I had trouble with PayPal several years ago, but now use it with a
separate AmEx account I use only for on-line purchases. I'd never
allow PayPal to directly debit my checking account (which they ask to
do every time I pay for something--they call it "verification"--the
only thing about PP that annoys me.
I mainly use eBay to get parts and construction materials. Maybe
small things too like a Fluke DMM. With this stuff you have to pay
attention to what information is missing and who the seller is. If
you are buying a rig and they only show the front panel, or you are
buying a tube and the seller says "this is part of the estate of my
neighbor's uncle...." and they are obviously not technical, then if
you go in, you do so knowing you are taking a big gamble.
If I were looking for a major item here is what I would do, for two
reasons. I'll use a purchase I made last summer on eBay as an
example.
I was looking for a 75A3. Now, you can find an old A-line receiver
without too much trouble on-line, but I wanted one that was okay
cosmetically. I also knew that packing and shipping a heavy rx or tx
is something that takes some care and skill to do right. Most people
do not want to put in the money, time and effort. So, I elected to
wait until one came up for sale that was not too far away. This
eventually happened, I won the auction and the seller and I were able
to meet at a hamfest to close the deal.
In other words, with any big purchase, eBay or some other on-line
place, I'd look for a sale from someone within a few hundred miles or
however far you are willing to travel (usually the rarer and/or
heavier it is, the farther you are willing to go). You avoid the risk
of shipping but just as important, you get to see the seller and the
box in person before you pay.
You may think with the solid state stuff, like the Ten Tecs, the JA
boxes, Elecraft etc., shipping isn't as critical is it is with a
Johnson Valiant, but it is also about the money. I would not pay
thousands of dollars for something sight unseen. You may think "Well,
I have all this buyer protection, insurance, PayPal protection, credit
card protection..." but do you really want to fall back on that (it is
a royal pain in the neck) if you can avoid it? The goal should not be
the risk of one less nice rig out there because the seller was a yo-yo
who wrapped your Omni 7 in one layer of bubble wrap and put it in a
chip board box. Also, telling the seller you will travel to his QTH
is a good scam detector. If he suddenly gets all evasive on you, then
you know something funky is going on.
If you must buy from a distance (you are in Alaska or Hawaii for
example) tell the seller how you want the item packed; demand it and
state that you'll return the item if it is obviously packed
inadequately (loose in a box full of peanuts is a major no-no). Dial
encoder knobs should be backed up against the front panel. My eBay
problems have had more to do with the seller having no idea how to
pack something than outright fraud.
GL 73
Rob
K5UJ
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