Consumer beware, buying on eBay isn’t always the best deal
Recently I began comparing prices of new laptops and I figured a nice place to start would be eBay. There is a good and bad side to shopping on eBay but I just want to concentrate on the prices of used, new and refurbished laptops on eBay versus prices you will pay buying new.
In this example I will use a Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop. I found one that looked pretty good on eBay for $999 plus $65 which included the best processor and best video card available for that model and the seller claimed it was new (I’ll give him the benefit of doubt).
The $999 price plus the $65 shipping from the eBay seller would have been $1064, not a bad price for a new system.
That’s all well and good but I thought it was possible to do better. Off to Dell.com it was. Say what you want about Dell, I know I have but its systems aren’t too bad and there are some pretty good deals right now on new systems.
I went to Dell and configured an Inspiron 1420 as follows
Core 2 Duo T7250 2.0GHz processor, 1GB DDR2 memory (an upgrade to 2GB for $40 can be done by those handy with a screw driver), a 7200RPM 120GB hard drive, Vista Home Premium, Intel WiFi, BlueTooth, nvidia 8400M GS graphics card and the 1440 x 900 display with webcam and TrueLife, the initial price for that system was somewhere in the area of $1342 which was more than I was willing to pay.
For those who don’t know, Dell has discount offers available quite often that start and expire at the drop of a hat which Dell can refuse for no reason (but usually doesn’t) but if you get it you can net a pretty substantial discount.
That’s exactly what I did, searched for coupons related to Dell Inspiron laptops and I found not one, but three (but only one applied to my purchase). The coupon was good for $300 off any Inspiron laptop over $1100 and for a $150 gift card good on the next purchase made from Dell.com
I’d like to note here that at no point have there ever been discounts good on the XPS line of laptops and desktops.
After tax the total price for the laptop above was right around $1095, only $31 more than I would have paid on eBay for a (reportedly) new laptop that I couldn’t return should there be problems.
Having said that, it serves to shop around and I just can’t for the life of me figure out how people on eBay get off selling new returns, opened box or refurbished laptops for the same as a brand new model direct from the manufacturer. Granted, you have to wait for the customized order as opposed to getting it in a couple days from an eBay seller but the wait will be worth it, I promise.
The same is probably true of other items as well. Shop around and always buy new and if you can find that discount coupon you can do better than any refurbished or used item. The price I was able to get was better than some from the Dell Outlet and there’s really no other way to go.
A good place to start on looking for online coupons is CheapStingyBargains.com, happy bargain hunting. This is but one example, I’m sure there are thousands more.
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December 2nd, 2007
Don’t forget the Dell Outlet. I’ve purchased several laptops for my family and others. I got a 9400/1705e 17″ core duo for $799 18 months ago. It has Intel 945GM crap video, but runs Linux fine and was a hell of deal at the time. It’s also better to purchase from the Business, rather than the Consumer division. Better warranty, US tech support, and less crapware.
December 2nd, 2007
As an eBay Power Seller, I can offer a bit of advice for buying and selling on eBay. Most of these tips are common sense, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to get caught up in the moment and have common sense go out the window!
First, do your homework. Know what the price of an item is before you ever log onto eBay. This goes for both buying and selling.
Second, check the Feedback profile of any seller you are thinking of dealing with. If at all possible, deal only with established and well-regarded buyers and sellers. High Feedback scores indicate that the person or company has been trading on eBay for a while.
Third, and this is extremely important when buying on eBay, check the return policies of the seller! If you have any questions, contact the seller and ask. A legitimate seller will answer your questions in a timely fashion in plain language. If you get the “run around” from a seller when you ask about an item or policy, look elsewhere!
Buying on eBay can be a lot of fun, as long as you keep these few things in mind.
Don
Trip Dek Games
http://www.TripDekGames.com
December 2nd, 2007
Don, I wasn’t trying to say not to buy on eBay but I did a lot of digging around and I only checked the prices of reputable eBay sellers, most of them were selling new returns, refurbished or just used laptops for almost the same price as new ones (after shipping was added in). Considering that, most manufacturers like HP, Dell and Gateway offer free or discounted shipping, combine that with coupon offers/special discounts or rebates and it isn’t that much more to just buy a new system.
I agree research is key but many sellers on eBay have got to be making a profit on shipping. I too sell on eBay occasionally and it’s my policy to charge fair shipping prices not ridiculously inflated prices like many of the ones I came across do.
I did contact the sellers, four out of six got back to me in 24 hours (though did not change the policies spelled out in the auction), the other two are now going on 48 hours without a response (unreasonable in my opinion).
Still, those are some excellent tips.