Is it safe to buy dolls from Ebay?

My one & only doll was bought from an Ebay auction. The seller was very friendly, and the transaction went smoothly. Even the shipping from the USA to the UK was problem free. So I would say yes, but make sure you check the feedback!

 

Yes - ALWAYS check feedback. If you don't want to wade through all the positives to find the negatives, I recommend using something like toolhaus.org

 

Feedback checking is definitely a must.
I bought Seph from ebay and it was great. The seller was helpful, quick with shipping and kept in contact the whole time. It's just a matter of finding the right person.
It's handy to check on here too if you're unsure about the seller.
One thing to look out for is the price when buying limiteds. A lot of sellers on ebay will hike up the price to as much as they can get away with. If buying a limited, imo it's best to look on here first to see if you can't get a better deal.

 

I've bought a couple of dolls (usually in parts) from ebay... and I've always had good experiences... but I *always* check feedback and usually only buy from people with a LOT of feedback (somewhere in the 100s) who have gotten some of that feedback for selling things... and preferably high-ticket items like other dolls.

 

I have bought and sold dolls on e-bay before. I had no problem but just always make sure to check feedback and description. Always ask for owner's OWN pictures.

 

Yeah, "flippers" are a problem. they can artificially increase a value of a doll by making you think your getting something you can't anywhere else.
This one on Ebay now looks suspiciously like a flipper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPER-DOLFIE-MU...ryZ84635QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I feel they are not doing us any favors by snatching up dolls intended for collectors and turning around and trying to make us pay more for them.
My feelings: BOYCOTT FLIPPERS!- no matter how badly you want the doll. If you wait, one may show up on DOA for a better price.

 

I have bought 4 of my dolls from eBay sellers and can totally recommend it. Obviously all the usual sensible things apply, check feedback, ask them questions before bidding etc i see no problem with buying via eBay.
Having bought both from individuals and BJD agents i would'nt hesitate to do so again in the future (when my bank balance is looking a little healthier after my annual dollbuyfest).

Just an observation...

And if it does'nt?
I don't care who's selling, for what price etc etc if i want it and i have the cash, i'm gonna buy it.
The sellers who piss me off are those who get friends to bid on their auctions to bump the prices up and unfortunately since eBay bought in it's non-optional private bidding format i can no longer check out if this is still happening.

 

I've been good at about being moderate on eBay. Definitely do your homework and check out sellers before putting in a bid. I also tend to go for more experienced sellers but once in awhile I take risks but I am aware of it. Definitely also be sure you know your rights and are up to date on eBay policy and stuff. It can be a lifesaver!

 

First of all the Muse doll was supposed to be a gift for her sister, if so, why is the doll not new? It has been dressed and looks like played with a bit. Still looking fresh, but not as if it were a gift.
Second I also buy and sell dolls off of ebya. I have so far been pretty lucky, ie: a Diana Pride doll (my first) came with a piece broken off at the neck (which was not in the box). I emailed the seller and she claimed she knew nothing about it, but immediately offered a partial refund which I accepted. I later resold the doll on ebay ( I just couldn't bond with her) for a lessor amount while stating in the auction about the chip out of her neck. The winner emailed me back personally and said she was in perfect condition and the chip (which could be hidden with a wig) was nothing to brag about. They bonded and I was happy. My next episode was a Soom Dillui who had indeed had a broken piece from shipping, my seller immediatly sent the insurance proof and i went to the PO and claimed for just a head. Again it worked out. So far so good, but really ask questions about the auction, it's your best way of getting a smooth transaction. As a seller I invite questions, answer them and ask to please email agin if you have any more. Communication is the key to a good experience I find. And I sell overseas to some wonderful winners.

 

So long as you are not buying from this seller: http://myworld.ebay.com/okita_kakyuu/
For these reasons:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29176
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29089
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32385
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61063

Otherwise, I'd always be a little suspisious of any ebay seller who is always selling alot of limited dolls, usually for quite a bit more then what they were originally bought for.

 

My mother and I are frequent buyers on eBay. So when I saw Luna (my first doll) on eBay, I just had to have her. I knew how to check the feedback and the shipping costs. When I won Luna, the seller was very nice and friendly and answered all of my questions. I was really satisfied. In the end it depends if the seller is reliable.

 

My first doll was from ebay. Had no problems and the seller was lovely. I'd only say check their feedback, make sure the pictures are their own, and if it all seems too good to be true then it probably is.

 

I bought my first doll from Ebay and it was a very easy experience. The seller was very friendly and my doll arrived well packaged. The exchange couldn't have gone smoother.
I've over 50 buying transactions on eBay over the past 4 years and I've only met one aggravating seller who I purchased some Pinky Street from. It really depends on the seller.

 

I've heard some good and some bad.
I would totally read the feedback and look deeper into the doll.
You don't want to waste your money!

 

I've bought a few of my dolls of eBay, all were very pleasant experiences from reputable sellers.

Make sure you know what you are getting into if you buy a doll from eBay, it is always a good idea to check feedback for any hiccups in their dealings. From time to time there could be scam auctions, so keep an eye out for those.

 

I'd 100% recommend buying them from ebay All three of my boys have been bought off ebay, one even from overseas. No problems whatsoever - my last boy was even hand delivered personally . Though I'm pretty ebay savvy [900+ transactions over the past 6 years], so I know what I'm looking for, and certainly not nervy when it comes to buying the 'bigger' items. The more [positive] transactions the seller has had, the better.

 

I wouldn't have any problems buying a doll off eBay; I've bought way too much crap off there and I've only had a problem once with a package getting lost in the mail but the seller was very helpful and we sorted everything out. ^_^ The one caveat I'd add on is -read the feedback in depth-. Don't just look at a feedback rating, don't just look at the first page. A lot of sellers with issues will come to some kind of agreement where bad feedback is retracted by mutual agreement so as not to impact their positive rating. Check for that, and if you don't see any you're probably ok. ^_^

 

I always wondered this too, but sometimes seeing the sellers reputation or buying reputation really helps to see what type of person you may be dealing with. I heard some horror stories, but the majority of the time its pretty positive outcomes for those on ebay who are savvy.

 

eBay, in and of itself is reputable.

Sellers often are, but you'll have to check to see if This one is, and the next, and the next.


I have purchased several dolls through eBay, both from companies and indivduals, and so far (knock wood) have not had any problems there.


Ann in CT

 

I got my first resin kid from eBay!!

He was listed by a DoA member though, and she was very friendly and helpful XD

Maybe you just need to be careful and check the seller's feedback! And check the auction very carefully, and as other people have said, ask for owner pictures if necessary.

 

ALWAYS look at feedback. Its a good indicator of who you can trust on eBay. :3

I got my first boy off eBay and I didn't have a problem with it, but I've had issues with plushies and other things never being mailed out before I learned about researching sellers by using feedback. ^^;

 

The are some easy steps to make sure it is a bit safer..

* Check the buyers feedback.. if it's private it isn't always a good sign. Also see what the feedback says about shipping.
* Closely read the terms and condition of the auction, before you bid
* Pref. Pay by paypal/CC.. if something goes amiss you acn file claims to get your money back.

* Look at the shipping.. sometime products are being sold cheaply and you will be charged an incredible expensive fee for shipping. This is not allowed

 

It's ebay! Just look at their feedback, I buy from there all the time.
You can also ask around if it's about a particular seller.

 

you never know if youcan trust them...

but..

you can enver trust anyone..

 

I bought my third boy from eBay with no problems. If you're smart enough to check feedback and ask questions, then you should almost always be fine. I'd say that buying from eBay is at least as OK as buying from DoA, if not moreso.

 

I've bought all mine through Ebay and had no problems.

 

A friend bought one of mine thru ebay for me and I am expecting my second tomorrow from an ebay purchase. The one I purchased the seller was incredibly helpful and has kept up great communication. The person my friend purchased mine thru has contacted me and I've bought clothes from her and I'm constantly in contact with her.

Its all about checking the feedback. If you see someone selling a doll esp a limited and they only have 1 or 2 feedback. Be wary. Feedback is your friend. If you find a doll you really must have and the seller has low feedback send them a message requesting a picture of the doll with their ebay user name or something like that. To prove that they have the doll.

 

I hope it's safe XD I just bought a lovely El head from a French seller ^_^

 

It depends on the sellers feedback ^^
If I find the doll I want and it's really expensive, I usually buy only if the seller has 100% good feedback and more than 500 feedbacks left. :>

 

Don't just look at the positive feedback numbers, go in and read the posts. It's a common trick for scammers to run up several positives by buying extremely cheap items like e-books, so if you see someone with six .99 purchases from the same seller and no other feedback, be very suspicious! I don't think eBay allows Western Union payments any more, but also be suspicious of someone who only wants money orders and checks, and won't accept Paypal or credit cards, either of which offer some buyer protection. Ask for new photos if you're uncertain; any seller should be happy to post them within a day or two, and if they come up with a bunch of excuses, again, be suspicious. Ask on DoA if you're uncomfortable with an auction, and/or check out "Bad Dolly Deals" on LJ--it's mainly Blythes, but some BJD transactions have been posted there. Protect yourself from the beginning, since eBay is apparently not always as active and helpful as it could be. Paranoia isn't necessary, but healthy skepticism certainly is, and a massive dose of common sense. Happy doll hunting!

 

You have to check the feedback and look at what the feedback was for. Just typically like everything you buy on ebay really. All my dolls were purchased from ebay except the minifee that I've got on order. The only problem I've ever had is that one of the dolls did have undisclosed damage inside his headcap, but that was an easy thing to sort out. My dolls have come from all sorts of countries too - US, Japan, Malaysia, China, Australia - they've all been great, just make sure to check the seller first.

 

I bought several dolls with eBay and I check the feedback prefering experienceed seller.
The quality is important but also the number because ther is a problems with the feedback:
Most of the seller wait for your feddback to put their on you. If you put a bad feddback (even if it is correct) you get a bad feedback. For that reason, to protect their 100% good feedback, some buyers prefer no to put a feddback at all than a bad feedback.

So, a seller with 100% feedback don't means that there is "never" problems. There is always a risk. Thanks to the Paypal protect.

 

I bought my first and only doll on ebay, and it was my first big ebay purchase. before that I had bought a few model horses and some t-shirts. I was working on creating an ulcer for myself, because I couldn't get the seller to respond to my requests for a tracking number on his package.

Turns out EBAY was dropping the messages. Despite all the ebay warnings about contacting the seller only through ebay (so there is a record of your conversations) if you don't hear from the seller and you are worried, don't wait to contact them another way. When I finally did give up on ebay and try her personal email I recieved an instant answer with tracking number, my doll was already leaving customs and only a few days away from my house. Do contact sellers through ebay, but if you don't recieve a response, don't be afraid to try to get to them another way. Ebay does have its failures and its bugs.

Other than that mild heart attack waiting to happen I would buy a doll from ebay again. But only by paying through paypal for that added protection.
I have made one other large purchase long distance, and that was a HUGE disappointment. I'd have liked to have something like the paypal conflict resolution process and the power to grant public feedback to this particular person to keep her from misleading others.

On another note, regarding feedback. I think ebay needs to be less discouraging of leaving neutral or negative feedback when you go to do so. On an unrelated purchase I recieved an item that I would say wasn't up to par with its description. When I went to leave neutral (not even negative) feedback, ebay took me to a page that made me feel guilty for leaving anything but positive feedback. So much so that I decided to change my mind, and left positive feedback anyway.
I believe Ebay shouldn't be discouraging people to leave honest feedback. I did contact the seller seperately, and she has since altered her listings to make sure the items are better described, but not every seller would do that without the incentive of needing to rescue their reputation.

 

I was wondering if you don't have a visa how can you buy from volks

 

Ebay UK, Ebay IE and Ebay US (I know not about other countries) now have a system in place where the seller can ONLY leave positive feedback for their customers. Supposedly that is going to be rolled out across every ebay site.
Besides, is the point of -communicating- with a seller if you are not satisfied more successful than just leaving a red dot?

One of my tinies I recieved from ebay had damage to the inside of his headcap. Simple to clear up the dust and it did not affect the structural integrity of the doll. Either way, he was damaged, and not by transit means. Talked to seller, he apologised about not disclosing the damage, got everything sorted out with him fairly, in the end left him positive feedback. There was no need to leave him a negative, even though it was not in the described condition.

 

I too hope it's safe because I'm new to ebay and I just recently bought my volks rose doll. I do think ebay is risky but do your research like on Doa before buying something. Look that person up in google or anything. I think its very important to know what you want and the seller. Even contact those who has bought from that seller to see if the service was good or not. Some people might come forward and say that seller wasn't good even when that seller had 100% feedback. Use paypal or credit card for safety reasons. If there is fault, you can always file for money back or a charge back if you use paypal or credit card.

 

Watch out for a seller on ebay called power.trade88. He/she is selling a line called "babydoll" and they are obvious copies of other companies' dolls. He has an auction right now with an El duplicate and another with a Moon duplicate, right down to the Luts bodies. While the price seems a lot cheaper, there's no saying what quality resin he's using, or whether it's a cheap resin for that price and may give you problems in a short time.

 

I bought both of my girls through eBay and there were no problems...but I credit this to having checked the seller feedback thoroughly first. I was happy to trust them because lots of other people had and were very satisfied with the service. Check how many dolls and doll stuff the seller sells too; if they sell a lot of the same doll, make sure that all the pictures are different, and request new pictures of the doll if the pictures on the listing are identical to pictures in previous listings.

I also managed to find positive reviews for both sellers on DoA, so if you are curious about an eBay seller, it's always worth checking here to see if they operate under the same name on the DoA marketplace and what their feedback is like here.

 

I've bought some bodies from releaserains and renaissancefashion.. and had great experiences...

 

Always ask people about the person they can rip you off it depends.

 

Weeeell, I don't know if it means anything, but sellers don't usually get their money until you give feedback and the item has been shipped?

 

Where did you hear this? Whoever said this is completely and utterly dumb. An Ebay seller gets their money as soon as it is paid and WILL not ship until they do get their money. Feedback has nothing to do with payment eiher.

 

I'm pretty sure this situation applies only to new eBay/Paypal members, and only with certain types of merchandise, such as electronics. But yes, it is the case that Paypal will hold the funds under certain circumstances until the item is shipped and the buyer has left positive feedback.

 

Absolutely! My first girl is from Ebay and the transaction was fantastic!