Of hundreds of transactions - buying and selling - only one was unsatisfactory (I purchased a non-functioning cassette recorder).

Ebay may not be perfect, but it's OK by me.

You have to be careful while shopping on Ebay. A man was trying to sell an old record player that didn't even work. He was asking $250.00 for it. That was freaking crazy!
Five or six years ago I bought an old phonograph on Ebay. I tried to have it repaired but the repairman was unable to fix it. If you buy an old record player and it doesn't work, you'll be screwed like me. Please do not buy a record player on Ebay.
Another thing that bugs me is that Ebay started making buyers have a Pay Pal account. When I joined Ebay in 2002, people could pay with checks and money orders. I can't have a Pay pal account because I don't have a credit card. I can understand Ebay not wanting buyers to pay with checks because checks can bounce. But Postal money orders don't bounce. Ebay had a lot of nerve to forbid people from paying with money orders. Sometimes EBAY SUCKS!!!

I have bought items from ebay sevral times. I'd like to day the experience most depends on the seller's sevice. some sellers are good, some are rude. I have met a bad seller last time, so I find item throgh google, and find one seller. It is good for its price and service, especially some item is very new and unique. I never see at other seller. You can have a try. Any way, ebay is also very good for us to buy many things.

Tough to be a small seller.

THE EBAY/PAYPAL MONOPOLY HAS TAKEN A HUGE DOWNTURN AND IS NOW SCREWING BUYERS AND SELLERS: CONTRARY TO THE BELIEF OF MANY SELLERS, THE BUYER IS NOT PROTECTED BY eBay/PayPal.

The buyer is not AT ALL protected by PayPal. I received a notice late Friday afternoon (of course) stating my account was frozen because of "unusual activity" associated with my bank account linked to PayPal. (Funny, my bank has never considered any of my activities unusual, and PayPal wastes NO time in instantly ACH-ing (transferring) the money from my bank account into PayPal. They then went back 19 transactions for which they already cleared to the seller and put temporary holds on them. This pisses off sellers and keeps the money PayPal sucked out of my account "in limbo". They then asked for even more identification than any bank or government agency has on file: They now have copies of my passport (U.S. Citizen residing in the U.S.), my Driver's license, social security card, bank statement for account linked to PayPal and phone statement (for phone # associated with my PayPal account) - how disconcerting is that! All the while telling me they're doing it "for my protection" and telling sellers (who forwarded the communications to me, they were trying to help the sellers avoid "problematic transactions". The most unthinkable part of it all is, after PayPal had the money, cleared it to the sellers, then 2 days later "uncleared it" for a hold while they investigated all of these transactions, is that they froze the account, sent emails to my sellers and only then, after the fact, informed me via an email. (And this is a confirmed, verified, bank linked and credit card linked PayPal account!) Now, any normal institution would contact the consumer and say, "hey, we're concerned, is it really you making all of these purchases?" (But PayPal, according to many sellers I've communicated with, are telling me this is happening more and more all the time. So, in no way am I, a buyer, protected. I've been screwed by PayPal, who has my money, isn't releasing payment to the sellers, and I have no idea if I'll ever get the merchandise I paid for or my money back. (Again, you'd think it would be my bank or credit card company that would decide what is "unusual activity. Not PayPal.) No surprise they've had class action lawsuits against them and are facing scores of complaints made against them to various agencies all over the world! (No, the buyer is NOT protected. Sorry.)

I have sold and bought on Ebay and have been extremely satisfied! It is my go to place for anything vintage or old school that I think I want to own again! The vintage clothes on Ebay are great and the items are constantly changing which is nice! I also like the fact that you can "watch" an item until it gets closer to the end of the auction. This gives you time to think about your purchase or time to just see what the price is going to be at the end. The people selling on here ship my items fast and they are efficient!

I can only comment from a buyers perspective, as i haven't sold anything before on ebay.
As a buyer for around a year now, i have only good words to say about this site. Whatever it is i am looking for, i can always find it on here, delivery is usually speedy, communication is mostly good and i have been happy with every single purchase i have made up until now. As a buyer, i tend to purchase goods only from those seller's who have 100% feedback (meaning no negative comments received on their service), i am not saying do not trust all that have a less than 100% feedback, but that you can't go wrong if you buy from these seller's. Personally, i love ebay, and probably use this site the most. The only downside for me? That buying can rapidly become addictive. I highly recommend ebay to those who have yet to make an account of their own.

Have bought and sold on eBay for the past five years and have never had a problem. Although I can understand why some people refer to it as "feeBay", it is still the premier place to buy and sell hard to find and not so hard to find items.

I love ebay! You can find anything you want, from that elusive, long out of print CD for your collection to that fountain pen for your father in law's birthday. And generally for good prices too. Why shop locally when you can find exactly what you want on ebay? And ebay is absolutely amazing for selling too! In my younger days, I had a mountain of "crap" I was keen on disposing of. Classifieds in the local newspaper and the buy/sell/trade magazine, local online groups (like kijiji) never worked. Period. Nobody would respond, and those very few who did would only want to pay a few pennies on the dollar for what you had (if you were lucky). It is so easy to sell on ebay (and get what you want $$$ wise), a monkey could do it. I highly recommend ebay.

I have bought and sold frequently on it. It has most everything you need. If you can't find it elsewhere, you might snag it on EBay. I have tiny feet, 14D, (chortle) and I am surprised what shoe deals I can find on Ebay, for instance.

I pretty much rely on ebay for online buying, unless it's something expensive like a game console or new videogame or anything else expensive. Then I go to Amazon or just go to Best Buy. I don't like buying things like that on there because I have encountered many sellers that tried to just take my money and did not describe an item accurately, like as in way off and refused to let me return it even though they allowed returns and refunds. I have encountered more polite and good sellers than bad ones. Customer service is slow and they don't seem very serious, unsatisfactory. I still love it however, and have been very happy with my purchases. Worth it but not for the big stuff.

I have visited EBAY on occasion. I have never bid on anything. Or put something up for sale.interesting to see what someone is willing to sell. I think you could find just about anything on there.

I think eBay is alright, but just like with any other shopping site, you really have to be careful.

Time to toss out GREEDY FEEBAY and PAYHELL along with George Bush!! It's time for a change for the better, and STOP feeding the Nasty Greed of FEEBAY and PAYHELL. I will be starting a revolutionary auction site this spring, that will far surpass feebay in Features and Options and with ZERO GREED! I am doing all the leagal Trademarks, Patents and final Web Designs as we speak. Advertising will begin early spring 2009.

My opinion of ebay has gone down lately... they keep putting the price up higher and higher for sellers to the point where it's only profitable for people putting on hundreds of items. Bad ebay! Though I do enjoy looking for stuff on there

It is fun and you can find almost every thing out there! i tried online stores and couldnt find an item i wanted i checked ebay and GOT IT!!!! so all in all i love ebay!

LOVE THIS SITE! Use it all the time - especially good if you know exactly what size you wear in a particular clothing line, great for collectibles and it's fun!

I use ebay a lot as both a buyer and a seller. Find the site to be very useful, especially for some items. Find ebay to be somewhat unfriendly and aloof. I believe a little competition and humbling would do them a world of good. With ebay, it has always been my way or the highway. With the purchase of paypal, they have tried to own the whole ecosystem and charge monopoly prices as a result. I hope they find a better way.

Fees you to death. While I am making money I could be making a lot more.

riped off in selling fees and buyers feedback sucks there is none buyers buy stuff just to rip you off when they get item they take there money back on paypal you stuck without your item and they take the money back double bang

BEST WEBSITE EVER!!!! I USE IT ALL THE TIME. MOSTLY TO PURCHASE BUT I HAVE SOLD USING IT.

Awesome place for awesome, rare stuff.

ebay is kinda great for sellers, I think it's almost a pain to use for anything but big ticket items as a buyer though. The effort is not worth the savings, oftentimes. Great for finding unique items.

just be careful who u r dealing with. not a good idea to bid unless u know exactly how it's done.

I always get what I'm looking for when i need it! Ebay is Great!

ok

mama sold a wedding dress on therre =]

Bidding is a bad idea.

Got alot of stuff and sold a couple things, i love it

kinda like gambling, you end up spending to much money

It's all a rip-off...
Dont even get me started.

Too much nickel and diming. :(

ebay is my best friend

Dont shop online

I like ebay. Don't sell on there which is more complicated but as a buyer I like that i can save my favorite searches and buyers.

People spending whole paychecks on useless crap....

Doesn't seem like it has improved much in the last five years. It has become very difficult to sell electronics because of all the scammers.

I understand the appeal, but I'm not so big on trusting random sellers.

nope. i get my stuff at the store

Sweet. I've gotten money for things that would have otherwise collected dust. They have a good accountability system and it's quick & efficient. So far I've only bought one thing but I've sold several. Can't say I know what viking is talking about :|

I heard about some people get scammed by any sellers. Also, Ebay has higher
fee since they recently change their policy. PLEASE BOYCOTT EBAY.
LET BOYCOTT FROM MAY 1, 2008 AND BEYOND!

I've been with eBay as a buyer AND a seller since 1998!  So I have a bit to say about both sides.

As a buyer, I can find almost ANYTHING there!  I've never been ripped off by a seller.  I do check people's feedback, though.  If you have a good experience with a seller, it's helpful to both the seller and future buyers to leave POSITIVE feedback and 5 STARS in each category (even shipping charges!). Keep in mind that shipping charges are based on weight, box size, and travel distance.  At times the s/h charge can be higher than the item itself, but it is not the seller's fault.  Please leave them 5 stars unless they charge you $20 to ship a happy meal toy or something like that.  Be sure to check the seller's other items for sale.  You might find something cool you weren't looking for.  Plus you'll save money on shipping because most sellers are happy to combine shipments.

As a seller, I am NOT happy about eBay's fee hike, but I'm not leaving...yet.

For the price and the amount of traffic it's still a pretty good deal.  eBay allows me to have a customizable store for a minimal cost.  I can send everybody I know the link, plus browsers on the eBay marketplace will find me through my auctions and sometimes even my store items (when they show up).  I would never be able to afford a brick and mortar store.  You have to pay rent, insurance, credit card service fees and worry about shoplifters.  

Having a store anywhere else doesn't make much sense to me at this point.  That might change one day, but for now I'll stay at eBay.

One of the (if not the) best shopping sites on the net. You can find almost everything there. I found toilet paper on sale there.

I love eBay!  I have been a member of eBay since 1999 as both a buyer and seller.  I have never been ripped off by another eBay seller.  I think eBay is one of the best things to come from the internet.

Shoppers can find rare and unique items on eBay that are not available at any other store or shopping site.  It is a wonderful resource for collectors, both for shopping and research.   It is also an invaluable resource for those that would like to earn an income from home.  It allows you to clean out your closet and get rid of items you no longer need while earning a little extra cash.   It can also provide a complete income for those that want to put the energy into selling full time.

Another great thing about eBay that many don't know about is the eBay community.  There are all kinds of message boards and groups.  You can create an eBay My World page and connect with others on the site who have similar interests.  There is the eBay answer center where experienced members on the site will help new users by answering their questions and concerns.  The huge eBay community is full of some really great people who will help you with almost any question or concern you may have. 

Like with anything else in the world there are also crooks and scammers.  Many blame eBay and say it is eBay's fault they get scammed and ripped off.    I agree that eBay should try to make the site as safe as possible and they do try.  However, I think people should take responsibility and educate themselves and therefore they will know what to look out for.  Check the seller's feedback rating and know all important aspects of the transaction up front.  If there is something that is not clear or that just doesn't seem right then don't bid or buy.   If a person chooses not to read and learn about eBay and the person they are thinking of doing business with before trying to buy or sell then they have no one to blame but themselves if things go wrong.

As I stated before, there are scammers on eBay just like there are everywhere else, but it has always been plain to me who these people are after looking at their feedback and reading their listing descriptions.  It sometimes gets on my nerves to read all the comments about what a terrible place eBay is and about how the customer service is so terrible.  There are many eBay sellers that offer customer service that simply can't get any better.

There are all kinds of books and classes available to help people learn about buying and selling on eBay.  In my opinion all you need to know is right on the eBay site.  Just click on the "Help" button located at the top of every page.  Everything you will ever need to know about eBay can be found here.  It is basically the same information you will find in those expensive books that say they will teach you to sell on eBay.  Anyone can learn to sell on eBay, all you have to do is take the time to read the information that is found right on the website.

Ebay is one of the best marketplaces, where we can buy online. The quality of the products are good. You must gotta use Ebay atleast once & you will surely get addicted to it. The auctions are so good that we can buy devices at very moderate prices.

Alright, so I've been on an ebay binge the last two weeks. I even have an auction I'm about to win that's somthing for X to show my gratitude for his insanity in upgrading my Obi-Wan saber for my birthday, but the big ticket one is a new Jedi tunic in blue and tan.

Love eBay: not only does it feel good to save money, but it's even better to know that you are helping other Americans as well (provided of course that we're not talking about the rare stolen goods). Even though I live in a large city, I still find that I can get even better bargains on eBay than, say, Filene's Basement and I'm talking about NWT (new with tags) stuff.  I sometimes check out the department stores around my area and then look up the clothes I like on eBay, hoping that I can find it there for a fraction of the price--sometimes a tenth. Generally, you can't buy the most current stuff immediately, but you can get merchandise from the past season or year: so if your tastes run on the classic side, you can get very lucky. I've also been fortunate in finding rare 18th and early 19th century books, including a 1st edition of Thomas Paine's Rights of Man, for very reasonable prices (in one case, the seller misspelled the author's name and no one else bid on it), as well as reprints of other books I've not been able to locate elsewhere. This is not to say that it's been entirely easy for me as a buyer. I've had one missing package, a seller who got NARU'd (on my first win, no less!), mismatching earrings, and shoes that did not seem to be completely brand new as advertised out of numerous transactions (too embarrassed to admit that it is over 500). But these were all resolved; remember, sellers don't want bad feedback any more than you do. What you can do to safeguard yourself is 1) try to pick those where you can pay by Paypal. 2) if the sseller only allows personal check/money order, make sure they have nothing less than 99.9% feedback 3) ask all questions and don't hesitate about asking for photos 4) always inquire about shipping if it is not stated 5) if you see overpriced shipping--like $20 for a sheer blouse (yes, I have seen this!), click the back button fast. It's not worth arguing with the seller if you don't read carefully!. 6) avoid things that can be faked--i.e. Gucci, LV or Chanel bags. 7) And lastly, politeness and decent communication skills help. (For the mismatching earrings, I was finally able to convince the seller that earrings are supposed to match, LOL. He finally got it). As for selling, I'll take a pass on that for the moment--gotta get a digital camera and learn how to use one!

Ebay is one great marketplace for all things - buying and selling. However, as a seller myself, I felt that I was paying a lot of fees to sell my items. A posting fee, a fee at the end of an option, a fee for accepting payment with paypal. You get what I mean. Other then that I feel ebay is still a great site. Therefore, I would recommend new users to try it but also remain cautious with who you are dealing with. SB.

Ebay is an excellent site for buying hard to find items, but as a seller it's tougher. First of all, a lot of Ebayers are wary of buying from someone who doesn't have high positive feedback for selling. So how are you supposed to become a top rated seller if people aren't willing to buy from you in the first place. Plus, sellers are quicker to leave positive feedback because they are just happy they made money and sold their stuff. I have had too many buyers ignore my messages to leave positive feedback after they've received their shipment. It's really annoying since I left them positive feedback right after I received my money and they don't even have the courtesy to do the same. It takes all of two seconds.

Being relatively new to eBay, my experience is a bit limited (and only as a buyer). The site has some nice features (that are probably also on the competitors), like saved searches, a watch list, and the integration with PayPal. For the most part my experience has been good; however, once I had a seller ship an item that wasn't as advertised. The site does have a resolution process (a nice touch) that was resolved in my favor, but I was instructed to return the item at my expense prior to a refund (which makes no sense to me). Not only that, the seller threatened to close the account to prohibit my refund. When informed of this, neither eBay nor PayPal seemed to take any interest. The bottom line is that it's still a buyer beware world on eBay.