Ebay has changed a great deal, I remember when I first started using it 8 or 9 years ago. The atmosphere then was very different, it was 80% ordinary people selling their stuff, highest bidder wins.

Since then I feel there are 3 things that have changed it ;-

1) the majority of the sellers on ebay are now "warehouse" sellers, faceless web shops that just retail the same stuff from a wholesaler
2) the Barret Jackson Syndrome..a lot of people think old car parts are worth a fortune, no matter what the part and its condition.
(have to add that this is also effecting swap meets, where people are bringing out cr%p and asking rediculous prices)
3) Shipping, the cost some people add to cheaper products for shipping is rediculous. I was looking at a new oribital sander, wanted something cheap for bodywork, the sander was $19.99 a bargain..flat rate shipping was $30!!!

yes, you can still find bargains, or those hard to find parts but they are getting harder and harder to find.

 

Stan (road-race vette) directed me to ebay for some specs for my 76 vette chassis. I found what i needed and am awaiting delivery.I'ts gonna save my ***, couldn't find these plans anywhere.

Tony.

 

Like everything E-bay has its good and bad aspects. Its pretty difficult to get taken when you can lay your hands and eyes on something, but if a buyer is ignorant of what they are buying in the first place then the opportunity to get taken goes up.

E-bay is no different. I wouldnt buy a car there that I couldnt go and see, some are clearly brave (or stupid depending on your opinion) enough to buy a car or any big ticket item sight unseen, I am not.

I have been on e-bay of i dont know how many years 8 or 9 or so, have bought and sold, and have a 100% rating - but in truth of the items I might be looking for the deals are fewer and way too far between. People selling parts clearly theyve harvest from junk yards for stupid prices and people paying it. the BJ car prices of course, (but you get that everywhere)

Basicly, buyer beware only goes so far. you cant verify anything on E-bay as a buyer, in the end you are always trusting the guy on the other end of the internet 99.9% of the time, that works just fine...its the .01 you keep hearing about. also there really are few protections for buyers, though that has gotten better over the years.

In the end, I look at e-bay only if I cant find the item near where I live. I've long since terminated my PayPal account.

 

Been an EBay'er for about 6 yrs, NO PROBLEMS! The deals arent really there anymore, at least you gotta really look long and hard, and you GOTTA know the value of what youre looking for. For us guys working on old cars, ebay, and the internet in general, is a treasure trove of info, advice, and parts!!

 

I've bought several parts on eBay without issues
I allways buy from companies that look serious
As an overseas buyer it ain't easy but I had my best deal there

 

I agree with most of what's said here.
EBay has opened a whole new channel of shopping and selling for us, an electronic yard sale, if you will. Where 15 years ago, you'd have to travel to Carlisle, get a hotel, walk around a huge field for 2 days, before you found the part you wanted, then pay through the nose for it(although you might still pay through the nose for Vette parts).
Same thing for drums, I play drums as a hobby in 2 bands, and in 15 minutes, you can find what you could only find in a major city's Guitar Center, or a vintage snare drum, etc. I live 2 hours from a major city and save huge dollars even after shipping!
It certainly is buyer beware. There are many scams/scam artists keeping up with the latest security measure, mainly on the high dollar stuff. For the most part, people are honest. Some sell every now and then, like me. Some sell regularly, and some(over 1/2 million people now), make a living from it. I know a girl who regularly makes $1500-2000/week doing it! She earns it though. More power to them. Heck I now buy my HVAC filters, refridgerator water filters, and other home consumables at huge discounts from "Power Sellers". I'm saving hundreds/year!
All in all, it's a good thing. The key is to know what you want and what you're willing to pay for it, and buy from only reputable sellers. Also, only communicate through ebay messages. This avoids a lot of scammers who want you to email them directly. Those that have had bad experiences, I feel bad for them.
I have 170 feedbacks all 100%, since 2000. I've bought and sold a car, drum sets, and numerous other "stuff" I thought was worthless. Heck, I've been hunting an old plastic lunchbox and found out one sold for over $50 recently! You can find almost anything now!