Buying Dry Suits on Ebay

[Potapko]

I too watched the auctions for 4-6 months before buying my OS systems suit off E-bay. Paid $400 for the suit with undergarments, new seals, dry gloves, and all.

They said it was tight but it took me three dives and several hours with soapy water to find the pinholes. After that was done the suit is great. Retails for $2,000, which is nuts if you ask me

Without E-bay, I wouldn't be diving dry. Of course I could tell you about the other "pigs in a poke" I got off E-bay

Like was stated, do your homework and be prepared to negotiate with the seller if you have a problem. I have sent several things back that said "no return", because it wasn't as stated.

HAve fun,

 

[BlueDolphin]

It takes more than patience and being very aware of what you are buying.

I purchased a drysuit off of Ebay a few years ago.

I sent my Drysuit into the manufacturer to have it altered. I received a call from the police. They wanted to arrest me for having a stolen drysuit. It turned out the guy who sold it to me had stolen the drysuit.

The manufacturer kept my drysuit, and the guy who sold it to me was arrested after I gave all the information to the police.

Bottom line is I was out the drysuit AND the $750.00 I paid. This was before all the PayPal protections in place. I paid using a check, so that helped to nail the seller, as we had a cancelled check (his bank and his hand writing on the back of the check). Also had his handwriting on the shipping container.

You also need to MAKE SURE YOU GET THE SERIAL NUMBER OFF THE SUIT, and then you have to call the manufacturer to see if the suit has been reported as stolen.

Put that one in your books.

Has to make me wonder how many of us out there are diving in stolen equipment and just don't know it (yet).

Buy your suit local if you can, or beware. Ebay can really suck sometimes. However I still buy off Ebay all the time.

I just picked up a Pioneer 36lb wing that has a leak off of Ebay also. Luckily the seller is local to me, and is willing to take the wing back.

A loss like mine above, can make your savings you get off Ebay a total wash at best. So consider that when you pull the trigger on an auction there.

 

[BlueDolphin]

In all fairness, I have purchased most all of my dive gear off of Ebay over the years.

(2) Pioneer 27lb wings (perfect condition)
(2) Brand New Hyperstretch wetsuits
(1) Brand new Dacor semi drysuit
(2) HP 80's w/isolator manifold and tank bands
Apeks ATX200 (new)
Apeks ATX50 (new)
Several Backplates from Gary (G.U.T.S.)
Regulator bag
Dive bag
DUI weight harness
DUI rock boots
Gloves

Also have purchased (2) laptop computers ranging $650 and $1200 without issue.
Dewalt 4 pack 18v cordless (brand new-paid half price compared to local retailers and online).
Hummer H2 $1700 headrest DVD system (another super deal I saved $800 from all of my local retailers on this system)

And lots of other stuff I can't remember right now.

All of which were super deals. Most were close to half price or lower compared to local retailers, and online etailers.

Oh.... and I just got screwed on a set of minivan seats from Canada ($355.00), as the seller (listed as a "company") put them into a damn cheesy cardboard box and shipped them via FEDEX, and of course they never made it in one piece. I ended up buying seats again from Ebay using a different seller who used proper shipping to assure my seats arrived without a scratch (this time from a US seller). But I am still waiting to try to work things out with the first seller from Canada. Likely will get the shaft on that deal.

I NEVER buy from Canada if I can avoid it. Most of the time I have gotten screwed buying from there. The sellers up there don't think you can do anything about a problem being from out of the country. Of course this is only my personal experience.

I figure I am hooked into Ebay for a bit longer, as I have to make up for the tremendous loss (the $750 drysuit fiasco), and now the minivan seats ($350.00).

I have sold well over 2,000 items on Ebay myself and have always stood behind my products, however not all sellers have the same integrity.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Not all Canadians are crooked. I purchased some tanks and a pressure gauge from a seller in Canada and had no problems at all. In fact, he had just hydroed the tanks before listing them.

 

[BlueDolphin]

Did not mean to imply that all Canadians were crooks. Just that my experience has been that over the boarder I take a greater risk and higher percentage of sour deals. Again I feel it has to do with some Canadian sellers feeling like they are "untouchable".

 

[Dive-aholic]

Sorry, that didn't come out the way I meant Didn't mean you thought all Canadians were crooks. Just trying to make the point that you can still get decent deals from them. Like everything else, you need to research. Make sure they have 100% positive feedback. E-mail them with questions, etc. I bought from a retired dive instructor and had e-mailed him several times before bidding. But I'll usually do that with major purchases on ebay to try and lessen the risk.

 

[Boogie711]

Yes - I think that a comment like "never buy from Canadians" is just, with respect - ignorant.

I've sold over 500 sets of spring straps online. I have done some via E-Bay, some via my website. Over 90% of those were to Americans. And I have NEVER (knock on wood) had a truly bad transaction.

I've had some take a little longer to get to their destination, but never had a set 'lost in the mail' or otherwise disappear. I had one set take forever to get to Hawaii - I mailed him a new set, the first set eventually showed up and he so liked them that he paid and kept for the two of them. It was a totally honest move on his part because he could have screwed me over by just claiming they never showed (it was LioKai on this board who was so honest, by the way.)

Furthermore, I don't think most Canadians feel they are "exempt." Most of our rules and laws are reciprocal in nature - if I break the law in Pennsylvania, I can be arrested in Ontario, and vice-versa.

 

[mossym]

yup, i'll stick up for boogie here...had no problems ordering from north of the border..may take a bit longer to get here, but they will!!

 

[jonnythan]

Any argument that produces the line "Not all Canadians are crooked" is one to be remembered.

 

[BlueDolphin]

151.