socalgoblin

ive never bought anything off of either site or any auction site,just online stores ,anyone have any tips or bad experiences with them or others? thanks

JDF5244

I've never had a problem. Just make sure to check people's feedback, and be careful of what they tell you is OOP, or Out Of Print.

Dr. Wai

I tried to buy the Killer Criterion from half.com and the sent me Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I would have had no problem with this if it weren't for the fact that it was region 3 and i have no region free dvd player. i sent it back to the guy and he told me that that's what he advertised. so he sent it back to me. I sold it but watch out for people telling you that they are selling one thing but are going to send you something else. Read all the fine print.

blackbeltjones

I've bought many ebay items and haven't had a problem yet. I always check feedback though to make sure the seller's aren't too shady.

KitchenSink

My bit of advice would be to assume that any purchase off of ebay could go bad. Now I'm willing to risk that in most situations (a seller with a high feedback rating) for saving money on something I want to get, but I always keep in mind that it is there. Don't bid without knowing that.

If you have any question for a seller, ask. If there is more than 1 version of a DVD out there, make sure you are crystal clear as to which it is. I got hornswoggled twice with versions of movies not what they were listed as (Remember the Titans came as a full screen when it was listed as widescreen, and Army of Darkness came as the basic version when it was listed as a Director's Cut).

I got both of those resolved, one easily and one with a lot of effort. And I consider myself somewhat lucky. Good luck!

NavinJohnson

I had a similar 'substitution' problem with a half.com purchase. I clicked the 'report problem' button, sent a polite message explaining the mix-up and let half.com customer service deal with the seller. It took about a month or so, but I got credited back and I sent the wrong dvd back where it came.

KitchenSink makes some very good points. Its easy to get different releases of dvds mixed up. Some movies may be out on 4 or 5 different discs. And you can't always go by the photo shown on the auction page either; it may have been 'borrowed' from another auction.

osokin

The only problem with Half.com is not being able to contact the seller with a question before buying - at least on book and movie purchases. A lot of sellers just don't give much (or any) detail about what they're selling. But I've found that if you ask half.com customer service, they'll forward your question to the seller for you - basically, like eBay does, only they (half) don't like to advertise that they'll do this.

Josh-da-man

I don't buy many DVDs from Ebay or Half, but there is one thing I've often wondered about.

How often do people try to pass off re-sealed rental copies as brand new?

bboisvert

I'm sure it happens, but it's probably pretty rare -- and has never happened to me.

Again, feedback ratings help here too. You can be sure that if the person has done this, it will be reflected in the ratings. If the person has strong feedback, you can buy with (relative) certainty.

Trekaholic

I've made over two hundred purchases on ebay and have always eventually received the item I ordered and almost always in the condition described. I do limit my purchases to sellers with a history of positive feedback, who also accept paypal or billpoint, and this does sometimes preclude me from bidding on items I otherwise would, but that's a fair tradeoff for me.

D.Pham5GLTE (>60GB)

I've bought 20 or so discs from Half.com and eBay. It has happened once. Another concern (especially on Half) is that people occasionally try to pass off "Asian" copies as R1 versions. The easiest way to tell is when it says "All Region"

chanster

I sell some of my DVD's - (usually older non SE) versions on Ebay. Feedback is critical..you can usually see a pattern with people.....

Jack Straw

[I've bought 20 or so discs from Half.com and eBay. It has happened once. Another concern (especially on Half) is that people occasionally try to pass off "Asian" copies as R1 versions. The easiest way to tell is when it says "All Region"]

This happened to me when I bought "Vertical Limit" on Half.com. The worst part was that the picture shown on the website shows the region 1 version. The disc crapped out on me about 1 hour into the movie, and the extras menu would not work either. I just trashed it and bought another copy on ebay. At least with ebay, I could see a picture of the actual DVD I was buying.

Jack Straw

On a side note, as a seller, I prefer Ebay for two reasons:

1) The seller's fees are much lower. Half charges 15% flat. Ebay charges 5% (or less I believe) + plus a $.30 listing fee

2) Ebay allows buyers and sellers to communicate directly. Half does not. This has created A LOT of problems that don't ever get resolved satisfactorily. It usually results in voided transactions and refunds.

D.Pham5GLTE (>60GB)

You should file a complaint with Half.com. They almost always take the side of the buyer.

I think it was 5% up to $25, 2.5% up to $1000 plus listing fee.

AtlDVD

the problem with listing on EBay is you have to relist - take payment somehow, etc.

Its easier to sell on half.com - if you list and it doesnt sell on ebay you have spent much more than 15%..

conscience

How do you pay for things on Half.com?

I have done e-bay numerous times, and I am going to try Half.com.

Let me know.

sorry about bumping the old thread; i didn't want to create a new one.

spyzdope

You just pay with a regular credit card, as if you were buying from any e-tailer. Half handles the CC transaction and then transfers the money to the seller. Your CC statement will show it as a half.com purchase, I believe.

BTW, if you're a first-time half.com customer there are some excellent coupons ($5 of $10 and $15 off $50) stickied to the top of the DVD Bargains Forum. The $15 off $50 coupon can make for a great deal on some more expensive sets like Band of Brothers, etc.

al_bundy

Just remember that you don't but from ebay. You are buying from a seller that advertises on ebay. Ebay is nothing more than a database and a bunch of servers that let people list their goods for sale. They are like a flea market that rents tables or booths to different sellers.

As with buying from any vendor go by their reputaion. If you're buying expensive items then look for a lot of feedback and make sure they take credit card payments through paypal or another service. Only pay via credit card. Don't try to get greedy and buy something cheap from a seller with no feedback.

big whoppa

I've won my first auction from ebay. I had to resort to sniping.

As for my question, are warranties valid on ebay purchases? I know that most stereo companies will void the warranty if you purchase speakers on ebay. How does this hold up with other companies? I just bought a microsoft hardware product.

big whoppa

Bump for an answer to my question about warranties. Also is there any sort of CC protection if an ebay seller screws you? I use a CC through paypal.

Quatermass

I just got an e-mail the other day that says Half.com now offers e-mail forwarding, so that sellers and buyer's can contact each other. Also, many sellers use an e-mail address as their ID.
I've sold more than I've bought on half.com, but the bastards never leave me feedback. I've sold about 12 items and only 1 person has left feedback.

~~ PAL ~~

You could always contact them and politely ask them to give you feedback.

3Js

I always put a personal handwritten and signed note in with items I sell on either EBay or Half.com . I ask the buyer if they are happy with the item to please give positive feedback for me. About 75% of my buyers do eventually leave feedback.

Sure, it takes a little bit of effort and time to write the note and it is not required, but it shows you care about both the buyer and the transaction. Most people appreciate and respond to that.

I also tell buyers if they are not satisified they should please email me first, so I can resolve any issues, before leaving negative feedback.

That lets them know they have an alternative if something is not right with the deal. Folks are a lot less inclined to leave negative feedback if they know you will take of them.

This is more than common courtesy, it is just good business!

spyzdope

I don't know about the warranties, but if I had to guess, I'd assume that they are non-transferable.

As far as CC protection if the seller screws you, you are somewhat protected. First things first, you should make every effort to contact the buyer. If you can't get them through e-mail, try looking up their contact info (address, phone #, etc.) through eBay and try to call them.

If you still can't get the issue resolved, you can try to dispute the charges with your CC company. If that is not successful, then you can pursue a refund (up to $200, I believe) through eBay's buyer protection policy. eBay's buyer protection policy subtracts $25 from the refund amount, so it is worthless unless the item cost more than $25.