Buying Parts on Ebay

[benz90220]

hey im tryin to buy some parts on ebay, for example the lip spoiler is $5 and the shipping is $18. i dont understand how the shipping is more than 3 times pirce of spoiler. it feels like a rip off when then shipping is more than the actual price. so i was wondering is ther any store like pepboys that has these parts so i dont have to use ebay. what do you think about the high shipping costs of buying on Ebay for example? wher can i afrodably buy such parts, peace

[K_Sport Driver]

they use high shipping prices to offset the low sale prices. it all evens out, but ebay is going to typically be cheaper.

[adelaros]

Economy 101

[matt09]

Wen buying on ebay, just make sure they arent selling you an empty box and you'll be ok.

[benz90220]

so assume thers like an Ebay store somweher, how much do you think that same $5 spoiler would be in the Store as apposed to online. for example in the store u pay tax and no shipping. or for example the spoiler is imported from germany. assume u buy it directly from the guy without paying the US customs taxes that are added on. u say the online and instore prices come out to be almost the same so if i went to that ebay owners "store"(if he had a real store) id pay $5 plus tax, so like $6. but online i pay $23 (5+18) because of shipping. assume its pepboys, i dont think pepboys would charge a $5 online price and a $23 instore price. pepboys would not have such a great gap between instore and online prices. (i think tat they just take off tax online and add like 10 as shipping) such a HUGE difference. can someone clarify this for me, anyone in a background of economics, lataaa

[adelaros]

There is a good book in Amazon.com you can purchase..

How to Make Money Online with eBay, Yahoo!, and Google (http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=How+to+Make+Money+selling+on+ebay&index=blended&page=1)

It might be a brain teaser..

[K_Sport Driver]

ummmm ebay stores are not physical locations. some physical shops HAVE "ebay stores," but the price IN STORE will not be $5. it will be more like $25, and the way the ebay sellers can get away with charging $5 is, like I said, by offsetting the price with high shipping. go ahead and go to stores and see what you find, but remember, with ebay, these parts are (usually) made to fit your car, and aren't the universal things you have to modify to fit.

[Kühl Carbon]

EBay charges sellers based on the listing price and the final sale price. They do not recover anything based on a sellers shipping price. As a seller, I am smart if I sell you an item for 1.00 and charge 100 dollars shipping because my EBay bill is now based on a 1.00 sale.

As a buyer, it always makes sense to look at the overall cost of an item INCLUDING shipping as a single number, then determine if that product is worth the money to you ... I mean, do you really think a 5 dollar spoiler exists anywhere??? .... if it does, I sure wouldn't put it on my car ;) .

[MirageHatch]

as above, with these LOW price items it is worthless looking only at the item price.

take the item price and the indicated shipping price,a dd them together and if you are happy to pay that figure for the item then buy it.

that same spoiler would most likely be anywhere from 25-45 in a shop....so ebay is a great way to pick up a bargain, even when you factor in the high shipping.

[Abuimad]

well it seems ur quesstion has been answered, 5 dollars online as opposed to 20 dollars in a normal brick and mortar store, either way its canceling out, the drawback in e-commerce is paying the expensive shipping, the drawback in normal brick and mortar store is paying for the extensive overheads....even so ebay is still cheaper.....

[benz90220]

thanks for you tips, so i guess ill buy it on ebay then

[benz90220]

hey i saw a roof spoiler for w202 on ebay, its $50 + $20 shipping, u think its worth $70, how much have u guys paid for the rear roof spoiler? should i get it for that much? thanks

hers the link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&item=170031056975&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1