Argh Ebay!!!

originally posted by: solargeddon
A battery if you will for a Samsung.

In this case, the counterfeit would probably be safer

originally posted by: verschickter

originally posted by: solargeddon
A battery if you will for a Samsung.

In this case, the counterfeit would probably be safer

HAHA, it's not often Made in China is better.



or is it

a reply to: ttobban

You know your rule may be onto something there, most of my limited success has been through cheap and good, or cheap and fast.

It really depends on the purchase and its intended use.

For example, some fine liners I picked up for £1.31 for 6 (different colours), sure they came from China, yet they only took about a week to arrive (free postage).

Versus the same pens costing me £9.99 on Prime.

I was so impressed I ordered a couple more.

originally posted by: verschickter

originally posted by: solargeddon
A battery if you will for a Samsung.

In this case, the counterfeit would probably be safer

You reckon?

The counterfeit is the Samsung.

I've ordered a power bear battery...I'm running on the premise that to be different may be better than to pretend.

But what do I know, will let you know if I blow myself up...or will I?!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I was overseas at the time.

And, like ttobban said, it was a matter of good-cheap-fast. It wasn't my intent to go cheap, so I simply stopped expecting a mail order supply system to be honest (and fair) all the time ... and bought on the local economy.

Fraud is a really really bad thing to be accused of in the Korean retail arena. One PO'd customer can shutter a store.

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: solargeddon

You bought a samsung battery?

You have balls.

Actually those are rather absent, but if they were present, I probably wouldn't have them for much longer.

a reply to: solargeddon

I agree that it is wasting money at times to not purchase the CHEAP/OPTIONS... the guide only helps make the stresses of what isn't being met as the end user's lessen when spending money. Now, when I purchase cheap and fast products I fully expect them to not meet their advertised usage... only happiness comes if the product happens to exceed my expectations, but I am seldom let down because these principles I mention apply to how the sellers make their profit margins more than it does equate to the end users.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Well, one thing life has taught me, is that there is no such thing as a bargain.

I sell good stuff at flea markets for bargain prices.

Regardless, Caveat Emptor

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Well, one thing life has taught me, is that there is no such thing as a bargain.

I sell good stuff at flea markets for bargain prices.

Regardless, Caveat Emptor

Okay, if it's 2nd hand, it's not what we are talking about here.

a reply to: ttobban

You know I am getting better at it, but today I got a little hacked off, as the item really doesn't cost that much more new (they were Gumy earphones).

The only reason I purchased via ebay was because you can no longer get the lime green colour ones.

This is what gets me about the whole thing, it wasn't unreasonable to assume this was clearance stock of an obsolete colourway.

Nevertheless, now I know better and will be trekking off down to Argos for genuine pair (but they won't be lime green humph).

Oh but the battery, I hear you cry.

Yeah, well, my logic was...as the phone is an older model I mistakenly believed the battery had lost some of its value, being that it wouldn't be in such demand.

See how I can convince myself of such foolery.

a reply to: solargeddon

Your number 1 advice about not buying from sellers with Private Listings (which means the item doesn't show under the feedback) is a little off base. There are legitimate reasons for Private Listings:

1) Religious items - would you like to be discriminated against because you are a pagan?

2) Sexual items - does the world need to know you bought a sex toy? Does your spouse, mom, or child need to know this?

3) Personal health items - do you want everyone to know you bought something for chronic yeast infection? That you have pubic warts? That you are diabetic, or suffer from anxiety?

4) Gift items - want to spoil the surprise?

5) Buying to resell - no one needs to know your cost basis.

Im an avid online shopper myself. What I learned from ebay is,
1. NEVER but anything from China
2. ALWAYS read the reviews.

A place ive found 'too good to be true' prices that turned out to be true is on bonanza. Example, i got a 8 pack of Gillette fusion razor blades for $15, in the store you might find them on sale for $29. Check them out!

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Well, one thing life has taught me, is that there is no such thing as a bargain.

I sell good stuff at flea markets for bargain prices.

Regardless, Caveat Emptor

Okay, if it's 2nd hand, it's not what we are talking about here.

I would usually agree but there are sometimes exeptions. There is a company making clones of a Makita wood router that is about 30 quid compared to about 130 for the Makita and is comparable in reliability and build despite being a fraction of the cost.

It i a bit unethical but a hundred quid is a hundred quid at the end of the day

a reply to: Ameilia

Whilst you list legitimate reasons for private listing, this isn't the case with the sellers I am talking about.

There are sellers who aren't selling any items in the above categories who are private listing.

You can tell because their feedback is full of private listings as opposed to the odd private item.

I have been around long enough to see sellers who use this pattern aren't worth purchasing from, the odd private listing sure, but when your feedback is virtually wall to wall private listings then you know there is something up.

originally posted by: Brian4real
Im an avid online shopper myself. What I learned from ebay is,
1. NEVER but anything from China
2. ALWAYS read the reviews.

A place ive found 'too good to be true' prices that turned out to be true is on bonanza. Example, i got a 8 pack of Gillette fusion razor blades for $15, in the store you might find them on sale for $29. Check them out!

Really, I find the reviews can be confusing, as they may relate to more than one seller selling the same product, which could mean an item purchased from one seller may not be the same as one purchased from another, yet both items are meant to be the same item.

I could be wrong, be good if I was, though reviews are a good guide I don't tend to trust them on Ebay vs Amazon, with Amazon I do pay attention far more to reviews.

Purchasing from China is ok, as long as you now what you are purchasing and are careful about it, the only unpredictability with overseas purchases is the amount of time for shipping and whether it truly has been shipped or not, I believe in most instances if it ever fails to turn up it usually is lost, held by customs, or oversight of the seller.

Some of my most reliable purchases have come from China.

Of course there are always those rogue sellers though in any country, indeed there are many rogue buyers too.

originally posted by: solargeddon
a reply to: Ameilia

Whilst you list legitimate reasons for private listing, this isn't the case with the sellers I am talking about.

There are sellers who aren't selling any items in the above categories who are private listing.

You can tell because their feedback is full of private listings as opposed to the odd private item.

I have been around long enough to see sellers who use this pattern aren't worth purchasing from, the odd private listing sure, but when your feedback is virtually wall to wall private listings then you know there is something up.

I'm glad you now recognize there are legitimate reasons for sellers keeping their feedback private to protect their customers.

a reply to: nonspecific

Your point touches on one I briefly alluded to in my op.

There is a skin care brand called The Ordinary, their premise is quality skin care products which work, without the expensive price tag.

Rumour has it, the guy started the company having come from the industry, knowing most products weren't worth the price tag they traded on and were in reality far cheaper to produce, the mark up was purely to pay for all the advertising, fancy design etc.

This is why I say sometimes could it be the manufacturers themselves who are to blame for counterfeit products being endemic, given that for many, purchasing their products are out of their price point, yet still wish to have the experience.

Of course in the case of the fakes there's no contest, its really not worth it, but perhaps the companies themselves can stem the flow of counterfeit and turn a bigger profit if they didn't price as many people out of the market.

There are many on here who believe life should be earned, I think that goes double for industry.

Sure companies need to turn a profit to remain in business, but do they deserve to earn excessive profit, especially off the back of manipulation, which is rife particularly in the beauty industry.

Energy companies are another that spring to mind.

originally posted by: solargeddon
a reply to: nonspecific

Your point touches on one I briefly alluded to in my op.

There is a skin care brand called The Ordinary, their premise is quality skin care products which work, without the expensive price tag.

Rumour has it, the guy started the company having come from the industry, knowing most products weren't worth the price tag they traded on and were in reality far cheaper to produce, the mark up was purely to pay for all the advertising, fancy design etc.

This is why I say sometimes could it be the manufacturers themselves who are to blame for counterfeit products being endemic, given that for many, purchasing their products are out of their price point, yet still wish to have the experience.

Of course in the case of the fakes there's no contest, its really not worth it, but perhaps the companies themselves can stem the flow of counterfeit and turn a bigger profit if they didn't price as many people out of the market.

There are many on here who believe life should be earned, I think that goes double for industry.

Sure companies need to turn a profit to remain in business, but do they deserve to earn excessive profit, especially off the back of manipulation, which is rife particularly in the beauty industry.

Energy companies are another that spring to mind.

You can buy fake Gibon guitars from the far eat and they are actually pretty good. A lot of people will buy them and upgrade the part over time and i is roumored that Gibson is actually behing the fake company as they can earn money of the parts.

One thing to factor in with copie is that the clone companies have to simply reverse engineer a product without expensive R and D and product testing and have very poor after service but it certainly does raie some questions.