hey i've recently thought about the delivery process when buying stuff on ebay and just want to know

what kind of stuff gets kept at customs for us to come and check and what sort of stuff comes straight to our doorstep
( cos i can remember a friend of mine saying the pen drive he bought was delivered right to his door step )

i'm mainly looking to buy stuff like xbox 360 games and t shirts and stuff and would like to know from all those ebay veterans whether these sort of stuff get held back at customs

thanks in advance for the help

( your friendly neighbourhood ebay noob )

99.9% the stuff that you want to buy mentioned in the above post will come to ur doorstep items like laptops, monitors, consoles etc etc are the ones that get held up by customs people usually use DHL to avoid all that haste

A couple of tips.

Tell the seller to mark the item as GIFT.
Always try to get him to declare a reasonable value on the package.

Whatever you do, heavy/big packages get held up in customs. So avoid getting stuff in big boxes, unless its really necessary.

Even if its not held by the Customs, if the package is too big for the postman to carry, it will be stopped at the local postoffice. You will have to go collect it from there.You dont have to pay anything in that case.

DHL is VERY VERY expensive. Its expensive than you what will cost you if you go clear up it by yourself. And not all sellers provide DHL.

Its best to avoid e-bay unless its necessary. E.x - No place to buy from here, ebay cost is a lot cheaper than here, etc etc.

thanks for the info guys .. yeah i wont be using DHL i've heard about how overpriced it is

Always try to see if its obtainable from local market, and if it is , check the cost. Try to check customs taxes + shipping cost prior to buying, local prices might end up cheaper than the ebay cost. Considering warrenty issues and if by anychance if its DOA, you will have to spend twice the amount for shipping to send it back.

Also its best to have a PayPal account to use with ebay. Its easiest and safest.

he he i just read all above & i do agree with one thing. DHL is damn expensive. it's true  

well i dnt knw about e-bay & stuff because i've never used it. but few of ma friends have used it to bring down Spects, mobiles & laps etc... it seems a good & cheap way of buying things if you really knw how to deal with it.

One more thing about regular postal service. trust me this is the worst service you can ever get. of course it's much cheaper comparing to other courier methods like DHL. but when it comes to safety of your item & transit time & simplicity it's always better to go for a reputed courier company. because they do help customer to clear the goods on behalf of the customer & they do DOOR to DOOR service. customer doesn't need to go here & there to collect the item. but again prices are higher than the regular postal service.

Infernez mentioned that to mark the item as a GIFT which is a good point but will not apply when it comes to online purchases unless shipper agreed to mention his/her name as the shipper name instead of the company name which is not usually happening. because customs here are well aware of this tactics since everybody can bring down item & b mentioning it as a gift to avoid customs duty. (WHICH WILL NEVER WORK-THOSE GUYS ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT )

some try to undervalue the item thinking that the duty will be reduces because of that & again they will fall in to trouble because customs will cease it due to that reason. so there are lot to think of when it comes to this.

any way let me knw if u buy something & if u use DHL. BECAUSE I DO WORK FOR DHL  
i might be able to help you with custom duties & clearance  u knw

can i use alert pay??

Size is nt a prob its its nt a item that hv a tax,like i got my roccat isku keybaord to doorstep without any prob, its box like 55cm x 30 cm x 4 cm and weight like 2kg..
but i had to go to custom for a iphone 3gs that was sent in small box.. they must be scanning the packages i think..

again.. thanks for the info guys.. not all stuff on ebay is cheap but somestuff is ( when comparing availability in srilanka etc etc ) ill probably wait till after christmas when prices go way down before making any purchases but will keep this info in mind

how do i add money to my paypal account without using credit card.Is it possible with sampath web card.i try to add my boc atm(visa) card to  paypal  account.but it is impossible,please help

I need instructions to create a Paypal account and to add Sampath Bank Web Card as the credit card

I need instructions to create a Paypal account and to add Sampath Bank Web Card as the credit card

jus create an ordinary paypal account, in the verifying card thingy, add the relevant card info.. they will charge $1.95 jus to verify, but dont worry, u will get refunded... (i got mine..and i use a webcard) after that call the bank card centre and ask for ur paypal transaction code... once u get that put that code in paypal and voila... u are verified

Anything else? Im just a PM away

how do i add money to my paypal account without using credit card.Is it possible with sampath web card.i try to add my boc atm(visa) card to  paypal  account.but it is impossible,please help

U cant use BOC ATM Card for Paypal but Sampath Web Card can use. Read below for instructions.

I need instructions to create a Paypal account and to add Sampath Bank Web Card as the credit card

You Have To Follow These Steps To Connect Your Card To PayPal
=================================================
1.) Go to the http://www.PayPal.com  & Create a PayPal (It's Free So No Probs)

2.) Click the "My Account" --> "Profile" --> "Add/Edit Credit Card"

3.) Then Click "Add Card"

4.) Now you will see a form & fill it
First Name : Give your real first name
Last Name : This you can't change
Select Card Type : Visa (Sampath Web Card Is A Visa Card)
Card Number : Enter The 16 Pin Code Appear On Side Of Your Card. (Do not let hash or spaces)
Expiration Date : This date mention as VALID THRU on your Card. Enter that year & month
Card Verification Number : Enter Your 3 Pin Code (Password)
Billing Address : Select Your PayPal Account address or Enter a new address

5.)After complete above steps click "Add Card" button

(If their appear Error message that means your Sampath Web Card still didn't activate)

(If their is no error message PayPal already accept your Web Card as a valid card.)

Almost done . . . . . .

6.) Then will appear window like this.. Click "Save &
Continue" (Firstly PayPal debit $1.95 from your account credit for their account but this credit give you back definitely after you done successfully)

7.) Then you will see what are you already done & what will have to do. In this moment they say "Check your bank sheet & enter PayPal Code"

8.) But our Sampath Web-card has not supply a print sheet... So you will have to call to Card Center 011-2300604 & ask for Web-card PayPal Code . . . After that they will ask for Web-card pin number. (16 number).

9.) Then you will receive The PayPal Code & Enter it in PayPal Code entering area.

10.) Read details & instructions carefully then click clearly "Submit" button...

11.) After that if you will see that your Web-card has been accepted by PayPal now you can pay amount as you wish.

Link Here http://www.elakiri.lk/forum/showthread.php?t=709311

ebay is great place to shop as long as you buy stuff from top rated sellers. and make sure the value+shipping cost is under 50$, if not it will subjected to be taxed. Even a pair of sunglasses would get held at the post. overall - for items under 50$ its a good place to shop if u dont want the hassle. but for some items tax rates are not that bad. and always use paypal, be generous enough to give a good feedback to the seller if u r satisfied, cos most seller are willing to reship the item free of charge if u say u dint received the goods within 30 days (true story).