Well I am looking for some trains but money is tight right now so guess where I found good working trains(supposedly.) Ebay! Yes ebay. The trains are used and are in great condition(as they say). Well I need to know if ebay is a safe place to get model trains. My local hobby shop has trains well over costing around 100-400$ which is fine, if your not tight on money.So ebay? Yes or no?
eBay is a market. In the marketplace, the old dictum is “Caveat emptor”. “Beware, buyer!” is it’s English translation.
You can get some great deals from some great people, and others misrepresent themselves and everything they sell. Fortunately, if you feel cheated, you have access to some recourse via your credit card and Pay Pal. You will have to demonstrate in clear terms, with concrete proof if asked for it, that you received something other than what was described.
Note, to place some perspective to my response, that the place is a thriving market. One could conclude that the heavy majority of users and sellers find it to be a good place to do business.
-Crandell
I am on Ebay all the time and have found good deals but more importantly I can find the items that I cannot find anywhere else. Not to mention if your layout or situation changes it is a good way to off load your used or not used items that can fund new items.
You have to take things with a grain of salt but when in doubt ask the seller a ton of questions and should you recieve the product and it does not meet the descriptions you do have a course of action because you have documented proof of questions asked and answered.
CP,
Yes and no. In order to buy wisely on eBay, you need to:
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Know what you are buying - Do some research first. Don’t buy or bid blindly.
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Know the original MSRP for the item
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Know the going rate for the item - both new and used
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Look at the sellers feedback percentage and number of sales
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Determine how much you can afford to spend (or throw away) then…DON’T GO ABOVE THAT AMOUNT! (Otherwise, you fall prey to a bidding war.)
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If you lose out on a item, don’t fret. Often times another one will come along - even cheaper.
CP, I’ve only bought 25 or so items off eBay so far. All but one locomotive I’ve been satisfied with. (And the one I wasn’t was because I did NOT do my homework.) I’ve also found some pretty amazing deals on eBay, too. Usually I can find things that I’m looking for for at 40-50% off MSRP. You just have to be patient.
Bottom line: With buying anything used - an automobile or an HO locomotive - you are taking a calculated risk. You need to determine how much of a risk you are willing to take.
Tom
Yes I know. Also just call me Caleb.
Will do, Caleb. And just a suggestion: You might want to add your name to your profile page.
Tom
Ebay can be a very good place to shop if you know what you’re looking for, especially if you’re looking for something like an engine in a roadname that’s no longer in stock etc. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re as likely to end up with a bunch of cheap train stuff that’s not going to work great even if it’s brand new in the box. I’d be particularly wary of someone selling basically an entire layout’s worth of stuff. Most likely they’ll say they just decided to quit the hobby, but the reason they’re quitting is probably because they bought cheap junk and are disappointed that they can’t get it to run well now.
Caleb:
I’ve bought a lot (about 90 + items) off ebay in the last couple of years, and Tom’s list is the bible to follow.
I would add a couple of details:
Walther’s website: You can find the list prices of most items (including many out of production) there.
Internet stores: M. B. Klein is the one I have used. For new in production items their prices are lower than list, and their service is outstanding. Also Hiawatha Hobbies near Milwaukee is excellent. Haven’t used any others, so I can’t rate them.
I use local hobby shops when they have an item in stock. One discounts list by 10%, the other is closer (22 mile round trip) as compared to 52 mile round trip. If these two places don’t have an item and I don’t want to wait, I use Klein.
But for “rare” out of production items, a local train show or ebay can be the only place to find them.
But as others have said, use care, do your research, and know what you are buying. I’ve only bought two pieces of motive power from ebay, and in general would prefer to buy those local.
Chuck
Don’t forget to check the “shipping/handling” fee. That can be a deal breaker for me if the cost is a rediculous amount. Know your postal charges and check with the vendor first before you bid. Sometimes the fees are 3 or 4 times the actual cost of mailing so I don’t bid on these. There are a lot of bargans on eBay and I have bought a lot of items over the years and only had a couple problems which were resolved to my satisfaction.
Ebay is the worst market on the planet. If you have a problem with Paypal or anything else, then good luck with trying to get that resolved. Customer service is atrocious; they are based in and cannot resolve any problems of any kind, nor do they particularly care to do so. I’ve lost hundreds of dollars both buying and selling due to unresolved glitches in the system, and again, customer service is non existent, rude and totally unhelpful. Generally speaking the products on Ebay can be bought cheaper at the local hobby store or a legitimate online merchant, and they will come with a warranty. I no longer shop Ebay for any reason whatsoever.Caveat Emptor.
I agree that one needs to be careful when shopping e-bay. I have for the most part shopped at a couple of the larger vendors outlets. I do the bulk of my buying at these outlets.
I have also on rare occassions shopped with vendors how have had only minor activity. As luck would have it these transactions have been good and the buys were extremely good. You take your chances.
I’ve been fortunate, overall. I always ask the seller questions and almost always buy from the ones with a 100% feedback rating.
I support my LHS and normally buy on ebay when the item I want is no longer available. I was ready to do a cartwheel when I won my SCL P2K SD45 and more recently a P2K RF&P E8. Both, new in the box for under $60 each!
Caleb,
can you specify what it is you’re looking for? Modern? Transition era? Pre-Transition era? Types of locomotives?
NO
Caleb,
Are you in N or HO scale? If you’re in N, the N scale locomotive encyclopaedia will come in handy for making purchases.
you say you only have so much to spend, so spend it wisely… My rule with ebay is never spend more than you are willing to lose…
I have purchased over 200 engines on Ebay US and from the UK. Only one did i have to return and i got a full credit.
All have been at lease 50-75% off MSRP. some more that 75% off. I figure i have saved well over $2000.00 .
Always do reasearch and use PayPal with a Credit Card. Credit Card doubles warranty period and you can always dispute the charge even if used for PayPal.
I love it when people are bidding an item up on auction that is higher than others have listed for BUY IT NOW.
Bob
Ebay is probably the best place to buy locomotives at below cost. Of my 150+ loco’s I have probably 100 of them came from Ebay. I probably drop over 5 grand a year on trains, slot cars, fishing tackle, Nascar stuff and car parts for my restoration projects and I’ve never had a complaint. Just buy from reputable people and you will never have a problem.
I bought a lot of stuff on eBay and had no problem.
But I was forced to quit buying because eBay no longer allows payment by money order. I refuse to make credit card purchases over the Internet, so no more eBay for me.
If you set up your PayPal account to use your credit card you only have your credit card on file with PayPal. That is safer than using you credit card in a grocery store, gas station, or with a store clerk.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase just call the credit card company and they will reverse the charge. This really gets their attention and you will get quick results. You don’t get this protection with a debit card, money order or check.
All my credit cards offer double the warranty period for purchases at no charge. I also get 2% cash back on all purchases. Ebay is also giving me bonus bucks in addition. Saturday they had a problem with the search engine on ebay. To make up for it Ebay gave me a coupon for 10% off my next purchase. Can’t beat that.
Never had a problem in 5 years with ebay or PayPal but have had some with local purchases.
Bob
I try to buy everything at my LHS, where I get a decent discount. It’s not as good as I can find online, and I have bought a number of engines from places like www.trainworld.com and www.modeltrainstuff.com. But, my LHS provides excellent service and advice. I can order things from Walthers, and I get either the sale price or a discounted prices, whichever is lower, and I don’t have to pay shipping. If you go to www.walthers.com, you can sign up for the monthly flyer, which will arrive in your mailbox about the same time as MR every month. (I keep both by my bed, but, since I’m a grownup now, I don’t have to read them under the covers with a flashlight anymore.)
I think the eBay advice given earlier is good. Know the value of the item, and know what you’re willing to spend for it. Check the seller’s feedback. Don’t get caught in a bidding frenzy and end up paying more than the item is worth.