Using ebay to buy home theater equipment?

I have heard only negative from 2 different people using ebay to buy home theater pieces. Have any of you? Feedback?

Know what you are buying. Go to a store and check out the the item you are considering. Never buy something like audio equipment without touching and listening to a real one first.

Check the sellers feedback rating. Steer clear of a seller who sells hundreds of items a day and has a feedback rating of less than 98% positive.

Always pay with a credit card or PayPal. This way there is a third party involved keeping track of the transaction.

Using these simple rules-and a little common sense-eBay can be a great way to pick up great gear at a great price. always check the seller's feedback, and if they have negative feedback, check to see why - you can read each one. sometimes the seller has done nothing wrong but has some negatives because jerks left them a negative for a dumb reason. other times the negative is because the seller is a jerk and tried to rip off the buyer ! and always use either a credit card or paypal to pay, so you are protected. if you send a check, etc. you can get ripped off with no backup. hope this helps. The biggest problem with buying audio on Ebay or Craigslist is that scam audio brands such as DiVinci, Kirsch, and Genesis Media Labs abound there. These are very cheaply made products that have websites which list their speakers and systems at incredibly inflated prices. Thus, when the junk they make sells for a fraction of that price unsuspecting buyers think they are getting a great deal when in fact they are paying many times more than the product is worth. Another drawback is that you cannot listen to the product on EBay. If the product in question is old and used its technology is likely outdated and these outdated pieces tend to sell for far more than they are worth. If the product is new you will most likely be buying from someone who is not an AUTHORIZED dealer of that brand, thus invalidating the warranty. Additionally, many of the "bargains" on home theater gear on EBay cease to be bargains once one has paid for shipping. Finally, there is some chance of getting defective gear or no product at all. I would not buy home theater gear on EBay. eBay.com Charge more money. Its better to buy it at best buy or at a sales store like Target. About the feedback it depends on if you commit to buy the item with the seller.Then you leave a feedback to the seller that you are paying for the item. that's a pain in the neck. Hi there.Using eBay to purchase home theater equipment can be a great alternative to buying retail as long as you follow a few rules.before committing to buy something.

(1) check the sellers location

(2) check to see what the shipping costs will be.

(3) only use Paypal or credit card to pay for purchases

(4) check the sellers feedback score and positive percentage rating

(5) And of course the amount the seller wants for the item.

If you follow these rules you should have no problem. I have bought numerous pieces of hi fi gear with eBay( because they have not been available where i live ) and have not had any trouble so far.

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