Marine Parts on Ebay?

Nautibusiness

Nautibusiness

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Has anyone used Ebay to buy bits for boats, or for that matter a boat?

I tinker around on Ebay and have bought and sold domestic items and even a car, but my only two duff experiences have been on marine parts.
Both experiences were a few years ago so it may have improved now, but I bought an old VHF that was advertised as "Good Working Order", when it arrived it was shot to pieces. Despite having it professionally looked at (which cost more than the VHF) the seller refused to believe it was damaged when he sent it.
The next time was a Chartplotter I ordered from the US site and cost in excess of $1000. It never arrived and Ebay were singularly unhelpful. I am sure if I had understood the right routes to follow I would have got my money (or some of it) back, but after 6 months of trying I gave up.

If you have used Ebay has it been a good or bad experience?

Tom
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PS: The trouble with Ebay is you can get carried away.
I was playing on there last night and ended up buying a Breitling Bentley for £129....
Do you reckon it is fake? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Ive bought a large number of parts from ebay, but ive only got smaller, less costly items or things that are hard to find.

Things i have bought include an alternator, cylinder head for a BMC 1500 diesel, various guages, manuals for various bits, a palama water heater and small nic naks.

Some things such as eberspacher ducting and outlets from a couple of very reputable sellers can save you alot of money and work as well or better than the original items.

I dont think ive bought anything over about 100 quid but i havent had a single problem with any purchase ive made.

It pays to look at feedback and ask questions as nessessary. Seller that are fairly local are usually happy for you to look at items in person before you bid.

As for electronics and the like that are expensive and need to work properly, id prefer to buy new or second hand from the classfied ads where you can see and test something before you agree to buy.
 
I sell boaty stuff (ok, 1 item on ebay /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) commercially and i treat customers on there with the same courtesy as if they had come in to a normal shop. The best thing to look at on ebay is feedback. Also look at the design(s) of peoples shops, have they made any effort to look professional?

But having said that, are people put off by ebay? would you not buy from me because of ebay?
 
The plotter I got scammed on was an old Simrad, but we are talking 6 years ago now when I was done over.

This was a woman that had me ( /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) . I did the "Buy it Now" thing and paid there and then and also requested quick delivery and paid extra for insurance.

Didn't hear anything for about 2 weeks and then got an email apologising that she had been on holiday.
I spoke to her on the phone and she seemed very nice and helpful and assured me that my plotter would be sent the next morning.

After 6 months of trying I gave up.
The seller had GREAT feedback.
She showed me the postal receipt (a shop till print out) that had no details. As far as I am concerned it was her Walmart shopping receipt. Ooops she had forgotten my insurance.
UK Customs had no record of the package and finally she did a dissappearing act.

Would never buy from the US again!

That said, I have bought and sold a bit of other stuff and always had fun. Sometimes a bit too much fun and end up buying all sorts of junk.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I only buy from the UK, then if there's a problem you can go round and kick there 'eads in!

[/ QUOTE ]

I do like that straight forward, non nonsense approach.

errrm, not that there would be any problems, but just in case, remind me never to sell you a boat!

/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
I was guided towards ebay by another forumite who had purchased a watermaker from Westmarine (USA) via the ebay auction.

The UK cost quoted at the Southampton Boat Show for same unit was £2,800 plus VAT.

The unit direct from Westmarine Web was circa US$2,800.

The unit via ebay auction (also from Westmarine) accepted my US$2,200 bid.

I paid for it 14 days ago - it arrived direct to Palma yesterday. Taxes and duty was an added Eu410.

So for me it was more than good. At today exchange rates my total cost was less than £1,600 - as opposed to total price of £3,200 sourced in the UK.

Bargain

JOHN
 
[ QUOTE ]
I was guided towards ebay by another forumite who had purchased a watermaker from Westmarine (USA) via the ebay auction.

The UK cost quoted at the Southampton Boat Show for same unit was £2,800 plus VAT.

The unit direct from Westmarine Web was circa US$2,800.

The unit via ebay auction (also from Westmarine) accepted my US$2,200 bid.

I paid for it 14 days ago - it arrived direct to Palma yesterday. Taxes and duty was an added Eu410.

So for me it was more than good. At today exchange rates my total cost was less than £1,600 - as opposed to total price of £3,200 sourced in the UK.

Bargain

JOHN

[/ QUOTE ]


Sounds like you had a bit of a deal there John.
One thing that has become apparent to me is that the UK dealers / suppliers get very touchy about grey imports.

I have a number of customers (mainly pilots) who have bought their own electronics etc in the US for about the same in $ as we charge in £. This sounds great if you have access to the US products until they break.
Most of the Uk dealers turn their noses up (rightly or wrongly) at supporting grey imported kit.

Ultimately it is the buyers choice, but it can be awkward to get support if and when you need it.
 
All within the last few days, I watched someone win a bid on a tube of Volvo Penta grease and paid almost twice the full retail price and then some postage on top an all!!!!!

Bargin, dont think so!!!!!!
 
I bought a Kipor 3000Tc generator on eBay. It arrived on Monday and I have been testing it since. Excellent machine, very quiet and a fraction of the cost of a Honda at £325 inclusive of VAT.

I did my research on th fellow first and carefully checked through his feedbackers to make sure they weren't all setting up a false background.

I will use the genny to run my computers whenever there is a power cut. Eight last winter and we already had one two weeks ago and I will use it on the boat when I do a bit of winter fishing and the fan heater is needed to keep our old bones warm.
 
[ QUOTE ]


Sounds like you had a bit of a deal there John.
One thing that has become apparent to me is that the UK dealers / suppliers get very touchy about grey imports.

I have a number of customers (mainly pilots) who have bought their own electronics etc in the US for about the same in $ as we charge in £. This sounds great if you have access to the US products until they break.
Most of the Uk dealers turn their noses up (rightly or wrongly) at supporting grey imported kit.

Ultimately it is the buyers choice, but it can be awkward to get support if and when you need it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup hear that. But the boats overseas anyway and with the sad sad track record so far on getting anything fixed under a UK warrantly whilst we are overseas (direct reference here to Yanmar Spain) - it's a risk I'm happy to take along with the £1,600 saving.

Cheers
JOHN
 
Use eBay all the time for everything.

I find it is like everything, there are good and bad on there. Bought the boat on there, the outboard, you name it.

I think the rule of thumb is, read the feedback, check out the seller as best you can, always ask a question no matter how stupid - often the non-legit sellers take ages to reply, legit ones tend to be quicker. Then if you are buying something like a boat, send the least deposit you can by a protected payment method but don't pay the balance till you collect. If buying from non-uk be more careful, but if buying electronics you'll save enough in a couple of deals that if one goes t1ts up then it's not the end of the world.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a number of customers (mainly pilots) who have bought their own electronics etc in the US for about the same in $ as we charge in £. This sounds great if you have access to the US products until they break.
Most of the Uk dealers turn their noses up (rightly or wrongly) at supporting grey imported kit.

Ultimately it is the buyers choice, but it can be awkward to get support if and when you need it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes but it's a risk worth taking as if the worst happens you've almost saved enough to buy another new one.
 
IF you register your credit card with pay pal couldn`t you stop the payment or claim it back if the goods weren`t up to scratch? or would the ability to do that cease because the goods are pre used?surley it has to be fit for the purpose?
Rob
 
Wouldn't expect much help from paypal, but possibly the credit card company if goods were faulty on arrival.

No good if everything works ok but fails further down the line though.
 
Use ebay personaly and for business. Have had some excellent bargains including buying our car!, Recently bid for
some Mercruiser engines in the US but the buyer sold privatley, but won a bid on new morse control with trim for only £160. saved over £300.
Can be problems, had a seller ship Volvo parts as new and arrived in a very used state and some broken, a few stern words and involved ebay dispute console and the money came back!

Incidnentaly I notice he's flogging then again, this time as a used secondary sale item.

Also it's quite entertaining, have a go!

Steve
 
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone used Ebay to buy bits for boats, or for that matter a boat?

PS: The trouble with Ebay is you can get carried away.
I was playing on there last night and ended up buying a Breitling Bentley for £129....
Do you reckon it is fake? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


Oh well, just my luck!
Forget the marine parts.
The watch turned up, looked quite good, but not what I had bid on.
Set the time and date and it worked beautifully....
...For 10 mins and then died.

Seller has decided to deregister from Ebay and vanished into thin air.
/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
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