HikeArizona.COM

Just some free advice for those of you looking to purchase hiking/camping related items for yourselves or others, I have been shopping on eBay for most of my gear, and boy what savings! I can usually find brand new items for up to 50% off retail. For instance, I just purchased a Sierra Designs Alpha CD 3 man tent that converts to 4 season use. This tent retails for $350, and I was the high bidder at $227, plus 10 bucks shipping. If you havent looked for deals on eBay yet, you better start! All of the items Ive purchased were BRAND NEW, in the box with tags. Im curious to see how many of HAZ members have done the same..
see ya'll at Marlee's Party : rein :

I have purchased many things on ebay. No hiking gear but many items for the house i purchased recently. I have never had problems and everything came in just as i expected. One warning though, i have read many things on ebay, and they have a lot of problems with fraud in regards to electronics and computer products.

Good bidding.

I love eBay!

Have to do some research to make sure you are getting authentic merchandise. Don't buy from new users - check their record - research price, etc. A lot of time you will see some steals - a laptop for $200 - but then there is fine print that the monitor is broken, etc.

Check out http://froogle.com

Bryan

I agree you find a lot of great deals on E-bay. Like Bryan said though try to stay away from new users. I just purchased a 3 pound,3-season, 2 person tent on E-bay for $35 w/ shipping. The closest item I could find at the stores was $100. Just read the fine print and do your research. You don't need to jump on a deal that day just because it looks good. 99% of the time you can find the same thing a week or two later.

All good advice so far. Something also I recommend is using a payment company (such as paypal) to handle transactions. As a buyer, it is of no cost to you and they cover transaction fraud if someone tries to scam you. Be very clear on what you are buying. Ask the seller specific questions and you can bid with more knowledge than the other buyers. I follow three golden rules:
1. Never buy electronics of any kind.
2. Never buy from new sellers or people with less than a 97% positive feedback rating.
3. Always use paypal for speed and security

I'm sure that we will all be seeing some new gear on the trails after the holidays.

Slisk

I have to disagree with your 1st rule to never buy electronics. I myself have spent well over $1000 on car audio, and most sellers have eBay "stores" that are guaranteed power sellers. Make sure to check the feedback, and anyone under 97% isnt necessarily a pirate, but your right about being careful. I will NEVER step foot into a Best Buy or Audio Express for anything, all you pay for is the install, their electric bill, and salesperson's salaries. NEVER had a problem, and save an average of 40% off retail. I use PayPal.

In response to mikeinFHAZ's reply:

I hear ya. You are right about real business people known as "powersellers". They always seem to make it right if a problem arises. On the lighter side, I have no experience with car audio (particularly since I can't hook it to my backpack ) so I will agree with your advise again! I'm new here and look forward to meeting y'all on the trail. Peace.

Slisk

My $.02, research prices on what you are buying very carefully and always remember to add the shipping price. I check Ebay all the time when looking to buy something and it has been more and more common lately that I find other web retailers that sell the same thing cheaper then it goes for on Ebay.

Here's a point to ponder from someone that has never used e-bay. Where would e-bay be if everyone followed the advice not to use new sellers? I understand that the site has now been around long enough that one doesn't need to use a new seller, or that we could just leave that risky behavior to others until we see how it goes. It still has to start somewhere.