e-bay question


Status
Not open for further replies.

Dream Merchant

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2007
9,656
7
38
Was just wondering for those of you who deal onh e-bay.

Seller is in US. Here's their e-bay store: http://stores.ebay.com/amvona-com

They ask for credit card details when you want to confirm a bid.

Is this normal/safe?

Thanks!

Please please help and let me kow if you know. I'm aiming at an auction at a v good price ending soon. Tks!
 

Where do they ask for your CC details? I only see the Paypal link, so you can safely use paypal to pay them..anyway, looking at their past ended auctions they seem to have sold mainly chepaer stuff (below USD 100) while these lightings are so expensive!

For lightings buy those china made ones like Jinbei and others, they are very good And some of those US brands are actually chinese ones, rebranded!

HS
 

careful if you are bidding from amvona, there are some less positive-feedbacks on that company

if you are paying by pay-pal there's no need to give them CC details, just tell them to ship to the paypal verified address.
 

Thanks for the reply HS.

They ask for CC details when I place my bid, then confirm my bid.

According to some guys in the US, it's safe (if I log on directly, and not through an e-mail message or a link) and because they want a payment reference (i guess in case buyer fly aeroplane) but e-bay assure that no charge will be made to the card.

Here's the message:

When I click to confirm my bid:

Attention Buyer

The site you are currently bidding on requires that you verify yourself by providing your credit card information. Your credit card will not be charged and you don't have to pay using this card.

Then when I click on the button that says verify cc details, this comes out:

Identity Assurance - Place Your Credit Card on File. Help

Place your credit card on file for identity assurance purposes. The information is protected using the industry standard ssl.

Credit or debit card number

Visa,Mastercard,American Express, or Discover

Card Identification number

This is the 3-digit number on the back of your credit or debit card.
For American Express cards, use the 4-digit number on the front of the card. Learn more.

Expiration date
--Month-- --Year--

Anyways, I was looking at some of their cheaper items like their ballheads: http://cgi.ebay.com/AMVONA-PRO-CAME...2QQihZ010QQcategoryZ30095QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem or

http://cgi.ebay.com/PRO-CAMERA-TRIP...5QQihZ010QQcategoryZ30095QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks terribly attractive. Wonder if they are any good...

Thanks for the heads-up PB. I guess no one can be perfect. 220 negative feedback out of more than 62K positive seems like a good batting avarage...??? Dunno man...completely new to this e-bay thing.
 

check the shipping cost first.

here's one of the feedbacks on the amvona merchant, there's almost no ballheads that cleared at 25 cents

quick but expensive shipment.
louischia ( 32 [Feedback score is 10 to 49] )
Jul-23-07 08:42
AMVONA PRO CAMERA TRIPOD ACTION BALL HEAD ATH-A02 (#200124694503) US $24.80 View Item
 

Hmm...makes you wonder...guess I'll hold back for now.

Hey, thanks again PB! Appreciate it!
 

They ask for credit card details when you want to confirm a bid.

This sounds very scary... especially you wrote the details they asked for in your following post...

I have been buying from US Ebay since 2001... I use Paypal. Very important to me is buyer takes Paypal, ships Worldship (Asia, Singapore) & then i check their ratings & see if there is any negative, & why the buyer leaves the seller negative...

I have never come across any seller, even if in their US Ebay store... to ask for all the details & credit cards details, including tat 3 digit security numbers at the back of your Visa/Master card... it sounds very dangerous to me... Don't buy from him lah...

Using Paypal is the safest... if goods doesn't come, can complain to Paypal & they will refund you the full amount... I had a few unfortunate time that the item did not arrive... Paypal refunded full amount... & i see the amount even a bit more than i was charged for (maybe something abt US$ to Sing$ when the transaction is reversed, not sure...)

I would not go for it coz it really sounds unsafe.
 

Doesn't the buyer takes Paypal? I find most buyers take Paypal... Those that doesn't is a minority...

Another thing is i dun really buy from sellers in Germany or France... Or in Europe or even UK... items take damn long to come... Some sellers from Germany sells batteries & accessories that seems so attractive coz either very high capacity (another thing is up to you to believe) or something very innovative you dun see it anywhere else... i once bought something priced at S$180 & it did not arrive. Poor communications from the seller, he did not bother... i did not use Paypal to pay tat time... He must have took the money without sending the item to me... he knows there is no way i can get to him... so i learnt my lesson for S$180.

Hong Kong sellers ship the fastest. I could receive item 3 days after they had email me that they sent item. The longest is 5 days. Hong Kong to Singapore is really fast. China also... though china sellers also must beware... all their Nike Shox & air max are all fake ones... some very high quality i can't tell from looking at it almost... but when i put it on then the know, e.g the Air Max 95 is not bouncy at all... just one example. But a good example is a local Benro ball head that is selling at $170... i got it from china sellers at $110 inclusive of shipping... it took 7 working days to reach me... tat is fair... item is new in retail package... $60 cheaper is worth. But things that are just a bit cheaper i will not take the risk...
 

I bought a lot of stuff from Amvona, including 2 softboxes, 3 air-cushioned light stands, 2 tripods, a few clamps, goosenecks, 1 muslin background and 2 canvas backgrounds. Recently I also bought a pair of poles (like Manfrotto's autopole).

So far no problem. I was never asked for credit details when I confirm a bid, and I only used paypal to pay.

Price is definitely attractive, if you have the patience to wait and bid at the right time. Search the completed price for any item and you will notice a wide range of winning bid prices. I got a canvas background at $5.5 and some transactions went as high as into the $50's.

They make up for the low price in the shipping cost I believe, which is not very surprising. For the pair of "autopoles", I won the bid at US$26.5. With a shipping cost of $50+ the total is <US$80 and it came with a pair of clamps that work just like Manfrotto's superclamps. Still a great deal if you ask me.

Quality wise don't expect Manfrotto's level. The items are very usable and very good. I have no complains except for the 3-way pan-tilt head I have got earlier. The smell of chemical (like thinner) was so strong and long lasting that I had to leave the head outdoors for a couple of weeks before the smell went away. The ball head I got with the carbon fibre tripod was also not very smooth.

If you have already supplied your credit card number then you might want to verify with ebay or contact the seller directly, just to verify that it was them who got your info and not some phishing site.

Good luck!
 

Great. At least there's someone here to say that the seller is an 'ok' seller...

I've seen these sellers that have low prices on their merchandise but makes up in their very high shipping prices... this is also a lope hole that they can pay Paypal less after a successful auction closed, as Paypal takes a certain % of the closed price, but not the shipping price.
 

Great. At least there's someone here to say that the seller is an 'ok' seller...

I've seen these sellers that have low prices on their merchandise but makes up in their very high shipping prices... this is also a lope hole that they can pay Paypal less after a successful auction closed, as Paypal takes a certain % of the closed price, but not the shipping price.

They can't be all that bad if they can sell hundreds of thousands of items. No one is perfect though, so I am sure there are some disgrunted buyers out there who received less than perfect products and are complaining like crazy. I guess I have been lucky so far.

I personally feel that this seller is better than "OK", but your mileage may vary.:)
 

Oh... my 'ok seller' is a very casual remark... i didn't go see the seller or check his rating... just meant not those kind of bad seller lah... Ok to me means you get your item.
 

Oh... my 'ok seller' is a very casual remark... i didn't go see the seller or check his rating... just meant not those kind of bad seller lah... Ok to me means you get your item.


Well I di not mean to sound like I am their advertising agency either..:)

Got a few good deals and will probably check them out in future if I need more stuff.
 

Sometimes i very greedy... ;p Let's say i already experience this seller before that is good, i.e fast delivery & price is ok... nxt time i'll look for another... solely becoz i want to earn more positive feedback :bsmilie: , becoz only with different seller it adds your positive feedback... with the same seller, after leaving positive feedback, the count remains the same.
 

Thanks for the replies Roy and WXR.

Wow! That's a lot of stuff you've gotten from them Roy.

I guess the seller is 'ok', considering that they have over 70, 000 positive feedbacks as opposed to 200+ negative ones. The more trades someone makes, the higher the chance of some of them going wrong.

I don't have a PayPay ac, eventhough my friend has agreed to use his on my behalf.

My e-bay ac is very new.

I'm suspecting these could be possible factors why several different auctions on e-bay have asked me for my cc details.

This has re-set me thinking as to whether I really need a ball head. So far, my 141 has served me well...just a little slow but it's like the rock of Gibaltra when I lock it down.
 

I don't have a PayPal ac, eventhough my friend has agreed to use his on my behalf.

My e-bay ac is very new.

I'm suspecting these could be possible factors why several different auctions on e-bay have asked me for my cc details.

Oh... now i see the whole picture... :sweat:
 

Status
Not open for further replies.