Robotech's Buying Used Markers and Ebay

Buying used markers and ebay

(Sung to the tune of "I want it that way" by some god-awful boy band)

A used ... pink bathrobe
A rare ... mint snowglobe
A Smurf ... TV tray
I bought on eBay
My house ... is filled with this crap
Shows up in bubble wrap
Most every day
What I bought on eBay

(God bless Weird Al for this gem of a song...)

These lyrics may make you laugh but it is the truth. We're going to cover two things. First, is buying a used marker. Second, will be buying a marker, whether used or new, on E-bay.

Going Used

I've said this before and I'll say it here again. If you have no or little experience with paintball markers then I suggest you stick to buying new. Buying a used marker is asking for trouble if you don't know what to look for. I know the temptation is there to save some money but the odds of you getting a marker that doesn't require a few hundred dollars of "repairs" or a poor marker overall are far greater if you don't know what you're looking at.

Now, if you have experience with markers then you're good to go and there is a great deal of money to be saved by buying used. Even so, before you go off to Ebay to start your bargain shopping, there are some things you should think about.

Do your homework -- The Buying your first (or next) marker thread is a good place to cover this. Knowing what you want is the first step whenever you are buying a new marker. To add to this, the things you are looking at are what are some common problems with the marker you want to get. You need to know this so that when you are looking at a used one you will be able to determine if these issues have already been addressed by the previous owner or not.
A picture is worth 1,000 words -- Or in our case, at least a few dollars. If you're not buying the marker from someone local, then you're going to need pictures of it...lots of them. The more detailed they can get the better. We'll get more into this when we deal with the Ebay aspect of this but suffice to say you need pictures.
Parts support -- You are going to need parts for this marker sometime soon so make sure you can get the easy stuff locally. Thinks like springs, o-rings, and the like should be readily available to you locally as you will probably be needing to change these out either when you get the marker or sometime in the near future.
My god, the Manual! -- If the person you are buying from doesn't have it, make sure you can get it from the manufacturer or someone local who you can copy it from. No matter how well you may know a type of marker, even if it just a newer version of something you already have, be sure to pick up a manual for THAT PARTICULAR MODEL. Manufacturers will make changes from production year to production year so be sure to have the one that goes to that specific model.
Bill of Sale and Contract Rights -- This may sound odd but here's where the business law classes I took in High School and college really come in handy. You NEED a WRITTEN bill of sale ESPECIALLY if the amount of the marker is over $500. The reason being is because you are entering into a CONTRACT when you are buying a used marker. Oral contracts, that is me saying "Hey, want to buy this for $400?" and you saying "Yea, sure!", are good only up until $500. Any contract over $500 MUST be in writing to be enforceable. Even so, it is a good idea to get a written bill of sale for ANY marker purchase, as they are far easier to enforce in court. On this bill of sale you will want a full description of the marker, the seller's name, your name, and the sale amount. In addition you want to have any agreements the two of you have come to regarding this sale for example any refund/return rights you may have (See "As Is" below.) or, if the product is being bought by mail, how and when payment will be sent along with how and when the product will be shipped. Use as much detail as possible. This is where Ebay is nice because by using their system you are establishing a written, binding, contract to sell and many of their rules are set up for this. We'll get more into this later. Another thing you must be aware of is that a minor may not enter into a contract of any kind. That means if you or the seller are under the age of 18 that the contract is void. Period. End of story. For that reason alone if you enter into a contract and you or the other party are under 18 either or both of you may breach the contract (that means not full fill it by either not sending the product or not sending payment or both) at anytime and the other party has no legal recourse. Now, naturally if this happens the law should (and generally will) stipulate that both parties should be returned to their state before the contract was entered into meaning the seller should get the product back in the same condition as when it was sold and the buyer should receive back any and all monetary funds sent to the Seller including any and all deposits, down payments, and partial payments. If you or the other party are a minor, it is best for the parent or guardian of said minor to include their name and signature on the bill of sale. This may seem like overkill, but remember this is to protect YOUR rights. Also, be sure a copy of the signed and completed (by both parties...use a fax if you must) bill of sale is sent with the product and with payment. Again, Ebay will cover 95% of all these issues.
As Is -- Most, if not all, used markers are usually sold as is. However, find out if there was a warranty on the marker, how long the warranty is/was good for, and if it is transferable to a new owner. Some companies may have a warranty that is good for the life of the product. Others may have a 60 or 90 day warranty. If you are buying the marker through the mail, be sure to have a WRITTEN agreement that if the marker does not operate to the level that the seller says it does that you may return the marker to them for a refund. While getting this in an e-mail form may work in court, having a printed copy signed by both parties as part of a bill of sale would be better.
Fraud -- The dreaded "F" word (no, not that F word!!!). When buying via mail, you never know who you are dealing with. There are some things that you will want to do to protect yourself. As a buyer, I would suggest always paying with a credit card or Pay Pal. The reasoning is simple, if you pay with cash or check the Buyer will usually demand that payment is received before the product is sent (and all buyers SHOULD do this to protect themselves!). So what happens if you send the money and don't get anything in return? With a check or cash (cash is ALWAYS a no no...never EVER buy anything through the mail that is a CASH ONLY deal...that is a MAJOR warning sign) the Seller can take your money and send nothing. Even if they give you a physical address that means nothing. Scam artists may use a particular business address or a neighbor’s address ("Gee...I don't know why they would have sent my mail to you...sorry about that."), or funky PO Box to rip people off. However, if you use a Credit Card or Pay Pal, and you receive nothing, the credit card company and Pay Pal can refund your money (after proper investigation of course) and they will go after the seller with their much larger resources. For the Seller, I always suggest shipping with something other than USPS. I know that the postal service is cheaper (and when shipping to Canada really your only alternative from the States...the UPS fees for customs is OUTRAGOUS) but with UPS you get a tracking number and can track the package DURING shipment. Also, UPS gives you automatic $100 package insurance if it is lost. Remind your Buyer that you are using this so that they understand they are protected too. If the package is worth more than that, be sure to insure it for the total amount and offer to split this cost with the Buyer. If the Buyer is unwilling to do so, be sure to include in your Bill of Sale this fact and that you will only refund $100 of their money if the package is lost in shipment. UPS will give you a receipt for shipment as well so hang onto that in case the Buyer claims you never sent it. Lastly, be sure to take a picture of how you package the box both of internal packaging (peanuts or bubble wrap/bags) and exterior packaging (how you seal up the box). This way if it is damaged/opened in transit and someone claims it is because of how it was packaged you have evidence to the contrary. Keep these records for a year or however long any expressed AND written warranties are on the bill of sale, whichever is longer. Doing these things is a good idea for both Buyer and Seller even IF you are using Ebay.
Pay the man -- We covered payment a bit but one thing I want to be very clear on is Credit Cards. Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, give your credit card number out to anyone via unsecured means. If they ask you to e-mail it or place it on a form that is on an unsecured page on the Internet DO NOT DO IT. I'd also say do not give it out to any private sellers as well. If they want funds that way, tell them to do Pay Pal. If they say it is too expensive offer to split their cost (which should be just a few dollars). If they still refuse, tell them they can sell their stuff to someone else. Perhaps you'll save $30 on this sale but you may find that $30, and the rest of the balance on your credit card, gone in the next few weeks. Trust me, while the credit card companies will reimburse your account for that (sometimes only up to a certain amount though) the hassle of going through that just isn’t worth it.

That should cover all you need to do when buying used. The only other thing I can add is trust your instincts. If something is telling you that you shouldn't buy a particular item, don't. Chances are your instincts are right on. If something seems too good to be true, 99.9% of the time it is. Those super bargains you hear of are the exception, not the rule.

What I got on Ebay

Ebay...perhaps one of the greatest inventions ever to come to the Internet. However, like every other tool out there, there is a right and wrong way to use it. Going about it the right way can save you money...doing it the wrong way...well...I hope you have very deep pockets.

Note that what I'm going to cover here is mainly from a buyer's standpoint. I have not sold anything on Ebay but I did run an online store for over 3 years so I have some experience in electronic commerce (and I slept at a Residence Inn last night). So anybody that can add to the Seller's perspective on this feel free to do so.

Keep in mind that all of the things we talked about when buying a used marker apply here as well except where otherwise stated or expanded upon. Still, there are many items particular to Ebay that you need to keep in mind.

Private Party vs. Ebay retailer -- There are retailers on Ebay. When I first wrote this they were few and far between but in recent years the number of eBay businesses has exploded. Generally, you can treat most of these as you would any other online retailer if you are buying new. However, their prices will be a bit higher on used items than if you were buying from a private party...not always...but in general. The benefit here though is that if something is wrong with the product when you receive it, the chances of an Ebay retailer correcting the problem to your satisfaction is far greater.
Pictures...again -- Having good pictures is even more important on Ebay. I tend only to buy from someone that has very good pictures of the product. Look for well lit shots. Dark pictures tend to hide flaws and details, the seller may be trying to hide something. Also look for a few close up shots that really let you see the details of the product. Blurry or out of focus shots of products tend to attract fewer bidders for this reason too. Try to get pictures of all sides of the product too if you can. If you only have pictures of one side, the other may have problems that the seller doesn't want you to see. Obviously, if this is an Ebay retailer the rules are a bit different especially if you're buying the product new but with private sellers this is a very big deal. If the seller doesn't have many good pictures up don't hesitate to contact them for more.
Feedback? Why I'm A++++! -- Feedback is both a blessing and a curse for both Buyer and Seller. The Seller's curse is pretty obvious, a few too many negative responses and your sales will suffer. However, for the Buyer it is a bit less apparent. As a Buyer you need to really dive deep into the feedback and not just go by the overall rating. For instance, a Seller may have a 98% positive feedback but when you really look at it all the positive replies have been for him as a Buyer, not a Seller. Then you look at his negative feedback and every one is from Buyers complaining about him as a Seller. These kinds of guys you need to avoid. A good Buyer doesn't always make a good Seller. Time plays a part in this as well. For instance, if he has a number of positive responses as a Seller in the last six months and then has a couple negative ones from twelve months ago, chances are he is a Seller that has learned from his mistakes. However, it is still a good idea to see what people complained about before. Perhaps all those negative comments have been about a product you are about to buy from him and the positive ones as of late are for totally unrelated products. That would be a major red flag as a Buyer.
Tricky words -- You'd think since you read English and the ad is in English there could be no way to misinterpret the ad but you'd be surprised. Sellers do many things to try and hype their product and mislead Buyers when it comes to Ebay. Perhaps one of the more common and yet least offensive of these is what I call the "NOT THIS" title. This is where a seller is selling one product and puts the name of a similar, more popular product in the title preceded by the word "not". For instance, say someone is selling a Dragon blowback marker. The title may read "Dragon marker not Spyder, Tippmann, angel, DM5". They do this so that anyone searching for a Spyder, or a Tippmann, or an Angel, or a DM5 will see their ad. While there is nothing wrong with this, after all it is marketing, sometimes the Seller will not clarify exactly what type of marker it is. For instance, there was an ad titled something like "MP5 not Ariakon, Armertech, or Tippmann". In the description of the product, it never stated what kind of marker it was only that it was a Mil Sim marker of "high quality". When the marker was received it turned out to be anything but "high quality" and the marker was at the low end of the paintball spectrum. Whenever an ad is vague like this (especially since the pictures that accompanied this were dark and showed little detail) it is probably best to move onto something else. Also remember that Sellers want you to think their product is a good product. They will use sensational terms to get your attention and build value in what they are selling. Generally, private party sellers have a tendency to over-hype their item. Do a search on Ebay for "paintball sniper" and see how many of those markers really are "sniper" type markers. Most have a bipod and a scope on them that total all of about $50 and yet the Seller is asking $100 more for the marker than what it would sell for new. Doing your homework really comes in handy for spotting over-hyped items on Ebay and hence why it is so important to study up beforehand. Sometimes though an ad will be outright deceptive about what they are selling. They may tell you how wonderful it is and how well made it is only to have you find out when you get it that it isn't all that. This is, again, where pictures and contacting the seller come in handy. Try to get better pictures of the product or perhaps the ability to contact other customers if possible. While the lack of further information in a situation like this is a BIG red flag, if you happen to get taken by these scams Ebay is pretty good about going after those who purposely mislead their users. Anytime you see a claim on Ebay that looks confusing or a little over the top, don't be afraid (or lazy) to go out and do more research to find out if it is true or if it is just a Seller trying to make something look a lot better than it is.
Get the Details -- The great thing about Ebay is that you usually know what you're going to get charged for up front. Things like Taxes and Shipping are usually disclosed in the ad. Not only that, but the way Ebay is set up payment arrangements and shipping information is written into the ad as well so all those particular details are already taken care of for you. Here's where things get tricky though. You may see something on Ebay for a great price...even if you use the Buy it Now feature they have. However, when you look at the shipping cost you may be in for a shock. Some sellers will up the shipping cost to make up for the price of the item. Now, while they generally do not do it to such an extent as to take a huge advantage of the shopper, they will hike it up enough to make it so that the transaction, in the end, winds up costing you just as much as it would have had you gone down to your local shop and picked up the item there. Again, knowing what you are looking for SHOULD sell for is a must to keep from waiting for something (and the hassle of dealing with an online Seller if there is something wrong) that you could have picked up the same day. Again, if you have questions as to whether or not shipping may be overpriced or not feel free to do more research. The more, the better. Other details to consider are whether or not insurance is available (most of the time it is) and if it is not contact the seller as to what would happen if the shipment was lost. If their attitude is along the lines of "well, you'd be out of luck, wouldn't you?" then I'd take my luck (and my money) somewhere else.
You get what you pay for -- Remember that when you buy used you always run the risk of not getting exactly what you thought you'd get. This is normal. However, sometimes what you get isn't even CLOSE to what you thought you were supposed to get. When that happens, you should be able to return the item and get your money back. Now, with private sellers this isn't always the case, especially if they say the item is sold "as is". There is a catch to this though. If they misrepresent the item to be one thing and it turns out to be VERY different than that then you do have recourse and can seek restitution from Ebay and/or your payment company (credit card or Pay Pal...contact them for details about their fraud prevention features). However, if they reasonably revealed what it was you were getting, flaws included, then you are stuck with what you got. Usually what causes this to happen is that the Buyer decides to go ahead and get the item even though the Seller has mentioned that the item may not be exactly as the Buyer is envisioning and discloses all the facts (and flaws) of the item. Doing your research, asking questions, and making sure you have as many clear pictures of the product as possible is the only way to prevent this from happening.
Does it work? -- With our markers, this is the complicated part. You may have pictures and you may have a Seller that gives a great description but in the end, does the marker work? Well, you have no way to know other than to ask. This is where you write the seller and ask them about the marker. Specifically you ask if it fires and operates as it was designed to work. You need to ask the question very specifically and deliberately. Just asking, "Does it work?" is not enough. "Sure it works." then you get it and find out that while it does fire, it won't feed without chopping...or it fires at 100 fps...or 450 fps...or it leaks...or...well...you get the idea. By asking if it works AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO WORK is asking if all its functions are working properly. To be even safer, you can ask more specifics. Does it feed without chopping? Can it shoot 260-300 fps using the factory adjustor? If I need different springs, will those come with it? "Are there any marks or signs of wear on it?" is another great question as is "Why are you selling it?" Ask about any electronics on it as well. If you ask these questions and the seller responds then you will have some idea of how the product SHOULD arrive. If it arrives and the things he mentioned to you are NOT accurate, then even if the item is sold "as is" you have evidence that the Seller mislead you into believing the product was one way when, in actuality, it was quite different. That is fraud if it is done deliberately.
Proper Etiquette -- Just as a general rule be sure to leave positive feedback for the Seller if everything goes smoothly. Most sellers will leave positive feedback for good buyers too. However, also be sure to leave neutral or negative feedback if there are MAJOR issues that are because of the Seller's direct actions. A hurricane sweeping through the Seller's state thus preventing him from quickly shipping you your item is not a reason for negative feedback. Waiting 3 months after the Hurricane has passed is a good reason for negative feedback, assuming the Seller isn't in the hospital during that time.

Conclusion

When buying anything, doing your homework and knowing what to look for is always key. It helps protect you from getting ripped off. Remember too, trust your instincts as they are seldom wrong. Better to miss out on a good deal than to get taken by a con. In the end, if you are taken, chances are you will find that there were a number of signs along the way that should have warned you that buying this particular item might be a bad idea

Good luck, and remember, it is all about having fun.

- Robotech

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