eBay Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: I ordered a new CPU on Ebay but they shipped me a used one. What should I do?

Posted on December 19, 2018

Question from Chris B.: I saw a brand new Intel Core i7-8700K CPU for sale on Ebay for only $260. That’s a lot less that what I’d have to pay elsewhere so I ordered one.

The sales page said the CPU was brand new in the box and it had never been opened, but I have my doubts about that.

When I received it the box had been opened and taped back shut and some of the pins on the CPU were bent. I can also see traces of thermal paste on the surface.

I believe they sold me a used CPU instead of a brand new one. I could always install the CPU in my rig and see if it works but I’m afraid they’ll try to say I damaged it myself while installing it.

How would be the best way to handle this? Even if it works I don’t like the idea of being sold a used item after being led to believe it’s brand new.

By the way, the seller has excellent feedback (over 6,000 feedbacks with 98.5% positive). I haven’t left feedback on this transaction yet.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

How to snag items on ebay for $1 or less

Posted on February 20, 2018

Every day thousands of ebay auctions end without receiving a single bid, and many of these auctions are for valuable items that have a starting bid of $1 or less.

Why so low? Because lots of ebay sellers like to start their auctions off with a ridiculously low price with the hope that a bidding war will ensue and drive the price way above the item’s actual value.

Sometimes this strategy works, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s a gamble, and the sellers know it. That’s why you shouldn’t feel guilty if you end up snagging a $50 item for 50 cents.

How do you track down these super bargains? Well, as luck would have it there is a very cool website for that: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it ok to take advantage of mistakes sellers make on ebay?

Posted on June 28, 2016

Question from Angie S.: I love buying stuff on ebay, especially when I can get something I want really cheap.

I recently found a pair of designer boots that had no bids because the seller had misspelled the name of the designer. I ended up getting them for $6 plus shipping.

The problem is I felt guilty afterwards because the boots cost over $300 in the stores, and they were new.

My questions is do you think it’s ok to take advantage of mistakes like that? My husband says it’s fine but I do feel a little uneasy about it.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

eBay has been hacked – Change your passwords ASAP!

Posted on May 21, 2014

Well, another giant website has been hacked. This time it’s eBay, the iconic online auction site and digital marketplace.

eBay issued a statement this morning saying that hackers have managed to steal customer names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and encrypted account passwords. In other words, this one is BIG folks.

If you have an eBay account, you need to log in and change your password immediately. You might also want to start monitoring your credit reports along with your bank account and credit card statements just to be on the safe side.

Important: Please consider sharing this in order to warn as many of your friends as possible.

Q&A: Why is my brand new 64GB USB flash drive only formatting to 2GB?

Posted on February 24, 2014

Question from Steven D.: Rick, I recently bought a brand new Kingston 64GB USB flash drive off of eBay, but it will only format to 2GB.

I’ve tried every format option there is but the result is always the same. How can I tell if the drive is bad or if I’m doing something wrong?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]