Experienced eBay'ers, need your help...

[AncasterRFD]

I've bought off eBay before but the seller usually has hundreds of transactions and >95%.

I'm thinking of buying a watch off this seller but there's only a handful of positive transactions.
I noticed the seller is located in Ontario so I asked where he or she was located and that I would gladly do an in-person purchase if nearby, the reply was they only do online sales.

I tried looking up the transaction buyers and they seemed legit.

The watch is $25 less than at Macy's ($150 U.S.), and it's difficult to find in Canada.

Would there be any concerns?
TIA

SELLER FEEDBACK (http://feedback.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=greatdealsca&&_trksid=p4340.l2560&rt=nc&iid=320955326912&sspagename=VIP:feedback&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller)

[al3x89]

so the watch costs $25 less than at Macy's? why would there be any concerns?


and i personally hate when people judge a seller based on how much feedback he has.

this is the general consensus when it comes to eBay feedback:
- not enough feedback = iffy, stay away.
- too much feedback = good, go buy it MUST be genuine.

just because someone has a lot of feedback doesn't mean their items are better in any way, shape or form.

[EmperorOfCanada]

so the watch costs $25 less than at Macy's? why would there be any concerns?


and i personally hate when people judge a seller based on how much feedback he has.

this is the general consensus when it comes to eBay feedback:
- not enough feedback = iffy, stay away.
- too much feedback = good, go buy it MUST be genuine.

just because someone has a lot of feedback doesn't mean their items are better in any way, shape or form.

OP didnt say once that his only concern was the item being genuine.

>OP eBay is pretty safe for buyers for the most part (not always the case for sellers). So I say go for it if saving the $25 is worth it to you (vs just picking it up in store and getting receipt etc)

[Happy13178]

Feedback alone isn't only indicator, but he's really only done business with smaller buyers...as far as the risk of you losing your money, use paypal with a credit card and you should be fine, but I'd bet they're fake watches he's selling.

[gizmo8]

Check the feedbacks quality of the buyers...I sometimes buy expensive watches of seller with say less than 100 feedbacks but if the previous buyers have tons of feedbacks and they are say positives things about the seller %99.9 of the time the watches are legit but you must educate yourself also about the authenticity of the watch when you receive it.Always pay by credit card never Paypal balances for expensive items.

[AncasterRFD]

so the watch costs $25 less than at Macy's? why would there be any concerns?


and i personally hate when people judge a seller based on how much feedback he has.

this is the general consensus when it comes to eBay feedback:
- not enough feedback = iffy, stay away.
- too much feedback = good, go buy it MUST be genuine.

just because someone has a lot of feedback doesn't mean their items are better in any way, shape or form.

I have no concerns about authenticity.
The watch is $150 at Macy's and it's also the MSRP from the manufacturer. I'm hesitant because I've known eBay sellers to sell for less than MSRP but they're not usually located in Canada (perhaps unless the product is made in Canada and this isn't). I think you've taken my words out of context. I do not associate the number of positive transactions to the product. I associate it with the delivery of goods, when the feedback reflects it.
Perhaps I should reword or add, is there any way those few positive transactions could be fabricated based on the link I provided?


Feedback alone isn't only indicator, but he's really only done business with smaller buyers...as far as the risk of you losing your money, use paypal with a credit card and you should be fine, but I'd bet they're fake watches he's selling.

It's not possible it's fake, at least the watch I'm looking at. It was released a few months ago.
Funny you should say because I'm pretty knowledgeable about rep watches (and genuine ones). I have both, including a $250 1:1 Seamaster UPO.
It's too early for the watch in question to have had a rep made, if there is one, it's not available from the sites that sell them (reps) so I highly doubt this small scale CDN seller is the only one that is selling a rep version.

I guess my major concern is delivery of goods.

[starboy869]

I would spend the extra $25 and save a possible headache.

[Hugh Jass]

I'd have no problem with this. As said before, pay with credit card for protection. Being in Ontario, you should receive it pretty quick.

[Hugh Jass]

And if OP ordered from Macy's, it'd be more than a $25 difference once it passes the border and taxes/fees are added.

[AncasterRFD]

I would spend the extra $25 and save a possible headache.

It ends up being possibly $50+ more because the US sellers charge shipping and properly declare.
I can't find it from a Canadian retailer for MSRP, or at all, and they would charge taxes
That's why it surprised me to see the lowest price on eBay is from a CDN seller.

[AncasterRFD]

And if OP ordered from Macy's, it'd be more than a $25 difference once it passes the border and taxes/fees are added.

That too, thanks.

[junot111]

ebay and paypal are designed to protect the buyer

only concern you should have is figuring out whether it's fake. But for a $150 watch I doubt it

[162]

ebay and paypal are designed to protect the buyer

only concern you should have is figuring out whether it's fake. But for a $150 watch I doubt it

Best opinion so far

[AncasterRFD]

Not sure about the $150 comment.
I've bought reps for my wife, friends, and myself between $200 and $400. They've really improved the game. If it breaks down, you replace the $70 movement.

As for the one in question, as I mentioned, the probability of a rep when the genuine was released in April is highly unlikely. I want a gen in this case because a real G is undoubtably rugged and waterproof when I'm doing activities where I don't carry my iPhone. My present one is over 10y old, and looking a little hacked. The new one is also atomic to set my other watches or anything else that displays time.

[M@rk]

You're generally pretty safe. If he doesn't deliver, all you have to do is file a paypal claim and they'll automatically rule in your favor if there is no proof of receipt of delivery.

[The_Madz]

honestly from a buyers perspective you are safe.
if the good arrives and it's not what you ordered you can file a paypal dispute if the seller is not handling it right.
you are well protected, more so i would say than buying in some unknown small shop in the city.

only annoyance is having to pay shipping and hanling

[Hugh Jass]

only annoyance is having to pay shipping and hanling

Seller offers free shipping :)

OP, let us know what you decide and if/when you're order comes in.

[DrXenon]

$25 does not compensate you for the risk. Not worth it.

[Hugh Jass]

$25 does not compensate you for the risk. Not worth it.

1/ More than $25 difference

2/ Where's the risk?

[DrXenon]

1/ "The watch is $25 less than at Macy's ($150 U.S.)"
2/ "there's only a handful of positive transactions"

[Hugh Jass]

1/ "The watch is $25 less than at Macy's ($150 U.S.)"
2/ "there's only a handful of positive transactions"

Have a read of the thread.

1/ Item has to be shipped over the border, therefore taxes/duties/brokerage, much more than a $25 difference.
2/ Any risk that the seller is not gonna complete the transaction properly is negated by paypal/credit card protection.

[DrXenon]

1/ OP is in Toronto. There is a Macy's in Buffalo, you can be there and back in an afternoon. Nobody pays duty on a $150 watch, simply doesn't happen.
2/ Have you ever actually dealt with reversing an ebay transaction or a credit card chargeback? First, you have to convince the authority having jurisdiction that you deserve a refund, then you have to get the goods back to the seller in a trackable way. There are endless headaches. The risk of that is not worth $25 to any sensible person.

[AncasterRFD]

1/ "The watch is $25 less than at Macy's ($150 U.S.)"
2/ "there's only a handful of positive transactions"

HJ is correct, see other posts. I'm not physically driving down there anytime soon (and wearing it back). I'll get charged shipping, (NY tax?), and duty (HST) via Macy's.

The watch difference is $25 or less but the 'final' price is an extra $50+ from Macy's or any of the other US dealers.

[Hugh Jass]

1/ OP is in Toronto. There is a Macy's in Buffalo, you can be there and back in an afternoon. Nobody pays duty on a $150 watch, simply doesn't happen.
2/ Have you ever actually dealt with reversing an ebay transaction or a credit card chargeback? First, you have to convince the authority having jurisdiction that you deserve a refund, then you have to get the goods back to the seller in a trackable way. There are endless headaches. The risk of that is not worth $25 to any sensible person.

1/ 2hrs each way, not including the border, plus gas. Yeah, to save $25. Sensible people do that.

2/ Yes.

[AncasterRFD]

DrX, I do agree with your no.2 though, Paypal disputes are sometimes a headache on their own.

I've heard of people getting toy Buddhas instead of their product, lol, and the dispute still was a pain to process.