Would you buy a big ticket item on e-bay?

You need to know how to smell a rat. I've bought seveal items over $500 on ebay. Each time I was innundated with other fraudsters trying to trick me but have nhever fallen for it.

I haven't bought any "big-ticket" items on E-Bay yet but... I've been looking for a "project truck" (1950s or early 60s pickup to restore) and there have been several possibilities on there. Most of them go for well over $1000 but thusfar I haven't been willing to pay what others have so I've lost out on several.

Nope. I wouldn't take the risk.

One thing you can do to lessen your risk is to deal only with folks who have a lengthy history of "Positive Feedback" ... avoid new sellers, or those with little history.

I certainly have, in the over $10,000 bracket with nary a problem, but I did do some careful checking first.

dys - Didja buy that Porche through E-Bay?

We collect antiques, especially arts/crafts pottery and Pa Dutch painted furniture. I watch ebay for auctions of these types of items.
Im always surprised at how statements from sellers often falsely describe items. Recently, I saw a blanket chest . It was described as a "real early Pa blanket chest with original faded blue paint" One could see that the hinges were replaced and, by doing so, the chest was painted over the replaced hinges. So on reasonably careful inspection based on some experience, I determined it was not as described. Was the seller intending to deceive? or was it the seller whod gotten sold a "doctored" chest? Dont know. I used to write and see about the sellers honesty by their replies. Often I got that ,"loud kind of authority calling m,e a nut' or , most often, Id get an honest"I didnt know" Ive learned to be very careful and have gotten burned at public auctions by unknowingly buying repros, which, by the way, are getting better and better so be careful. I subscribe to Maine Antiques Digest, almost every other month there are letters complaining about some on line auction problem in the antiques field.

Good buying decisions come from experience , experience comes from making bad buying decisions.

I try to refrain from buying big ticket antiques if I cant inspect them very closely and, no matter what e-bay says, you cant inspect things on screen.
Ive heard of people selling houses on e-bay. Id just like to meet the buyers who go in and plop down a wad on something uninspected and certified..

I spent $1,800 - no problem on a 2,000 lumen projector.
My relatives have sold things that fetched $8,000, a lot of it is in the positive feedback, and look at the neutral and negative remarks if there are any - and how active they are, see what price range the other stuff they sell is at.

fishin' yeah I bought the Porsche thru ebay but I reserved the situation for a personal inspection prior to actual sale.