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I love ebay

(91 Posts)
vampirequeen Fri 06-Feb-15 16:56:26

DH has a painful back condition and our GP said that a proper chair would help. We looked around but couldn't afford one. Then a chair appeared on ebay. A six month old, barely used orthopedic recliner with built in heated cushion and massager.

How much did it cost new six months ago? £1800.

How much did we pay for this gem of a chair? Just £100!

DH says it's so comfortable and it's definitely made his life easier as he doesn't seem to seize up when he sits down like he did on the sofa.

shysal Fri 06-Feb-15 17:16:08

Were you lucky enough to find it locally, or did you have to pay for delivery? I love Ebay too, but have never found a bargain like yours! I hope DH continues to find it comfortable.

vampirequeen Fri 06-Feb-15 17:29:22

It was local. Definitely my ebay bargain of all time to date.

rubylady Fri 06-Feb-15 18:00:47

That was fantastically lucky vampirequeen. I do hope your husband gets great pleasure and relief from pain in his new chair. I have arthritis and know how sore it can feel so I am glad he has found some comfort. Good one! Keep ebaying! grin

merlotgran Fri 06-Feb-15 18:10:13

Nice one, vq.

I love eBay and today ordered some anti-slip strips to stick on the back of a large rug I bought just before Christmas. We have painted wooden floorboards and the rug didn't slip at all to start with but then the Jack Russells discovered they could gallop across the room at top speed, jump on the rug and get a 'magic carpet' ride until they hit the wall on the other side of the room.

I think they've polished the floor under the rug because now it slips all the time which is bloody a bit dangerous. angry

I've just had an e-mail me tell me my calf supports (I wear them under jeans as they help my arthritic knees) are in the post.

Good old eBay. I don't know what I'd do without it.

alisonobrien Fri 06-Feb-15 18:24:59

I wanted a caravan awning. So I googled it and spotted one I liked and discovered it was actually somewhere in the local area. So I paid £5 for full membership of Preloved and contacted the owner.
After several messages back and forth about where she lived and what was the best time to come and have a look at it......I discovered that the seller was the school cook at one of the schools I work at! And she'd also paid £5 to join Preloved in order to sell it.
It's a small world!

KatyK Fri 06-Feb-15 18:26:26

We received a lovely magazine rack today which we only ordered two days ago from ebay. My DH orders loads from there. This was from an ebay shop and was new, not used. Lovely and free delivery.

J52 Fri 06-Feb-15 18:38:24

I love ebay. You can get odd useful things and bits to repair things, but I have also found lovely unusual old jewellry (not all valuable).

I have also sold loads of things, I like the idea of items having another life when I no longer want them. x

Greyduster Fri 06-Feb-15 19:17:49

I collect porcelain napoleonic military figures, which are very hard to come by, and have bought several nice ones off ebay. Some are dross, but there are some gems. We have a grandson who likes Action Man, and ebay has supplied a whole company of them, their vehicles, clothes and equipment. I buy fishing odds and ends on there, and when the centre piece of our toilet roll holder broke, and we couldn't find one anywhere else..... Never sold anything though; might have to learn how to do it for when Action Man falls out of favour!

rubysong Fri 06-Feb-15 19:39:50

For our ruby wedding I was bought a ring from eBay. It cost less than £100 and I wear it all the time and love it. We looked at lots in 'new' shops and they were very expensive and didn't appeal to me. This one has three nice rubies and is probably from the 1930s.

annsixty Fri 06-Feb-15 20:19:24

Merlot nothing to do with e-bay but if your strips don't work I got a good non slip "rug" for under a rug on a carpet from John Lewis.The instuctions are to use it one side up on carpets and the other way for wooden floors.It is very good and the rug has not moved an inch in fact it seems anchored.I feel sure it would work as well on your floors (and foil your dogs).

shysal Fri 06-Feb-15 20:25:37

I have bought 483 items from Ebay in the last 12 months! I have never sold anything either, Greybuster, it is about time I plucked up the courage to learn. I just hate going shopping, so every little item I want is purchased on line. It is great to see the complete range of a product in price order. Today I chose birthday cards for the whole year, searching under subjects applicable to the recipients, including football, hiking, badminton, macaroons, dog grooming and a heron.
My postman says I am keeping the Post Office in business!

Marmight Fri 06-Feb-15 20:49:34

I have sold a few things on eBay but have now decided it really isn't worth it what with commission, postage, time and effort. Buying on eBay is an entirely different thing and I have to ask myself if I really need what I am bidding for wink

Marelli Fri 06-Feb-15 21:08:49

I agree, Marmight. I used to sell quite a lot of stuff on eBay, (I quite enjoyed the excitement of watching for bidders), but then as time went on, I realised I was making very little money by it. When they started to take a percentage of the postage costs received, I decided to stop selling. Still enjoy a good browse though. smile

Coolgran65 Fri 06-Feb-15 21:09:46

I buy all the time on eBay. I also sell stuff.
My wardrobe is cleared out like never before.

Today I received a new boyfriend type cardigan that cost me £5 plus post. Love it. It would cost me more that £5 in petrol to go to a shopping centre and back. In turn I put 5 items from my wardrobe onto eBay for sale.

Tonight I am wrapping 4 items to post tomorrow. Items that have languished unlooked at for far too long.
Anything not fitting properly or that I've gone off ....is sold.
There is a certain satisfaction when the coathangers swish freely on the rail.

NanKate Fri 06-Feb-15 21:15:07

Never been on eBay. Can I have a simple overview of how it works please. ?

vampirequeen Fri 06-Feb-15 21:39:24

You use the search section for what you want. It brings up all the items that fit your requirements. You can choose to see all of them or just those that are in the auction (they have a buy it now option when you sell). You can further refine your search by choosing the order you see the items e.g. distance from your postcode, lowest price etc.

The item will have a starting price. You can decide what you want to pay and put in a maximum bid or start low and keep rebidding. I go for the maximum bid option because then I don't get swept up in the excitement of bidding. If you win then you pay through paypal or if the seller wants it can be cash on collection. If it's too far to collect you pay through paypal then sit back and wait for the postman.

janerowena Fri 06-Feb-15 22:39:48

I would join paypal first, it's a sort of barrier between Ebay and your bank account to keep things safe, a bit like a holding account. If you shop anywhere online, you often get given the option to pay using paypal. It is a very safe way to shop online.

J52 Sat 07-Feb-15 08:16:45

You have to link PayPal to a bank account. It is best not to use your current account. I linked it to an old savings account that had a few pounds in. This keeps all my Pay Pal money separate from anything else and is a safeguard against fraud.

I only spend the money in the Pay Pal account as it is money that I have made selling my unwanted things. You can use Pay Pal on other internet sites. x

MargaretX Sat 07-Feb-15 17:10:00

I'm just about to put a leather jacket on e.bay. I was waiting for the winter clothing season to finish. I've taken photos today in the sunshine as daylight photos look best.
I sold some uncomfortable knee high leather boots last year and wondered who buys boots not knowing if they really fit. I think groups of girls or women or familes buy things and the one who they fit takes them.
I have bought an Apple Imac and a lap top. The lap top was 200 Euros and is till going five years later.

annodomini Sat 07-Feb-15 17:35:09

A good many other companies now accept payment by PayPal which is useful, though it makes spur of the moment decisions much easier which in my case is risky, especially late at night when I am at my most susceptible to hasty purchases. A nice big Woolovers cardi is on its way even now.

TheReadingRoom Sat 07-Feb-15 17:37:37

Sorry, but wouldn't touch eBay with a bargepole these days, so I sell mainly on www.uk.eBid.net + Preloved and bukshoppe.com - much pleasanter experiences without the greed and hassle of eBay.

Again, Paypal [owned by eBay] can be a minefield if things go wrong, so I use Skrill [ex-Moneybookers] for payments. You must be aware that anything paid for by Paypal can now be returned for a refund up to 6 months later.

NanKate Sat 07-Feb-15 17:37:43

Thanks everyone very helpful. flowers

janerowena Sat 07-Feb-15 18:00:03

My refunds have always come through in a day! Not that I have had to have very many.

I do buy on Preloved, though. I also like the 'man with van' delivery service available, fascinating to watch as the bids come in, getting lower and lower.

Katek Sat 07-Feb-15 19:42:11

I get lots of panto costumes from eBay....much cheaper than buying the fabric and making things