RateItAll: The Opinion Network

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!

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.

I am new to E-Bay, and I have to say that I avoided it for years because it intimidated me. It always seemed like a good place to get screwed, and for that, I stayed away. Yet here recently, I've jumped in and purchased some photographic equipment, and I must say, so far it's been great. The sellers have all seemed trustworthy, and the transactions have been smooth. I can see how that sometimes you're gonna get ripped off; it's just too big. But for the most part, I think it's credible.

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.

Pretty good. Just have to be careful. Some people are sneaky about what information they provide. Most transactions were positive, though.

Mixed feelings about ebay. I've used them on and off for a couple years now. I have gotten ripped-off; not often, but it's happened. I've also gotten overpriced garbage. The process of bidding can become an addiction like gambling and you need to be careful regarding this, else you become involved in a "bidding war" and lose your shirt. On the plus side, I've also been able to obtain CD's, DVD's and rare books that I've been unable to obtain anywhere else. I've even gotten an email from William Shatner (not absolutely sure it's our William Shatner, but I think it was) and I've become friends with Jean Darling, one of the last surviving members of the original Our Gang. Overall, my feelings regarding ebay are positive, but you need to exercise caution and common sense.

eBay is great, except when you get ripped off. If you don't use paypal your chances of getting screwed increases. I've had a couple of bad experiences, but overall it's a great place to get stuff for cheap.

If ever a place exemplified the economic concept of "Let the buyer beware," eBay is the place. A virtual Park-n-Swap on prime Internet real estate, with all the bells and whistles of the real thing. You can find just about everything on eBay, including variuos unmentionables and a plethera of scammers, just like at a brick and morter swap meet. Enjoy browsing. :)

Absolute rubbish shopping site. For rare items its outstanding, but for customer services your not going to get any. Ebay needs to do more to protect buyers from bogus sellers as their's far too many. Even if you want to claim your money back from the buyer protection program they charge you $25 for administration costs which in my humble opinion should be paid for by the bogus seller out of their account. You will never in a million years get this dreadful customer service from amazon who are prompt to refund their buyers the full amount from the sellers account if they don't see their item which has been paid for and amazon do more to advise buyers than ebay ever has. I for one will surely not be going back.

You can find some awesome deals on Ebay, but it's not very seller-friendly. After listing fees, final sale fees and paypal fees, it adds up to quite a bit. If the fees were lower, this would encourage more people to sell, thus making it a better place to shop.

a collector's dream come true...best website ever but a lot of sellers are screwing people on the shipping. Thats the downside.

OK good if you are a buyer but not good if you are the seller. In many cases, the buyer does not want to pay.

One of my favorite websites! I mean, what can't you find on Ebay? Cars, trips, tickets, clothes, CD's, books, cameras, toys, computers . . . need I go on? Last Christmas I bought all my gifts on Ebay -- I got my brother some genuine Civil War bullets, my mom some antique salt and pepper shakers, and my dad a rare recording of his old infantry's marching songs. Everyone loved their original gifts, and I plan to use Ebay again this year!

The geniuses who came up with the idea of an online garage sale are absolutely brilliant, and filthy rich too. I can literally find anything I could want on ebay, and the interface is attractive, transactions are smooth, everything is run well and kept that way. I've used ebay to buy everything from a violin case, to a rare concert t-shirt, to a book I've been meaning to read for some time. eBay will remain a popular site for years to come.

The Boxster in the garage below me is because of ebay. Excellent condition, 25K for a car that should have been around 40K. I know a guy who basically covers his daily living expenses from an idea he sells on there. What will ebay do next?

OK, here's my latest eBay success story. So I'm looking everywhere for black, size 12, patent leather Adidas Pro Model high tops. They are super light, and have an elastic strap on the back that is softer on the achilles tendon than most sneaks. And they look bad ass. Unfortunately, size 12 just doesn't seem to exist anywhere. So, as a last ditch effort, I go to eBay, and bang - I locate a pair of size 12, black Pro Models. Some guy in Puerto Rico has them, and swears that he has only worn them like 3 or 4 times. The guy had provided quality digital pictures of the tread, that showed them to be in near new condition. I figured, for $40, it's worth a shot. One week later, my sneaks got to me in great shape. Without eBay, how in the hell would I be wearing some Puerto Rican guy's used basketball sneakers? ** Footnote ** I proudly told this story to my wife to illustrate the power of the Web in making life better. Her reaction? Gross. Please don't leave them in the closet.

Ebay is great for buying vintage clothes and handbags. Things are so cheap! I wish that shipping and handling charges were more controlled, because some sellers jack up the price too much. But if you catch something cheap and a low S&H charge, you will be super duper happy!

The site is good, but the monkeys that run it are greedy. There are too many power sellers pulling scams that eBay is willing to ignore due to the amount of money they bring in. Check out the feedback on Netclearances, Lifesrewards and Lazz2. All three of these sellers are the same seller in Canada. Two of them have over 200 negative feedbacks within the last month. This is an ongoing problem and what does eBay do? Collect the fee after the item is sold and that's it!

I have been an ebay customer in the past year and I enjoy buying stuff off there. On ebay, you can get old action figures that came out 10 to 25 years ago for low prices. Most of the items are on auction and sometimes you will get outbid when you auction for them, but i have been lucky enough to win a few auctions. I have obtained old hasbro pirates of dark water and conan the adventurer figures through ebay. You have to be careful of some of the sellers on ebay but all of the sellers I have bought from have been excellent.

BE CAREFUL...Many of the sellers are purchasing seconds and damaged merchandise and selling it for near retail on ebay. This has happened to me three times so far. There are other retail stores where you can purchase discounts, receive a warranty and free return shipping if the merchandise is damaged. Ebay sellers generally do not provide this service and yet the prices are pretty close to what you find them at a discount retail outlet,sometimes more. The item I most recently purchased had a felt marking over the damaged scratch, as though it was the stores way of letting the consumer know what the defect was. Yet, it was presented as new and in perfect condition by an ebay seller. This is becoming commonplace on ebay, the practice of selling second rate merchandise and then starting the bid out pretty close to what you can purchase it for at a store. Ebay is very good for hard to find, antique and one of a kind merchandise. I would stick to the retail stores for everything else. You'll probably get a better deal and a warranty as well. I will not do business with ebay for merchandise which can be easily obtained in a retail store again.

the best online auction from toys to books cds and more.....

Ebay is great. You can find anything you are lookig for. You can even buy a car. I have been shopping on ebay for a long time and never had a problem, but always be carefull.

I love doing business through Ebay. I've bought and sold plenty of CDs through them, and I think the service is excellent. Ebay makes a strong effort to inform potential buyers / sellers through the feedback system, which allows for users to leave positive or negative feedback about buyers and sellers once their transactions are completed. This is very helpful when you're trying to avoid rip-offs. Ebay now has ownership in Paypal, which makes both services work better together now than they did in the past. Listing items is inexpensive and there are many different ways to sell your stuff through them. Overall, I would recommend Ebay to anyone, and you can find some great bargains on hard to find items. No, I do not work for Ebay, haha.

If you're looking for a seller or buyer for any particular item, you'll find them here. EXCELLENT site!!

As a buyer I have alot of nice stuff. I tried to be a seller. But if you dont have pictures then your item will not sell.It's fun to bid on stuff. they just got about anything a person would want.

pretty neat site!

Ebay is very very addictive! You have to be a smart shopper. Always check the Shipping & Handling; that's where they "get you" sometimes. Don't just jump on the first thing you see; look around. If you see something that you really want, don't bid until the last minute. This way the price won't go up so high. Of course you don't have that luxury with Buy It Now items. An overall great site!

You can sometimes find a bargain---Most people bid higher then what they could buy locally. They get into a "bidding frenzy". My motto "never spend more then you can afford to lose"! Many People make a living selling on eBay, good for them. Free enterprise that what this country is about.

Terrific for hard-to-find books and music. Deadbeat sellers and other assorted non-desirables drag Ebay down occasionally.

Ebay started out pretty good but then slacked up when it came to a seller not sending me my item after I already paid for it. I paid for an item on the 6th of January and till this day I'm still waiting on some help from somewhere. In other words you are pretty much left alone to fend for yourself if transactions go wrong. P.S. The worst customer service I've yet to experience without a 800#

Good for buying hard to find items at low prices.

Excellent, easy, good rating system, good buyer protection.

My absolute favorite site on the entire internet. I have found so many collectible items (especially Star Wars) that I never would have been able to acquire otherwise. I have gotten shafted one time in over three years of trading, so you have to be careful who you are dealing with, but overall, I give it my highest rating.

eBay is excellent, i have been using it for 2 years now and I have never been bored with the endless great auctions. The one problem though, their customer services are really bad and you can easily be frauded by someone and they don't check anything.

Businesswise, an incredible internet success story. But it doesn't meet my needs as a consumer who is searching for mainstream consumer (typically electronic) goods. I always find that bidders surpass the cost of the product that I can find elsewhere (typically an etailer). If I was a consumer looking for an obscure item or looking to unload some things, eBay would be great resource. Unfortunately, I'm not either.

eBay is not only one of the best shopping sites on the net, but one of the best sites in general. You can find just about anything you can think to bid on there, including really rare and hard-to-find stuff that you just can't live without. A great place to buy things for less than you can in stores, too...getting a CD that is usually $17 dollars in stores for only $2.99 on eBay is inceredible. It is also a way to make a couple quick dollars, too...if you have a lot of stuff you want to sell. A great service and a fun way to buy and sell products...one of my favorite websites.

EBAY IS AWSOMe

This is a good site for the trash/treasure bargain hunter and seller alike. A pioneer in internet marketing and e-biz, they remain technologically state of the art, are really on it most of the time and endeavor to maintain high standards.

Greatest site of all! You can find so many bargains on basically anything you can think of. And the best part is that they have so many products, that you just can't find anywhere else. But really, I shop there for the savings I can get. I recently bought a used, mint music cd, for less than half the price I'd pay at Amazon for a new one. Another great aspect of eBay compared to other auction sites, is the protection coverage they offer, which helps keeping most crooks out of there.

Ebay is without a doubt the best place to shop for rare items and great deals. Since most of my online shopping is looking for stuff I can't buy at normal stores, Ebay is a great place for me. I have purchased about 25 items from ebay and have been pleased everytime. You may hear talk about people getting stiffed, but it's rare, let me tell you. The site has done wonders for making sure the person you buy from is trustworthy. The "feedback forum" system is very useful, and I always read comments on people before I buy them. Also, the site is easy to use and understand, and almost all of the sellers are very friendly and professional. I have also found some pretty decent deals on everything from t-shirts to electronics. I purchased my computer from someone there about a year ago, and it's been great.

Avid Ebay-er here! We buy and sell on it all the time. We love this place and the prices for placing your auctions are not bad at all. Yahoo auctions don't come close to Ebay. Rating the person that you are actually doing business w/ is very important to the ebayers also. It is virtual respect to make sure that you put good feedback when you receive your item or receive payment in a timely manner.