Tips on buying Online, second hand furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, beds on websites like eBay and gumtree Edinburgh. We’ve seen so many people getting ripped off over the years and its not our place to tell the customer they are wasting their money.
Buying online – Is it a good deal?
Always check you’re a actually getting a good deal, check online for the same products and check what it costs new, never think what you’re being told is the true. I myself have never had a thats good eBay or gumtree deal, there is always some flaw or issue that wasn’t mentioned, little scratches, wrong size or it just doesn’t work and they contact you saying they have tested it and suddenly doesn’t work anymore.
Anyone selling stuff will always say how good it is or how much they paid so many years ago, when they say its age you can usually double that length of time, sometimes its not even their stuff and are clueless if its works or not or had any repairs after suggesting its theirs to sell.
Buying online tips
One example we have moved beds that are visibly falling apart or been badly repaired with old bodily fluid stained memory foam mattresses and customer paid for £250 thinking its a good deal, all because the seller told them it was a good deal, but the item was fit for disposal or as we thought originally she was getting it for nothing, but willingly paid for it. We gave the customer some friendly advice on the visible issues and questioned its value but she was committed to buying the item.
Second hand kitchens
Buying a second hand kitchen with worktops etc is quite risky unless the tops are complete with minimal cutting and the kitchen is roughly the same size as yours and hope the sink is same position of a worktop involved. Again we have witnessed a sale of a full kitchen with worktops with various cuts out it and random bits of units that on delivery was obvious this would not work in the kitchen space it was planned for. The unfortunate thing the lady paid including our moving fee was £450 for a selection of kitchen carcasses and an oak worktop that had so many cuts and add on bits it would be very difficult to salvage anything from it.
Buying online tips
Again the Second hand KITCHEN looked fit for the garbage yard and she could’ve saved more than half the money shopping around or even haggling pointing out all the flaws. The most expensive part would be oak top but it was worthless in the state it was in, so when buying a kitchen don’t get memorised with pictures of it in situ, picture it in your property and no 2 kitchens are ever the same.
Never be afraid to refuse the item when you go and see it, if you REALLY still want item but it has flaws haggle to get a price reduction!
No One likes to listen to the person moving it as it’s really none of their business, people don’t like feeling their view is wrong especially from a man and van, but people do go a bit strange when buying second hand stuff and have money to hand over, its like their common sense vanishes.
A rough guide buying anything online.
Is it really reusable?
Does it have any faults ?
Why is it being sold?
Does it fit where i want it to go?
what is the cost new?
How old is it and double what you’re told.
How much will it cost to move?
Do i really need it ?
Haggle with price !
Never pay anything till you see it.