Rules of Thumb for ebay?

[minousbijoux]

How do you decide which vendors you'll buy from?

I have limited my purchases to vendors recommended here or vendors which offer:

- certs for their stones;
- reasonable return policies.

I try them once, for something relatively inexpensive, and check for accuracy. If photos/description doesn't reflect reality, then I write them off. If they aren't communicative or the stone takes too long to arrive, I'm also not likely to go back. If neither happens, they make my list.

Questions for you: if you ask vendors for certs, even if they don't indicate it, do you find they are willing to provide them?
Do you buy from relatively new vendors or wait til they're seasoned?

Do you discriminate between the various certs offered? Do you have preferred labs? AIGS? GIA? GIT? or do you simply get the least expensive full report?

Thanks in advance for this - or any other - advice.

 

[T L]

Always use toolhaus.org to check negative feedback. If there's too much, then I just don't buy.

I do like vendors that provide memos/reports on gems, and I will only accept those from a known and reputable lab.

To try out a vendor, email them, and see how long it takes for them to respond, and their response. That's a good indicator of a decent seller, if they get back to your right away, and they give an adequate answer. Start with a very inexpensive purchase to test them out if you want to.

While some sellers do not provide memos/reports, on more expensive gems,they should, or at least guarantee the stone if you decide to send it to a lab or gemologist yourself. I prefer the vendor do this however.

Some gems warrant more expensive lab reports, like expensive sapphires, rubies or emeralds. The treatments on them are more expensive to test for. However, many other gems can have an inexpensive memo.

 

[Sniven]

Always use toolhaus.org to check negative feedback. If there's too much, then I just don't buy.

You can just click on the number of negative feedback under their profile and it will only show the negative comments.

example 2541/8/5

Just click the 8 for the negative comments.

-Sniven

 

[Sniven]

Questions for you: if you ask vendors for certs, even if they don't indicate it, do you find they are willing to provide them? Do you buy from relatively new vendors or wait til they're seasoned?

Do you discriminate between the various certs offered? Do you have preferred labs? AIGS? GIA? GIT? or do you simply get the least expensive full report?

My experience is if a vendor has a cert they will list that in the auction. A certificate almost always commands a higher price. My experience is if they do not have a cert I find they won't get it certified for you and will come up with various reasons (cost, time, etc...)
Not having a certificate isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have purchased some great stones at even better prices because some people would bid on a non certified diamond/gemstone, but you must have great knowledge of what you are buying and ask lots of questions. Some people are not comfortable making a larger purchase without a certificate and that is cool too.

Buying from relatively new vendors can be a great way to get a deal as some will not bid on their auctions, but in my experience a lot of vendors will not list their best items until they are somewhat established.

IMHO if a cert is a concern always go for the best...never the cheapest...unless it is from the best...which won't happen

 

[T L]

Always use toolhaus.org to check negative feedback. If there's too much, then I just don't buy.

You can just click on the number of negative feedback under their profile and it will only show the negative comments.

example 2541/8/5

Just click the 8 for the negative comments.

-Sniven

I find toolhaus.org keeps a longer record of negative comments whereas ebay drops them off after a certain time period.

 

[minousbijoux]

Thank you both. I'm treating this kind of like a research project. I will use the guidelines you suggest and see if I discover any new vendors with good products. If I do, I'll post my "reviews" for you, in case there is one you haven't tried yet...

-M

 

[T L]

Actually, there are some Top Rated sellers that are not necessarily on the up and up. Toolhaus.org is a great tool for checking feedback, and also READ all positive feedback. If the seller has lots of lukewarm positive feedback, that's not a good sign either.

 

[minousbijoux]

TL:

Your tip of communicating with them up front has already proven useful. Some don't respond, some respond with cursory, rather generic and unhelpful answers (or answers that indicate that having a discussion in english may present a difficulty), and some go out of their way to get you the answers you need. If I'm thinking of hopefully building a long term relationship with them, all other things being equal, I would certainly want to build it with someone who understands and is responsive.

Thanks for all the comments.

-M

 

[T L]

Lee,
I think we need a flow chart for how to spot an honest ebay seller!!