Am I a "Tight Wad"? Looking on Ebay for Games

[vi3tmix]

In addition to looking for his feedback level and other stats like that...I recommend you stick with Paypal for payments.

So long as you shop safely, eBay's a nice way to save money on games and accessories, and I have yet to have a bad experience with a used product. There's nothing "tight wad," about it, you're just trying to be a smarter consumer.

Ever since I got my Wii, I haven't paid full retail price on a single accessory or game, and saved over $100 dollars, and I'm quite proud of it. On the subject of saving money, may I recommend NintenDeals? It's what I've used for most of my purchases...I just usually have to wait very patiently for some very nice TRU or Amazon deals to crop up on hardware. Big games also usually have discounts during launch week at one store or another, so I'd recommend keeping an eye on the site.

 

[Attacktix]

i hate buying games off ebay... they always have something wrong with them

 

[laurie_lu]

Update:

I received the used "Red Steel" game that I won during an Ebay auction. Got it for a total of $15 and that included shipping. I received it in about 4 days ago and it is in perfect condition. Not one scratch or smudge on the disk and plays perfectly. The booklet isn't wrinkled or creased either. I love a good bargain.

 

[SensesFail]

i bought most of my games off ebay ....never had a problem

grrrrrrrr so its u guys that keep outbidding me for strikers ....*shakes fist*

i'd give you a good price on strikers cause i dont like it but shipping and stuff is a hassle. lol

i always buy used games when i have the option. they are guarenteed at a gamestop so theres no risk. as long as the box is in like new condition im happy (i hate having messed up game boxes)

 

[Bry1500]

Yes, you are a tightwad, and it's really not a good idea to get games on Ebay (unless there in a bundle with a system or something.) Your husbands right.:yesnod:

 

[blueovalboy7]

You're not a "Tightwad" you're economical, and as long as they are reputable you shouldn't be worried about being scammed. I've bought many things off ebay and the only problem I ever had was once the item was lost in transit so they sent me another one.

 

[KrisKhaos]

Update:

I received the used "Red Steel" game that I won during an Ebay auction. Got it for a total of $15 and that included shipping. I received it in about 4 days ago and it is in perfect condition. Not one scratch or smudge on the disk and plays perfectly. The booklet isn't wrinkled or creased either. I love a good bargain.

Congrats!

I've never had a problem yet with eBay games personally, however the auctions can get out of hand. Personally I am more into GameFly's used game selection, since I already use it for renting, they've got a setup to allow you to keep it for a competitive price.

I tried for Red Steel on eBay, but everything I do it goes for $20+ dollars (shipping included) and GameFly's price is $23 bucks, free shipping. Personally I want your price if I am going to buy it used.

For those ripped off by eBay, I am really sorry to hear that. Paypal is your best friend on there, and helps prevent theft. I've had my card # stolen before, however it was stolen by the operator of my local gas company (Vectren), and advice that if they don't have an automated phone system for using your card then I suggest not paying it using such. All it takes is for them to write down a copy for themselves while they enter the info and use it whenever they are hard up or bored. It's crazy.

 

[Nintendo93]

I think if you limit yourself to people who only have 100+ feedback or 100% positive, you're severely (and unnecessarily) limiting yourself.

I've been buying & selling on eBay for 8 years, but I don't do a ton. I'm just approaching 60 feedback. I had one loser who gave me negative feedback after I gave him neutral, accusing me of "maliciously leaving neutral feedback", as if there's anything malicious about neutral (I did it because he charged a ridiculous amount of shipping for what amounted to a 39-cent stamp, and took FOREVER to mail it out). So as a result of that one negative mark, I'm at 98.3%. I take my auctions very seriously though... pay fast when I buy, ship fast via UPS w/ tracking #s and the whole deal when I ship. And I've gotten lots of comments on my fine packing skills.

There are douchebags on eBay, but don't judge someone solely by their feedback score. Look into it more before you write them off... the person to avoid might be the jerk who left them the negative feedback, not them themselves.

I'm a veteran eBay user too., even though my feedback is only a little over 50. (I buy from the exact same sellers over and over so it never increases). I think it's fine to buy games on eBay, but if it's a great game I'd rather buy it new in store to support the developers.

 

[manufan15]

I think Ebay's safe if the seller rating is high. If not, don't buy. I've seen a few people get ripped off, but not many times.

 

[WiiSkier]

I've bought things from Ebay in the past and haven't had any problems. As far as used games, I would just go to your local gaming store and buy them used from there. That way you get the peace of mind knowing that game will definately work, even if you pay 5-10 bucks extra.

 

[wiigotdawii]

Ebay Is Freakin' Awsome!!!

 

[eddy]

Your husband is nuts. ebay is as reliable as any place out there. I buy all my cube games off there and have put in a few bids for Wii games but usually end up losing out. You just have to be smart about who you're buying from. I've never heard of anyone buying a game and ending up with a bootlegged version - that's a new one for me. Scratches can happen, I guess but you'd have to be pretty abusive to get them on there and if it wasn't disclosed in the product description, ebay does allow you to file a complaint that would result in a refund. The other thing to look at is obviously a person's seller rating. A lot of sellers will also have their own refund policies so if something does go wrong, you've got a way of getting back your money.

Lastly, if you're purchasing via a credit card or debit card, Visa and MC (and other CC companies) insure each and every purchase so if something does turn out to go wrong (scratched disk or whatever) and all other avenues of complaints failed, you would get your money back from the CC company.

 

[eddy]

oh, and no, you're not a tightwad. Would you be a tightwad if you bought gas at $1.50 a gallon instead of another place down the block at $2 a gallon? Of course not.

 

[WiiSkier]

Tight wads are people that litteraly pinch pennies...Not trying to save like 10 bucks. Just read the post that you got the game and it was perfect. I might have to try out the Bay.

 

[jwm2]

Theres nothing wrong with buying used or preowned games, just be careful, some people don't take good care of their discs and you may end up buying a game that doesn't work very well until you get it repaired by a place like extreme-mods. I've had to send them a few discs after my kids got ahold of them, and they did a great job. But if you have to pay for disc repair on top of buying the game then you might as well have just bought a new copy. The same goes for gamestop, you can't guarantee you'll get a copy any better than what you'd find on ebay or a flea market.