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Ever Buy Memory on Ebay?
- Thread starter johnnysart
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Never been fond of eBay. If you trust the seller then go for it because it's a good deal. Just make sure the memory matches your machine.
I don't know, I try to stay away from the big sellers because if something goes wrong it takes them forever to fix it. I've bought about ten sticks of ram or so on ebay and never have a problem when I buy from smaller users with 100% positive feedback.
I like the big sellers. Look at the feedback. Any seller with that many feedbacks and a high positive rating like that has got to have some happy customers.
However, read through the ad and make sure you can return the memory if it doesn't work with your machine. He should have a clause in the ad stating that he will accept returns and will refund your money, not just exchange for another product. If he offers that, go for it.
However, read through the ad and make sure you can return the memory if it doesn't work with your machine. He should have a clause in the ad stating that he will accept returns and will refund your money, not just exchange for another product. If he offers that, go for it.
ebay sellers usually rip you off on shipping rates, Ive never been able to find something cheaper on ebay than I could a regular online store once you factor in shipping. It might be $46 but with a $30 shipping fee
Why take the risk of buying from eBay?
The same RAM is US$56 at Data Memory Systems, (or $48 for their EconoRAM) but with free USPS shipping. That's from a seller who has been in the Mac memory business 17+ years. Or choose OWC or Crucial.
Keep in mind too this is the DDR2-533 RAM for the G5 Dual-core (PCI-e slots, introduced October 2005), NOT the PC3200 RAM for the earlier G5 Dual Processor (PCI slots). The PC3200 RAM is quite a bit more expensive.
The same RAM is US$56 at Data Memory Systems, (or $48 for their EconoRAM) but with free USPS shipping. That's from a seller who has been in the Mac memory business 17+ years. Or choose OWC or Crucial.
Keep in mind too this is the DDR2-533 RAM for the G5 Dual-core (PCI-e slots, introduced October 2005), NOT the PC3200 RAM for the earlier G5 Dual Processor (PCI slots). The PC3200 RAM is quite a bit more expensive.
I buy on ebay ALL the time and sell as well. I take price + shipping and compare that to other stores' price + shipping, factor in feedback, and make my decision from there. I've made about 100 purchases over the last year, and never have been unhappy, honestly. I saved $100 alone on one memory purchase. A lot of reputable merchants sell with ebay to increase their sales. I'm not saying to buy from ebay because it's ebay, but if the price, quality, warranty, is right, why not? Use your credit card for the added insurance.
Yes ive found it cheaper on eBay as well and for the shipping costs are like a few dollars for the person who said $30 maybe on something bigger and in the add says $6.75? or something like that id go with the eBay and look at his bad feedback and good... i got something from china for $8 (macbook thing) and took a week and a half 
unfortunately there not in business or ebay
unfortunately there not in business or ebay
Is the eBay seller going to be there in three years when you need to claim on the lifetime warranty?
eBay is fine for used goods and collectibles and stuff you don;t expect a warranty on, as long as you know what you are doing. But I want an established brick and mortar firm for the stuff I want future support for.
And in this example, you end up paying as much or more for the eBay RAM as you would from an established firm with a good reputation here on MR.
eBay is fine for used goods and collectibles and stuff you don;t expect a warranty on, as long as you know what you are doing. But I want an established brick and mortar firm for the stuff I want future support for.
And in this example, you end up paying as much or more for the eBay RAM as you would from an established firm with a good reputation here on MR.
Lifetime warranties are usually offered by manufacturers or purchased separately. There are many ebay merchants that operate just like any other established store, and will allow you to purchase extended warranties if you choose. I saved $1,000 purchasing my MacBook Pro on ebay and Apple honors their warranty on my product. The memory that I purchased (about a year ago, and for a compaq pc) on ebay was in all original packaging and the warranty was honored by the manufacturer. I know this because I did get one bad memory stick and sent it to the manufacturer for an exchange. I also purchased a stick of memory that ended up not being compatible with my computer and the merchant refunded my money completely. Email correspondence was excellent.
Having said all of that. Peace of mind is important, and if one feels unsure, inexperienced, or just uneasy about doing business with any merchant, then, of course, find another.
Having said all of that. Peace of mind is important, and if one feels unsure, inexperienced, or just uneasy about doing business with any merchant, then, of course, find another.
Wow-----------Thank you for all your feedback everybody and I'll check out Data Memory Systems.
johnny.
johnny.
I found 2GB kit (1GBx2) for 73.99 for my mac at crucial.com I think this is the way I'll go.
johnny.
Not for RAM.
The major manufacturers - Samsung, Hynix, Elpida, Qimonda and Micron are wholesale only. They do not deal with end users and will not answer your emails about warranty. The RAM warranty is through the reseller or through the name-brander of the memory (Kingston, Crucial, etc.) not the manufacturer -- if you even can find out who the manufacturer is. There are hundreds of small assembly houses which solder chipsets onto circuit boards, which are then sold under hundreds of different names (or no name).
You have consumer-direct lifetime coverage from just a few of the major brands like Kingston and Crucial, if the RAM is genuine. But the vast majority of the RAM on eBay is third party generic or bulk RAM and you're going to be out of luck if the seller isn't there.
That explains my misunderstanding then. I've bought on ebay plenty, but only the big names. Thanks for the clarification.
I'd only buy memory from a reputable dealer like OWC or NewEgg. I've never thought of purchasing RAM on eBay god forbid there was an issue with the RAM. If you're adamant on purchasing RAM from eBay, make sure the seller will either a) guarantee the RAM works in your machine and/or b) accept returns if the RAM does not work in your machine. For me, the hassle is not worth the savings if there is an issue with the RAM.