[Rob Barron]

Just to avoid people becoming paranoid about Ebay which only seems to be talked about when something negative happens, here are just some of the purchases I have made and every single sale has been a hassle-free experience:

Canon 28-70mm f2.8 L series lens:
rrp - £900 I paid - £509 including P&P Saving: £391

Canon 300mm f4 L series + 1.4x TC + 2x TC + UV Filter (all in as new condition):
rrp in total: £1750. I paid £511. Saving: £1239

Canon 100-400mm L series zoom (6 months old, as new):
rrp £1400, I paid £780. Saving: £620

Total saving on just 3 sales: £2250

I have MANY other sales and have conservatively saved myself about £4,500 over the last three years. I realise that the prices there are rrp and street prices are a bit less but the savings were still huge.

To keep this balanced, here are the only two things I have ever had a problem with:

I bought a 2nd-hand tripod, it had the QR plate missing and was thus useless. The seller made a fuss saying he didn't know so wasn't responsible but eventually I got a refund through Paypal. It was only £21 anyway.

I bought a xenon blue headlamp bulb. It blew in three days. I emailed the seller who refunded my money AND sent me a new one to replace it with.... which is still working fine! Things happen, could have been the same from any shop.

So, Ebay is not all bad, used with a bit of common sense and due care, paying by Paypal or a credit card to ensure you have protection, it can save you a lot of money.

Cheers,
Rob