Buying gear from Ebay

I hope I don't start a war here, but I was wondering about opinions reagrding buying gear from Ebay.

How do you feel about it?

What would you consider buying from Ebay (assuming used gear, and not the dive shops advertising new gear on Ebay) and what would you stay away from?

I mentioned in another post that I am looking for new gear. I am thinking regs, BCs, possibly tanks (although that would be last on my list), etc.

I already have exposure suit, mask, fins, snorkel, booties, but am looking to take the next step. I would love some opinions.

Also, when buying used regs, do you find that it is difficult to get your LDS to service them?

John

As far as regs are concerned, I would find out what my LDS was licensed to service and repair, and that's one item that I would not buy on eBay. I've heard a lot of stories about LDS's being unwilling to service secondhand gear, or else doing it at exhorbitant prices.

There are lots of odds and ends that I've bought in different places, but my basic equipment was purchased through either my instructor or LDS. I may have paid a little more up front, but have also received servicing, maintenance, and built good local relationships with my instructor and dive shop.

There are good deals to be found there, but buyer beware. I personally wouldn't buy anything on eBay that I wouldn't feel confidant about using without a professional evaluation. I'd buy simple mechanical gear, like spools, fins, reels, backplates, and even BCs, but I'd stay away from anything that could easily be damaged or unrepairable like cameras, computers, etc. I'd consider regs a crap shoot, and would probably steer clear unless I was very confidant in their condition. Have them serviced in any case. Wetsuits, if used, have likely been peed in. Make your own call on that.

E-bay is a great way to pretend you are saving money.

Ah Al...always the great defender of the LDS...

EBay is a great way to ACTUALLY save money. I got my Bio Fins for $40 there. So, how is that pretending, Al, when retail is $150 and your dive shop probably sells them for $220?

To the OP, I have bought a ton of stuff on ebay and had a lot of good experiences. Any regs you buy, you will want to have serviced. Even if your LDS won't, you can send em off to ScubaToys. The main consideration with regs is whether they are new enough to still get parts and service. So make sure the brand you are looking at can be serviced by your LDS or ScubaToys or someone.

As far as other gear, I'd buy any of it on ebay myself. The usual ebay rules apply, but I don't see why dive gear is any different from anything else you'd buy on ebay. Sellers with good feedback are almost always helpful and honest. They don't want to wreck their reputation.

Ask Mo2vation whether ebay is a good deal

Other than LDS zealots like Al, I think you'll find the majority of us buy and sell at least some of our dive gear on ebay. Personally, I have had few if any bad experiences.

Cheers

I bought a Mares BCD, brand new for $120 with shipping. I had shopped around quite a bit in shops and so forth. I am so happy with it I could pee in my Divers Direct wetsuit. I bought the wetsuit to avoid the pee factor.

As for a regulator, I have been pondering that question myself and came to the conclusion that I want it new or from someone I know who will let me borrow it to check it out.

I got several used items, one from ebay the rest from this board. I would be more likely to trust the people here than on ebay, but I'm not sure if that is the safest assumption to take.

Agree with that. I bought a Scubapro Aladin Tec 3 console for 315 brand new, when the listed catalog price was 550 and I saw it in shops for 700! What made me decide was the 2-year warranty that you get by purchasing it through a dealer. If it had been lifetime I would have hesitated, but with 2 years, forget it, ebay was the way to go for me.

I just scored a Sea & Sea MX-10 with YS-40A strobe, wide-angle lens, Pelican box, and manuals, for $152.50

The camera alone retails for $375.

Most of the regs I dive were obtained from ebay. I prefer them over my newer regs. But you do need to know what you are doing. There is some real junk and stuff that is not compatible with modern gear. Plus I do all my own servicing so I only need add the cost of some parts to restore an older reg to use. If you plan on paying for service, servicing annually, and keeping your regs for a while; it probably is cheaper, in the long run, to purchase from an authorized dealer who provides discounted labor charges for regs he sells. Check your LDSs and Scubatoys