Ebay

[FringeChief68]

Ok I was going to post this on another thread but I wanted to make sure others could see this and help explain it to me.

Why are so many against eBay?

Another Hobby of mine is collecting O and HO Model Trains and I been buying off eBay for years.
To me it simple, you look at, How long they was a member, Their feedback score, and Read their reviews to see if you can trust them.
Just like you should do with any web site or store front you order off of.
And yes people try to sale fake trains or mislead you on the make of train. Most common mistake on trains is people think that all model trains are called Lionel, this is wrong Lionel is a name of a company. But this leads to a lot of mistakes or people getting ripped off.

Note: there is no vape store around me. So online is all I got.

First thing, this is off their website:
With the eBay Money Back Guarantee, we ensure you get the item you ordered or your money back. We will cover your purchase price plus original shipping on virtually all items on ebay.com.

So what's the problem?

Website: I can rent space for a website for around $15 a month. So for $15 anyone can set up a on-line vapor store for a month, rip people off, close it, reopen it in a different name for another $15.

Physical Store Front, eBay is like a mini web that's just easy to surf.

You guys do know that a lot of your sites/stores you buy off of sale on eBay too right? It's smart business. A lot of people buy only off eBay and or Amazon so why as a Vendor would you not want to sale on eBay/Amazon, besides the fact that eBay gets some of the profits. But that's the vendors choice.
And I seen Vendors sale things on eBay cheaper then on their own web site or they put it up for Bid which is cool cause there's a chance you can get it for a real good price.

I think a lot of the problem is people think eBay they think private seller, that's not the case. You can find some good Vendors on eBay.

Fakes! really? So I can't get ripped off any where but eBay. Simple fact, if you don't know exactly what an original looks like, you can get ripped off. And if the picture is different then what they sent you, then that 100% eBay Money Back Guarantee Kicks in.

I am not defending eBay or trying to talk people in to using it, what I posted above is a start to answer some questions I already seen on some of my post. So I am trying to get a head start on answering some of the post that might show up here.

I really am not trying to start a big dispute or argument cause that never happens on here,
But I am new and would really like to know why eBay is a bad word on ECF?

 

[Jonibrasco]

I buy kanthal on Ebay.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Fortyniene]

I have no problems with ebay. That being said I like amazon a whole lot better, but only because the shipping is almost always faster than ebay. That being said you are 100% correct you must do your research on the seller. I try to never buy a product on either site without reading the reviews and seller feedback.

 

[yzer]

eBay is okay if the seller or store has a good reputation. I've been burned a couple of times but most deals have been good. I haven't used eBay for any vaping supplies, though. I've got a lot of good vaping store sites for that.

 

[generic mutant]

The post I assume you're referring to was about AW IMR batteries.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...sion/492305-your-thoughts-battery-brands.html

Which are demonstrably cloned in China - AW himself has said that all the ones on Alibaba are fake. The jackets are probably indistinguishable to the non-expert, and the markup is huge - it wouldn't be hard to do on an industrial scale.

The quality might be OK, or it might be terrible. For a safety critical part, it isn't worth the risk.

 

[Barbara21]

Many people complain when they see an item on ebay at (what they perceive to be) an inflated price. I've also seen people complain when an item in a B&M has more than a 10% or 20% markup over what they can buy it for online.

 

[InTheShade]

Apart from wick and wire, I'm just against buying vaping supplies on EBAY as some members have had their paypal accounts frozen due to violation of their terms of service.

EBAY is not a vape-friendly website, and Paypal even less so. You know as a verified member that we dare not even put the slightest hint of the word e-cig in any descriptions when completing transactions lest we get our money withheld and our accounts cancelled.

So for me, I don't use a website that hates on vaping and vapers.

 

[FringeChief68]

The post I assume you're referring to was about AW IMR batteries.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...sion/492305-your-thoughts-battery-brands.html

Which are demonstrably cloned in China - AW himself has said that all the ones on Alibaba are fake. The jackets are probably indistinguishable to the non-expert, and the markup is huge - it wouldn't be hard to do on an industrial scale.

The quality might be OK, or it might be terrible. For a safety critical part, it isn't worth the risk.

Why I said if you don't know what the original looks like you can get ripped off. I looked at the pictures from Beware of fake AW batteries and I am sorry even a noob like me can see the difference in them fakes, plus Alibaba has nothing to do with eBay.

 

[FringeChief68]

Apart from wick and wire, I'm just against buying vaping supplies on EBAY as some members have had their paypal accounts frozen due to violation of their terms of service.

EBAY is not a vape-friendly website, and Paypal even less so. You know as a verified member that we dare not even put the slightest hint of the word e-cig in any descriptions when completing transactions lest we get our money withheld and our accounts cancelled.

So for me, I don't use a website that hates on vaping and vapers.

eBay and PayPal are one in the same. On October 3, 2002, PayPal became a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay. PayPal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But the government is going out of their way to shut them down. Because god forbid some 70 year old Grandmother sales her Kitten Mittens on eBay with out paying taxes on them. And the ATF has jumped on the bandwagon and watches them for anything they can use to shut them down. So I can't say if they are against it or they just have to be careful of what and how they say things.

 

[Rickajho]

I don't know why this hasn't been covered yet: Buying and selling e-cigs is against the eBay TOS. While their policy about enforcing that is a bit spastic right now the transaction has the risk to be a TOS violation. If you do run into a problem, file a complaint and mention the word "e-cig" in the report, not only won't you get the problem resolved you also risk your eBay and PayPal accounts being suspended or closed. For a fly-by-night seller - they don't care, they already got your money anyway. For the buyer - you got crap, you got your account closed, you got no recourse.

Wick and wire - stuff that technically isn't an e-cig and could be used for a pile of other purposes - that's one thing. Buying eGo batteries, liquids, or complete kits - good luck if you have a problem.

Lastly, when it comes to batteries for mech. mods or APV's - if you buy from a known, reputable vendor that has been in the business for years that's one thing. If you buy from the likes of a "fred124x7" on eBay who only registered a month ago - who knows what you are actually getting. Cheap is cheap for a reason. And no, you cannot get a 3600 mAh battery on eBay at two for $3.89 and expect it to actually be safe or perform anything like a 3600 mAh battery should. When it comes to batteries and safety reputation is everything when deciding where to purchase.

 

[generic mutant]

Alibaba demonstrates that there are lots of fakes floating around. Naturally, some will end up on eBay.

How accurately something is cloned, in either appearance or function, is going to vary hugely. But if you're doing it on an industrial scale (as people may well be), it probably isn't hard to make *lots* of money buying cheap batteries and making them look pretty near indistinguishable to AWs or other high-end batteries.

Will people notice and complain? Probably not - not in sufficiently large numbers to stop you selling them, anyway. Will they be as stringently tested? Certainly not. Are they safe? No way of knowing, and not something I'm prepared to take a chance on.

 

[generic mutant]

For reference, Google for some guides on spotting fake Sennheiser in-ear monitors.

Bear two things in mind:

1) The most faked Sennheisers (at least last time I looked) are the cheap ones that can be sold in high volume. And they're often cheaper than IMR batteries - so there's your incentive.

2) Some of the fakes are so good that experts struggle to tell if they're genuine. Slapping a red label on a battery, and getting the fonts to line up like the original, is child's play by comparison - there's your opportunity.

Incentive + opportunity = a high probability of there being lots of very hard to spot fakes.

 

[Fortyniene]

For reference, Google for some guides on spotting fake Sennheiser in-ear monitors.

Bear two things in mind:

1) The most faked Sennheisers (at least last time I looked) are the cheap ones that can be sold in high volume. And they're often cheaper than IMR batteries - so there's your incentive.

2) Some of the fakes are so good that experts struggle to tell if they're genuine. Slapping a red label on a battery, and getting the fonts to line up like the original, is child's play by comparison - there's your opportunity.

Incentive + opportunity = a high probability of there being lots of very hard to spot fakes.

A local guy in my town just got sent to prison for selling fake airbags on the internet. And he got them from ...........China!

 

[FringeChief68]

Ok I understand the risk, but aren't they the same risk when you buy off anyone? I mean that vendor down the street from you might not try to rip you off but maybe the vendor that sold it to him ripped him off. This risk is in everything you buy.

The only thing so far that I don't like is

Apart from wick and wire, I'm just against buying vaping supplies on EBAY as some members have had their paypal accounts frozen due to violation of their terms of service.

EBAY is not a vape-friendly website, and Paypal even less so. You know as a verified member that we dare not even put the slightest hint of the word e-cig in any descriptions when completing transactions lest we get our money withheld and our accounts cancelled.

So for me, I don't use a website that hates on vaping and vapers.

If they are not friends of Vaping then screw them. I have to look into this

 

[generic mutant]

Well, yes, there is always a risk. But that risk is alleviated with a large vendor by two things:

1) Supply chain. A large vendor is going to have connections to the large suppliers, who are more likely to be directly connected to the source. Less intervening steps makes for less opportunity for fakes to slip into the supply chain.

2) Reputation. A large vendor with a known name (and the large suppliers mentioned in 1) too) have a *great deal* more to lose than barrysmith387 on eBay. If either get caught selling fakes, they have to start building up their reputation again from scratch - either by apologising profusely and hoping people forget, or by starting again under a new name. It's a lot easier to start again under a new name if you're barrysmith387. Major vendors and suppliers live and die by their reputation, by their name being out there, by their Google-index ranking. They are not going to risk throwing this stuff away lightly.

I only buy IMRs from *massive*, national scale vendors. They cost more, but I don't care. With proper care, they'll hopefully last for a couple of years, and the extra cost spread over a couple of years is *no price at all* for the near certainty that I'm using one of the safest batteries I could possibly be using.

edit - I'll also add a third

3) Legal recourse. If a large supplier is caught deliberately selling fakes, they're going to get sued out of existence - and they legally have to keep a paper trail (though obviously this can be faked too, that's another big risk for a company). An eBay seller is often small enough not to need to keep a paper trail, and if they are caught selling fakes, they probably lose nothing - for one thing, they probably don't have enough assets for it to be worth suing them, and for another, they will have fewer customers who can pool their legal resources to mount a case.

 

[FringeChief68]

If it wasn't for ECF I would of bought all my vaping stuff off eBay not knowing how big the Vaping world really is for this I Thank everyone

 

[RayN]

Ok I understand the risk, but aren't they the same risk when you buy off anyone? I mean that vendor down the street from you might not try to rip you off but maybe the vendor that sold it to him ripped him off. This risk is in everything you buy.

The only thing so far that I don't like is


If they are not friends of Vaping then screw them. I have to look into this

I think that is the main reason you see eBay and PayPal bashed on here. They are both very much anti-ecig. Selling or buying ecig stuff is a violation of their TOS, same with Amazon too.

 

[Danbrooks2k]

I just got 4 of the lightsaber handle mechanical mods with batteries, chargers, pyrex genesis style tanks already pre wired with stainless mesh wicks. I paid 24$ for the cheapest 40$ for the most expensive. The guy has great feedback. He ran a vape shop that is shutting down so he is selling his used display inventory to the highest bidder with no reserve. He sent me multiple emails with links to you tube videos on how to rebuild the tanks. He threw in spare wire, mesh, o-rings and cloth wicks.

I buy and sell vintage computers ( mostly UMPC stuff on ebay ) I always look for a deal. Brother I found one... I would have to pay upwards of 800$ for what I just got for a little over 100$. The customer service and concern from this guy... top notch...

I wanted to get some simple cheap ego starter kits for friends and family. Got 5 of them for 9.99 each... I ordered a kit from the same vendor 4 months ago... still running strong... just updated to a rebuildable clearomizer... not fantastic... but its kept me off cigs.

Ebay has its positives and negatives... as a consumer I pay attention to the auction, the seller, and stick with ones I have used before. When I need high quality stuff I go to a brick and mortar store... but honestly I am using my ebay app to see if I can find the same or better for less... I usually can... I have not been burned once yet.

But I do buy at least one bottle of juice at every brick and mortar vape shop I visit. Its supporting the community.

 

[WillyZee]

Ebay can be like the wild west ... some great sellers and some not so honest.

I bought some fake DVDs that were advertised as original.

 

[devauto]

This is a very enlightening thread, I use ebay a lot for other hobbies, but I know exactly what I'm looking for and exactly what to watch out for. I personally would not buy vaping gear on ebay, unless it was cheap enough that I could afford it to be a total loss. Primarily because there is so much that can go wrong with stuff, and so many fakes passed off as real.