Just how safe is pre-ordering figs on eBay MONTHS in advance?

[nicky]

I'm referring to things like the Predator 1 figs and Termiantor Salvation figs being pre-ordered on eBay which arent due for release till about May - that's a really long time away and I'm sure by that time your 90 day (or however long it is) protection with Pay Pal doesnt cover that far.

Also as far as I'm aware, these sellers are breaking eBay rules by making it availalbe for pre-order too early - they are only allowed to pre-order stuff within 30 days of release date?

Has anyone had an y bad experiences before wher they pre-ordered months in advance and never got the item or the seller "forgot"? This is the only thing that would make me hesitate about pre-ordering on eBay months in advance although you can get some good prices.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

They are breaking the rules yes, but I guess too many do it for eBay to stop everyone.

I wouldn't recommend it. Once the 45/60 days Paypal cover runs out, (I forget the exact days), you have no recourse if the seller just doesn't send you the item. If you're going to do it, I recommend only abc because they rock.

 

[Silent December]

DO NOT pre-order anything on ebay. EVER.

 

[Xterminatus]

Hia

I have bought stuff of ebay the last 8 years or so and i never got ripped.
As loong as the sellers feedback is ok i would not hesitate.

The thing i see as a problem is if there are something wrong with the item and it has to be returned toSS. That could cause some problems.

/jimmy

 

[nicky]

The thing is I preordered Dutch and Billy on eBay a few wks ago but didnt pay the guy cos then HT withdrew the Dutch pics so I said "I aint paying you till HT re-release the new pics".

 

[SilentSurfer]

The other sucky thing about eBay pre-orders is that you have to pay for the piece up front which means you're stuck with it even if you find it somewhere else faster and cheaper. You may not even get it right away when it comes out. I pre-ordered one of the original AVP Preds through eBay more than a month early. Loads of them were starting to pop up on eBay as "In Hand, Ready to Ship", but not the one I ordered. They guy said he was still waiting for Sideshow to ship them, and that meant as much as two months more waiting. I asked for my money back since it had been over a month, and the guy tried to refuse and threatened to leave me negative feedback.

I never pre-order from eBay. I pre-order from Sideshow, and if it shows up on eBay as "In Hand" with a price equal to or less than my SS order, I buy it and cancel the SS order. That way I have nothing to lose. You can pre-order all you want, and it costs you nothing until it ships, nor if you cancel.

 

[rw23]

DO NOT pre-order anything on ebay. EVER.

So true! Why would you need to preorder form e-bay and not be protected when you could just preorder form an e-tailer and be protected.

 

[-Super Hans-]

i never pre order on ebay, your not covered if the sh-it hits the fan

 

[Darklord Dave]

Depends who the seller is. But the items you mention are available from Sideshow - just buy from them - much safer and they don't charge until they ship.

 

[AdamBombOi]

For a long, long time I've heard good things about ABC Express, so I think it's alright to trust them. However, I've never placed an order through them, because with Hot Toys I always order from Toys2.net - I don't mind paying a bit more if I get my Predator sooner that most everyone else, lol.

 

[Darth Waller]

I wouldn't do it. It's not worth the risk.

 

[shawn-ray]

i have preordered on e-bay before, and have had good luck, but it is just very frusterating at times, you just dont have a clue when you are going to get your stuff. ( when it will be able to ship to you ) so i would say, dont do it.

 

[Darth_Pain]

I never pre-order on Ebay. It's too risky. Ebay won't cover you. So, if you do get burned your SOL.

 

[Reefer Shark]

never pre-order on ebay. ever. Use online retailers that charge your card when the item in shippping.

Buy all the instock items you want, but pre-ordering on ebay is just asking for problems.

 

[Fives]

after what happened with animate international when the TDK figs were released, thats when i decided not preorder anything from ebay unless its been out for a while and i know for sure they have it in stock. i must add that i never did have any problem with animate, i got my order 2 or 3 weeks after BB and joker were released, but from what i read alot of people had to wait a long time to get their figs from these guys. now i just stick to ssc, cornerstore comics, and Joe( Mista305 ).

 

[karamazov80]

I found out the hard way not to pay for pre-orders up-front (still waiting for 2 HT Jokers I paid for in mid-November, who may or may not show up ). Paypal lets you file a claim up until 45 days after a payment. I wouldn't pay for anything that is "supposed" to take over 30 days to arrive because of this. If after 30-35 days the item doesn't arrive, demand a refund. If it doesn't come, file a dispute.

I don't care if a seller has a high rating or not, I would personally err on the side of being able to get my money back if I needed to.

 

[Wanderer]

I pre ordered Ironman mkIII and the Tumbler from Goodshipped way back in June last year. I had my doubts and let Leo (Goodshipped boss) know about it...The guy was spot on. He reassured me by sending screen caps of his ordering system. Nearly 8 months later, his comms are friendly and swift, Ironman arrived at my door and i've NO doubts the Tumbler will too. I've also pre ordered crap off ABC too, which always hits my door.
Trust me pal, the bottom line is, for us in the U.K, pre ordering from these guys is a good, cheap cost effective option and despite the ebay haters here, it IS safe (as long as their feedback reflects it)
I also pre order from T2 and a lesser extent SS (the latter for exclusives) Play.com are the lick too..

 

[FACEBOX]

I used to order via abc-express. They're pretty cool, and I always got my orders. (even though my Kane took 6 months to arrive, but that's mainly HT's fault)

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Pre-ordering on eBay can be risky like others have said. I'd just use a reputable online etailer.

 

[The Ween]

I would never preorder from eBay. Sometimes things are supposed to come in on a certain date, but they don't. I always stick with SSC unless they don't carry it, like the Batman figures, then I'll order from US companies that others say are reliable.