MAC for sale on Ebay

[sincitylulu]

Is it me or are people over paying and over pricing mac on ebay? For exception of discontinued items and limited edition i can understand,but why overpay on eyeshadows and all the other stuff that you can get by either going to the store or calling their toll free number..

 

[Monique0a]

I am guilty of it for hard to find items but I agree with you on current stuff. The only thing I can think of is that it is maybe people who either aren't aware you can purchase it online from MAC or Nordstroms etc...(I am not surprised they don't call the 1-800 number, I think that is more obscure) or they don't have a credit/debit card OR they are extremely well off and just enjoy the auction atmosphere and don't care how much they pay (I can think of several eBayers who fit this category).

 

[schnebbles]

I think people overprice lots of stuff on ebay. I think some people just don't even look anywhere else and pay way too much on ebay.

 

[devilgirl17]

As someone who does buy stuff on Ebay, I totally agree. I usually buy pigment samples simply because there are a few good sellers who offer a great variety for a reasonable price. But if I'm looking at anything else, I usually have the MAC website up in another window and I compare the prices. Sometimes with shipping it's either more or the same as off the site (which has free shipping codes on occasion). So what's the point?

 

[Henna]

It's ridiculous sometimes! Then they gouge you w/the shipping charges

 

[kristabella]

i don't think it's worth it for anyone from the US or Canada to get their mac from ebay unless if it's sold out, LE, etc. but i'm from Australia & buy 80% of my MAC from US ebay. and i really don't mind paying US$18 inc postage for an eyeshadow, for example, because everything is so overpriced here!

just to give you an idea e/s pots are US$25ish, same for lipglasses & lipsticks. skinfinishes are around US$35.

 

[iiifugaziii]

There was medium/dark blot powder going for like 27 dollars one time, and i wrote the high bidder and told them to just buy it off the website and that they were getting ripped off. and they just wrote me back and said, "Wish I had known about that before I bid." so weird. it's like they've never bought mac and they think they're going to get a good deal for it on ebay.

 

[BadPrincess]

I've thought the same things as I searched ebay. I only buy pigment samples also on there or if I do catch something cheaper then the Mac Site. My other thought is even when you end up paying shipping on the Mac site, most the time I get my order within 1-2 days as for ebay I've waited over a week sometimes for a pigment sample. As for lipgloss/lipstick I would never purchase on ebay... something about it skeeves (sp?) me out. There's just no way of telling where it's been or if it's been tested!!

 

[Demosthenes]

As a seller on Ebay, I usually start my items at $1.99 and let the auction inflate.

I don't purposely start them off over retail (actually, my items start off way lower) but the bidders make the price go higher.. I guess some people can't get certain things like palettes and LE items and are willing to pay more for it.

As a bidder, I will pay over retail for something HTF, like Parrot or a rare pigment, but I'll never over a certain amount. A $60 Parrot is just insane.

 

[Turbokittykat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristabella i don't think it's worth it for anyone from the US or Canada to get their mac from ebay unless if it's sold out, LE, etc. but i'm from Australia & buy 80% of my MAC from US ebay. and i really don't mind paying US$18 inc postage for an eyeshadow, for example, because everything is so overpriced here! just to give you an idea e/s pots are US$25ish, same for lipglasses & lipsticks. skinfinishes are around US$35.

Same here in the UK. It's generally cheaper for me to buy from ebay because, even if I end up paying more than US retail, it's still less than UK retail, even after shipping.

A skinfinish here is the equivalent of around $30 and a lipstick is around $20.

 

[SonRisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sincitylulu Is it me or are people over paying and over pricing mac on ebay? For exception of discontinued items and limited edition i can understand,but why overpay on eyeshadows and all the other stuff that you can get by either going to the store or calling their toll free number..

I think more people buy on ebay and are willing to pay a bit higher for items because they don't have access to a store and while you need a credit card to buy from maccosmetics.com, you don't need one for ebay

 

[saramwrap]

There are so many factors at work when it comes to eBay. There are a few sellers who continuously overprice their items... but the bulk of the insanity is from bidders. I've seen a lot of auctions that started around a dollar or two end up at several times retail value!

So many people end up in a bidding frenzy over items -- even if they know that they're overpaying, they "must" win the item. Then there are people who don't do their homework, and assume that if they haven't heard of it, it must be rare and worth $$$. You've got the people who don't read an auction completely and bid on a sample as if it's full-size, or think that they're bidding on many products when the auction is for one. Add in people who can't buy MAC online or via the 1-800 (because they're international or without a credit card). All of that put together... insanity!

But I still get some good deals on eBay. Especially on obscure things that no one else seems to want! I also have eBay safety/sanity tips on my website FAQ.

 

[sigwing]

Right now there's the 2 Nat. Eccentric quads that have 5 days left and are both over $20, and I didn't check to see what s/h was for them. Whatever people end up paying, then waiting for them to arrive in the mail, 5 days from today is next Friday and they could just go buy them in a store Thursday. I hadn't thought, tho about the people who don't have access to a handy store, or can't order from Nordstrom or the website for whatever reasons.

I did get an extra of the Nordstrom Tailormade warm palettes from a "buy it now" that along with s/h was just what it would have cost by ordering from the store. I thought that was pretty admirable for that seller. She also had a Temperly that I bought which was about what it was when I bought my first one, and combined shipping for them. I need to probably add her to my "favorite sellers" list.

 

[mac_obsession]

Like saramwrap said there are many factors that go into buying and selling on ebay. There are sellers that charge $8 for a 1/4 tsp of pigment plus shipping which is insane...But there are other sellers that charge $8 for 1/2 tsp which isnt so bad considering the going price for a 1/4 tsp is 3-4. A few of the sellers also include freebies, and not so horrendous shipping even for out of coutry. Ive bought and sold A Lot on ebay and Ive only had a few complaints in being overcharged and it was usually a shipping factor.
You cant really complain about ebay unless you're an avid user, seller and buyer. eBay is an enterprise within itself, and you Don't HAVE to use it. Its a nice resource when looking for vintage or discontinued items, or even htf rare items. At the same time there are sellers that know that people don't know enough about certain items and take advantage of that. For instance I was looking for the maxiglide hair system for my daughter. I know how to research so I did, I found it on amazon for $70, and on ebay starting at $90...So needless to say I knew not to bother with ebay for it.
Being an informed and knowledgable shopper is your burden, and honestly it will save you tons of money in the end.
I know I used to be a omg I want that bid away person, but now I realize that if I take my time and research I can usually find a good price.

 

[inishkai]

I think more people buy on ebay and are willing to pay a bit higher for items because they don't have access to a store and while you need a credit card to buy from maccosmetics.com, you don't need one for ebay

Exactly.