Anybody use Half.com on a semi-regular basis? I haven't used them before, but I'm thinking about getting some DVD's that I saw for a great price.

Testimonials anyone??

Moving to Store Forum

Just as good (or bad) as eBay.

I use them now and then - great when they have coupons.

Half.com has quite a few bootlegs so (like EBay), beware.

coupons help

we have bought and sold quite a bit from half.com
of course, they are owned by ebay and are basically safe
I deal with ebay alot too.. but prefer half.com
you dont get screwed on shipping, you dont have to get into a bidding war, and you get to deal with a middleman so there is less chance of getting screwed

better than ebay... If you can wait for your price, you can pre-order and set your price, item quality, and seller rating. Great for sellers too - set your price and things are paid for through half.com so you don't have to worry about paypal or buyers who back out.

I buy from half.com every now and then, but rarely from eBay. It's also the fact that I hate hovering over auctions to make sure no one outbids me at the last minute.

Unlike eBay, if there's a problem with the transaction at Half.com you can dispute it and possibly get your money back.

However, if you are buying DVDs, I would strongly suggest you make sure it's an official US release. Many low-priced items are really bootleg "imports".

I have been a buyer at Half.com for 3+ years and use the pre-order option to get some great deals on dvds. However within the last year sellers have been flooding the site with import dvds which, in my opinion, is fraud. I have e-mailed Half.com so many times about this problem that I was finally about to give up but, to my surprise, they have issued a NO IMPORT dvd policy:

Half.com only allows the sale of Region 1 DVDs. All imported DVDs will be removed. Region 0 DVDs will be permitted, provided that they are not imports. Any Region 0 DVD listed which does not contain a statement of its origin will be removed.

Now, whenever I see a seller list an import dvd, I report it to their Community Service Watch group as a listing violation. Half.com has told me that they are not able to monitor all of their sellers inventories and rely on buyers to alert them to problems such as imports. Bottom line: If you are tired of the imports, report the seller.

Use them most of the time for books, but rarely for DVDs.

They're gone next year anyways.

Maybe sooner if eBay looses their appeal on the "Buy Now" patent case they just lost.

Sweet! I just did so, reporting someone who had a Taiwanese 'import' version of an anime dvd set.....I know it's p*ssing in an ocean, but if I can knock off even one of those scumbag pirates, I'm happy. I also asked another seller a question as to the origin on his DVD's, hopefully he'll answer and I can report him too. I'm not a tattletale, but people selling illegal, cheapo bootleg ripoff versions of DVD's, especially anime, really tick me off. They profit from stealing [it's one thing to steal and give it away, but to profit off it is hypocritical]; if a newbie to anime buys it, he's likely to be disappointed in it and might not buy any more; if an otaku buys it, he's definitely going to be disappointed; and if the legitimate company doesn't sell their product, they'll quit making them/bringing them over, and I don't want that to happen--I think DVD is one of the best things that has happened to anime in a long time.

Anyway, I've bought a few things on Half.com, but have sold quite a few--much like Ebay, your experience will depend on the seller, but at least Half.com can reverse the charges and fight on your side, rather than you just sending a check halfway across the country.

I've bought two Star Trek: DS9 collections on Half.com; each was advertised as "brand new" which means that shrinkwrap has not been opened and that the entire box is intact, including the UPC code. The Season 1 was intact and a good price (about $65), the Season 2 was sent without the entire panel the UPC sits on. I've filed a claim to get my money back in exchange for the set to be sent back at seller's expense. So far no response from Half.com, but they state it could take a month.

You have an option to ask questions about the set, and the seller has a line to describe the set's condition. If I were you, I'd ask about if the UPC is missing or defaced. The seller's answer is posted for all to see; if they say it's intact and sell you one without a UPC, you've got a pretty valid claim.

Other than that, go with sellers who have good ratings, but it's definately a case of caveat emptor.