Is Ebay really that reliable?

Question

Is Ebay really that reliable?
Is ebay really that reliable? Like if i were to buy a phone off of ebay is there a good chance the phone will be just as it says, or are they going rip me off? Is it even a good idea to order a phone off ebay?

Answer

It really does depend so you need to do your homework. Look at the sellers feedback rating. I always look for someone who has at least a feedback rating anything lower than that I really dig into reading the negatives and neutral feedbacks. Ive generally noticed that a lot of times someone with feedback got negatives unfairly because someone expected their package in days and it was the holiday time so of course the delivery services are slower, that sort of thing. But I do read all the negatives and neutral feedbacks.brbrI have gotten a used phone from eBay and it worked great. My friend phones from eBay and out of that got one that wasnt up to snuff, the person listed it as like new, no scratches, etc., however the picture they listed was a stock picture. Claimed his wife amp he upgrade phones after months. Unfortunately the phone had a several scratches and the camera lense had a big crack right down the middle which makes it difficult to take pictures that are clear.brbrSo with that I would say make sure the person posts actual pictures of the phone and not stock pictures. That is one indication that the phone may not be as good a condition as the seller claims it is.brbrNow, Im not sure about ATampT, Sprint, TMobile, etc., but I do know that with Verizon you can ask the seller to provide the ESN and serial number and call it in to Verizon and they will check to see if there are any outstanding bills on the phone as well as if it has been reported lost or stolen, etc. If it has an unpaid outstanding bill, if it has a bill for early termination fees, or if its been report lost or stolen Verizon will not let you connect the phone. This was advise given to me by several Verizon representatives. By getting these numbers from the seller you can make sure that you are buying a phone that is free and clear of anything. Im sure the other phone companies do the same thing but I am not sure, I only know that Verizon does this and recommends it for buying from a rd party other than Verizon.brbrI have been a buyer and seller on eBay since and I can honestly say that on Verizon I was only burnt once on a purse sale. Luckily I paid with American Express and they handled the whole ordeal. The only other time I got burnt was when there use to be Yahoo Auctions.......I was ripped off for which at the time I really didnt have to throw away for now reason. And these people ripped off several other people and are currently on the run from law enforcement.brbrBest of luck to you and make sure to investigate, that they have actual pictures of the phone, read their feedback and dont buy from someone who has really low feedback, try to stay with or better, even isnt too bad but look at the feedback history.