I've wound up buying two things I needed off of ebay because I got better prices and better shipping. I think ebay has come to the point with fees that it is no longer a viable source for anything new. Used goods I can see, but for new items, ebay has ceased to be useful.
I never bought new stuff from ebay in over 5 years. I just go to online stores since the only stuff I buy are computer parts via Internet. Actually, ebay is suing craiglist, which is probably better than ebay, but you're likely to get scammed on that site than on ebay...
It's ok, for companies like Dell which offer different coupons on different weeks, you can usually catch those again on ebay... for a tad over what they paid... still not a bad deal... just need to watch who you buy from.
eBay has it's faults but show me an alternative that offers similar features, userbase and some form of credability.
Ebay used to be a good place to find cheap stuff that people bought and never used, or used lightly. Now, I find that it is usually more expensive to buy mainstream stuff there. Hell, half the time, you get hit with $10 shipping and "handling" (also known as fee avoidance) for a DVD that gets sent Media Mail.
I still buy things off eBay if the price difference from retail is significant enough. I like the ease of using PayPal and the sellers rating system. For general used items (games, CDs, etc) I'll use eBay. I'm really angry and disappointed about their current stance on certain types of hardware. Namely modchips and the like. Unfortunately eBay really is the most popular.
The thing is a lot of what is available on eBay is available elsewhere as people have become more versed & comfortable with auctioning and selling items online. When eBay started it was like a breath of fresh air. I don't just accept the price I find on eBay, I hunt around and will buy elsewhere if I find it cheaper. I appreciate the new search element that allows you to check item & P&P price. What I don't think eBay realises is that a LOT of deals happen behind them. If I think I can coax an eBayer into ending his auction, avoiding final fees etc I will. Fingers crossed I've not been stung yet and it suits buyer & seller alike when you have established a good reputation already.
I'm just sick of people winning shit and not paying. I sold some textbooks and people are just stupid.
I rarely now try to sell anything for more than $100 on Ebay, since with fees and scam artists it's not worth it. Like once I sold this camcorder, but this Niegerian scam artist kept outbidding everyone, then sending me the same fake-ass email, asking me to use some phoney escrow service. I had to relist it three times before someone legit bought it. I only seem to have this problem with certian items though (cameras, laptops, mp3 players, etc.) Usually with items under $50 everything goes smoothly.
I tried selling a 360 a while back on ebay - every time the winner would have an excuse like 'oh my daughter bid on it, even though I told her not to'. best one was 'I can't afford this now'. I mean I admire the honesty, but surely don't bid so high in the first place? The way it was so short (That is an exact quote of the message) just tells me that some people think its ok to win things but just not pay for them. Tools.
The only thing I've bought new over eBay is Taiko no Tatsujin for the PS2 for 50$. 180$ in local stores. Hell yeah. And about used goods, try getting some retro stuff localy here (besides from FIFA 97).
