts had a lot of bargains of eBay, had a few problems that PayPal have sorted out, and sold quite a bit of stuff for a price I was happy with.

 

[PpPete]

I still buy the occasional Ebay bit & bob from the Far East when the big brand item is overpriced and the "knock-off" makes economic sense.
Otherwise it's hunt round the usual suspects: Ribble, Planet X, Merlin, and less frequently Wiggle & CRC

I've ordered once this year from Tredz - an item there was £4.99 (and £5.24 next cheapest) - out of stock of course. I didn't need in a hurry, so I left the order with them, refusing all alternatives, more out of spite than anything, until they delivered two months later. Their costs in replying to my emails must have been way higher than the price of the item.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

There's very few bargains on eBay these days. A lot of new stuff is priced more expensively than other online sellers and second hand stuff isn't much cheaper than new. I don't know who buys it all, I keep looking but I never find anything I want at a price I'm prepared to pay.

This.

I'm after a pre-loved 10 speed medium cage Veloce rear mech. For no other reason than improving the appearance of the back end which currently has a campag race triple long cage. Folk were outbidding me on pre-owned mechs and going on to pay higher prices than identical new mechs were being offered BIN on ebay.

Madness.

 

[vernon]

LBS?...well my nearest cant be naffed to service my bike unless they can supply the cassette / chain etc so i DIY......its a minefield out there and a headache. .

Try finding a garage that will give your car a full service where you supply all the parts and consumables...

Local bike shops can't survive off labour only servicing, bike and clothing sales sand many can't really compete with the prices from the large online retailers.

If you want to have a local bike shop you have to bite the bullet and contribute to their profits. After all you can't get servicing and advice from online only retailers and it's a fair trek to the nearest branch of the larger retail chains (sic).

 

[Big Nick]

Tredz are rubbish for having stock

Evans, Wiggle, CRC, Merlin, High on bikes have never been an issue for me

I like the first three for their free returns

Ain't that the truth for Tredz, absolute crap

I've tried them around 4 times and only been successful once actually getting what I ordered, on the other 3 occasions they've bombarded me with phone calls saying the item is out of stock repeatedly (if I say I'll wait a couple of weeks to see if it comes in)

There's so many others out there I've now binned them off my internet shopping list

 

[Sods_Laur]

This.

I'm after a pre-loved 10 speed medium cage Veloce rear mech. For no other reason than improving the appearance of the back end which currently has a campag race triple long cage. Folk were outbidding me on pre-owned mechs and going on to pay higher prices than identical new mechs were being offered BIN on ebay.

Madness.

I'm looking for 105 bits and bobs. People buying used shifters for £90 and more plus postage when you can buy new for £100. Why??

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'm looking for 105 bits and bobs. People buying used shifters for £90 and more plus postage when you can buy new for £100. Why??

What one of my more sexist cycling friends calls "The Doris Effect"?

"Her indoors", as he puts it, believes everything secondhand on eBay is a bargain, because he tells her so I suspect, and thus it is easier to "sell" the newly acquired second-hand bits at home is the logic.

And there is the thrill of the chase, and the win, and the feeling you've had one over on others.

I just get the new stuff delivered to work and am open and honest about my bike related spending habits. Much easier.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ain't that the truth for Tredz, absolute crap

IME they are the store with the biggest gap between physical reality of the bricks and mortar shops and the crushing disappointment of the uselessness of their on-line offering.

 

[John the Canuck]

IME they are the store with the biggest gap between physical reality of the bricks and mortar shops and the crushing disappointment of the uselessness of their on-line offering.

perfect...!!......wonder if they read forums

their Marketing Manager needs a swift kick

 

[simon.r]

I've ordered a few bits from Tredz and never had any problems.

With eBay, check who you're buying from, know what a sensible price is and it works excellently IME.

Selling can be a pain, but a clear description and details about postage / collection generally lead to a hassle free sale. I recently advertised a bike on this forum, for £1000 (my estimate of what it was realistically worth), but would have dropped a few quid for a serious buyer. It went on eBay for £1020, less fees, so as near as makes no difference what I wanted. Happy buyer (I delivered the bike to him) and satisfied seller. What's not to like?

 

[Sods_Laur]

What one of my more sexist cycling friends calls "The Doris Effect"?

"Her indoors", as he puts it, believes everything secondhand on eBay is a bargain, because he tells her so I suspect, and thus it is easier to "sell" the newly acquired second-hand bits at home is the logic.

And there is the thrill of the chase, and the win, and the feeling you've had one over on others.

I just get the new stuff delivered to work and am open and honest about my bike related spending habits. Much easier.

Lol!!!!

That's hilarious. I can see the logic though