eBay.in Review

STOP. Then SHOP.

My Ratings: 2.5/5

I don’t know how I got hooked to online shopping but I have become online shopaholic from last few months. The reason may be because of my remote location and inaccessibility to latest products and gadgets. I have tried many sites in newly found passion of mine, eBay.in is one of them. So I thought of sharing my experiences with you all on this platform, it may be useful to you in taking purchasing decisions.

Introduction

EBay does not require any introduction as it is the one of the largest and oldest online shopping destination in India. It is found as baazee.com which was later took over by eBay.com. Interestingly, it is just a platform where sellers and buyers meet and sell or purchase. EBay acts as a regulatory body and acts as mediator so as to make the transactions fair and honest.

Advantages

1. Shop for all: EBay has some or other thing for all the age groups and for all the genders.

2. Unique products: There are many products which you have never ever thought of and you will get it on eBay.  

2. Better bargaining: This is a common platform where all the sellers are present with their prices, so you may get a better bargain then other online stores.

3. Discount Coupons: There is always one or other discount coupons or sales that tempts me for more shopping. EBay used to regularly mail some or other discount coupons ranging upto 15% discount. So you can imagine buying a Samsung Galaxy S3 at Rs.35k which is lower than the lowest possible price of GS3. These types of deals can happen only on EBay.

4. EBay guarantee: EBay provides 30-days guarantee for every transaction and you can claim for refund if you feel that you are been cheated.

5. Paisapay: Payment on EBay is done by Paisapay which is very secure medium. It also guarantees your transaction for 60-days. 

Disadvantages

1. Cheaters/sellers: Though EBay checks all the transactions and even regulates the feedback but still there are many sellers who will try to fool you by displaying wrong products or delaying shipments etc.

2. Customer Support: This is the worst part of eBay although it provides every mode of customer support. I have tried their call center that took me 45mins to connect, online chat- 50mins to connect and even mailed their customer support for which they responded after 4-5days.

3. 30-day limit: The sellers know the 30-days eBay guarantee so the cheaters will try to extend the delivery for 30-days and once the limit is crossed eBay will simply ask you to deal with the seller directly.

4. Feedback ratio: The feedback ratio may not be a reflection of actual characteristics of sellers as the buyers used to give feedback once they are in receipt of the products. But the actual problem arises after the receipt and there is no option to share those experiences.

BEWARE!!!

I have written this review because of this section only so read it carefully if you are deciding to purchase on eBay for the first time.

1. Product specification: Do read carefully each and every line and even between the lines for the actual product description. There might be a small catch somewhere so be alert. Do notice that whether it is new, used or refurbished item.

2. Mode of delivery: If you are from a remote location, it is very important to know the mode of delivery. It is better to ensure that whether that particular courier used by the seller is servicing in your area otherwise you will have to face lot many problems to collect it.

3. Communication with seller: There is an option of asking questions with seller so in doubt simply clarify before transaction. Do note that if the seller is not responding to your query, he may not be relied upon as if he is not interested in pre-sales queries what the surety that he will help you post-sales.

4. Seller feedback: Though it is not very important but it does give a brief idea about the seller. There are cases when 99%+ feedback seller cheats the buyers.

5. Warrantee: This is the most important point when buying any electronic item/ gadget on eBay. There are many items that come with seller’s warrantee. It is better to prefer the items with manufacturer’s warrantee as it will give you liberty to take it to the nearest service center. In case of seller’s warrantee, you have to ship it back to seller and they will rectify it (they may not rectify citing unknown reasons) and ship it back to you. And you have to bear all the cost of shipping!!!

6. Product origin: Just read the description carefully if you are purchasing an electronic item that whether it is bought from Indian dealer or imported from USA, UK or some other countries. If you are purchasing a mobile, it might be unlocked to a career of that country of origin.

7. Read online reviews: It is always better to search for online reviews of seller, if you are purchasing a costly item. Just copy the name of seller and paste it in Google bar and the history geography of seller will be before you if he usually cheats his buyer. If the Google search does not return anything, it might be because buyers have no complaint against that seller.

8. Don’t get tempted: Control your senses when you are exploring eBay as you might get through a deal that saves you money in the range of thousands. Read everything carefully about the product and the seller before transaction.

9. Communication with eBay: In case of delays or delivery of wrong products, keep updating everything with eBay. Don’t get fooled with sweetened talks of seller as it might be just another attempt to fool you. Sellers on eBay has unusual habits of delaying delivery and updating you with wrong delivery information and extending delivery dates, better be aware of all these pranks.

10. Transaction outside of eBay: There are many sellers who will advise you to make payments in cash, be aware of them if you want to avail the eBay guarantee. Those transactions are not authorized by eBay and you may lose your money with wrong or defective product in your hand.

My eBay Moments

I have purchased many things on eBay and there are times when the products were as per the specifications but the quality was so poor that I have to discard those items (wall clock, key stand, photo frame etc.). So be careful when purchasing home décor items as the quality may not be upto the mark.

In March, I have purchased a factory unlocked Apple iPhone 4S for approx. Rs.38k. The seller updated wrong delivery information and then keeps delaying delivery dates. I got the item after 20days and the worst part was it was factory locked. So I informed eBay about it and they ask me to communicate with seller. I asked seller to replace the item and he willingly accept my request. He makes arrangements to ship the item back to him at his cost. The real drama starts after that. He keeps promising delivery dates every day and gradually he stops responding to my calls and mails. He keeps doing all these for more than a month. Fed up with all these, I just shared my experience on eBay Facebook page. And it did wonders!!! I got my phone within 3 days.

Conclusion

EBay has many advantages and disadvantages but still it is heaven for buyers. It provides some of the best deals among offline and online shops. The only thing is that you have to be aware and alert for every purchase you are making on eBay.

Happy & Safe eBaying!!!