eBay - any good for new tech

I recently discovered how cheap eBay can be. My question is, when the seller says something is new and factory condition, could they be lying and what would happen to my money if that were the case? For some reason I've always thought of eBay as a bit sketchy but maybe it's not?

Reply 1

penguinsrock

OP

16

And how are they able to sell things for much cheaper than retail price? How do they make profit?

Reply 2

ah6100tsr

12

I've bought brand new phones (just ask if they're sealed in the original box) and they've turned out as expected. The reason they're cheaper is because the products are imports.

Reply 3

penguinsrock

OP

16

Original post by ah6100tsr

I've bought brand new phones (just ask if they're sealed in the original box) and they've turned out as expected. The reason they're cheaper is because the products are imports.

What do you mean by imports?

Reply 4

ah6100tsr

12

Original post by penguinsrock

What do you mean by imports?

They're delivered from another country to eBay sellers/business in your country that stock up so delivery is quicker for the buyer. Currency conversion, user manuals in different languages and non-UK chargers reduce the price.

In my case, I bought a Samsung phone for £130 (retailed for £200 back in 2018 but wasn't ) on eBay from a UK seller. The default language was set to Phillipines (changed it on the setup screen), and I received an EU charger (2 prongs) and a user manual + warranty booklet that didn't have English as the main language. Minor inconvenience for some people.

Reply 5

TheMcSame

19

Original post by ah6100tsr

They're delivered from another country to eBay sellers/business in your country that stock up so delivery is quicker for the buyer. Currency conversion, user manuals in different languages and non-UK chargers reduce the price.

In my case, I bought a Samsung phone for £130 (retailed for £200 back in 2018 but wasn't ) on eBay from a UK seller. The default language was set to Phillipines (changed it on the setup screen), and I received an EU charger (2 prongs) and a user manual + warranty booklet that didn't have English as the main language. Minor inconvenience for some people.

It's also important to note that imported phones may not be running the same 'ROM' (basically varient of the OS, so there'll be a 'global' version, European version, China version, etc...)that is sold on the same phone in your own country, which means it can lack certain features or may suffer compatibility problems with some apps. Not really a problem if you're willing to flash the ROM though.

Reply 6

goggleyed

19

I've ordered from ebay a lot, I have yet to be scammed thankfully. usually when they say its new, it genuinely turns out to be new. there are also places where you can open a complaint if you've been lied to which will result in the seller losing their ebay business, maybe even be made to pay you back so most people aren't going to risk trying to scam you. always be sure to read ALL the details properly because if its a brand new tech thing that they are selling real cheap there probably is a reason behind it. and recently i've found that many ebay places tend to either sell the new product for the same price as you can get it from the actual store, sometimes for more. or a tiny amount less. if they are literally selling it for half the price then theres probably a reason behind it. like if its currently in demand and they are selling it real cheap then question why it hasn't sold out because thats usually the case with ebay. it wouldn't be in stock if its genuinely brand new and unused and half the price!

eBay - any good for new tech

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