zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I've bought all mine from eBay
: Research the watch and the seller, don't be in
: a hurry, and it can be done quite safely.

KC, I know you know this, but a clarification for others reading this and considering using eBay.

You do not buy "FROM" ebay. eBay is like a big flea market where there thousands of sellers gather to make person-to-person deals. So never for a moment think you are buying from a well known, trusted business called 'eBay.' Just because you hear of some people getting nice watches and great deals there does not mean a novice can blindly walk in and be assured of a good, safe deal.

Each deal is different. Each seller differs in their honesty, knowledge of what they are selling, and opinion on what poor/excellent/mint condition is.

As KCampbell said above, research the watch and the seller. Know what you are doing, do not ignore any warning signs, and never let emotion or excitement lead you in a decision there. Check 'completed' sales fromthe same seller and of similar items. Sometimes you catch the seller having repeatedly not sold the same item on multiple tries. Or you may catch a questionable dealer selling watches over and over with the same lame explanation of them being a gift, found in an estate, won playing pool or whatever.

With millions of users scanning eBay for deals, there are no super deals that nobody else has noticed. If you see an item that looks wonderful but is not getting much bidding, then there probably is something fishy about the deal that others can see. So proceed with extreme caution anytime a deal looks too good.