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[norm_2]

I can think of two problems to avoid: not getting what was described and buying a stolen item.  Maybe those risks cannot be eliminated.

What is one's legal position if you find out it is stolen?  What happens if the real owner can be identified?  I suppose this is probably not going to happen with fishing gear but I would like to know what the law would say.

Are there any other issues?

Thanks.   

[hue-nut]

there is not a whole lot you can do, if it happens to be stolen, you probably will never know due to the fact that most purchases come from other states or provinces. I buy a lot of stuff on line, new and used and have never really had a problem.

[Sam Salmon]

Buy only new from established retailers never go near anything else-use a Credit Card never any other method of payment.

[dennyman]

When we talk about internet gear purchases, listen to your gut instinct. For instance, if you buy some used gear off of FWR or other fishing sites, it will usually be a cash transaction.  If a person wants to test out the rod, or reel before they buy how is pay pal going to work there for instance. I usually buy only from people who have been on the site for a while and built up a track record. Talking over the phone is another way to sort out the details and to get more information before you make the final decision. There maybe some bad apples in any group, but using common sense and discretion will weed them out.

[HOOK]

well i literally just bought a spey rod from a guy in the US, awesome guy  we were going to do a mail transaction but later found he was up here for business so we were able to do a cash/hand to hand exchange. this pleased me alot more of course.

some things i look for is:

do they have the original box for the item ?
do they have the warranty card ?
for rods, do they have the rod sock/tube ?

if the item was stolen they would most likely not have any of these items for the item they are selling. Wheneven i buy something from someone else (which i have done several times now) i try to only buy larger items and make sure they have appropriate papers for the item. I also try to do hand to hand transactions whenever possible.

Just be careful and make sure to ask a few questions, I would be more careful with buying stuff from Craigslist

[Sam Salmon]

do they have the original box for the item ?

The What?

do they have the warranty card ?

The What?

for rods, do they have the rod sock/tube ?

The What?

if the item was stolen they would most likely not have any of these items for the item they are selling.

That's true but I've never kept anything like that since reel warranties are good generally for a year and boxes are clutter and in my whole life have bought one rod that came with a tube.

[scouterjames]

easy - pay for it via paypal - they handle the problems if there are any, like non receipt or damaged goods or not as advertised - no hassle, no muss no fuss.  Built in protection.  IF as was mentioned, you want to try before you buy, simply pay via paypal, if you don't like it then return it and the seller can credit you pack via paypal - if he doesn't then you file with paypal and THEY take care of it.

As far as stolen goods go, there's no way to completely avoid that chance other than buying new from a reputable retailer.....

[Kristopher]

I don't know if I'll buy used gear ever again from the internet or not, as my last online purchase was misrepresented by the seller.  I usually don't trust anyone but I let my guard down because I figured this person was reputable and I got screwed.

[HOOK]

Im with you FisherForever, i keep the boxes, warranty cards for all my reels i buy brand new, I keep all the rock socks/tubes for fly rods i buy also. I even keep the boxes to the fly lines i buy  lets just say there is a pretty good stack in my fishing closet already 

[hue-nut]

Im with you FisherForever, i keep the boxes, warranty cards for all my reels i buy brand new, I keep all the rock socks/tubes for fly rods i buy also. I even keep the boxes to the fly lines i buy  lets just say there is a pretty good stack in my fishing closet already 

makes a difference for resale value for sure

[mastercaster]

I prefer to get them in the boxes, as well, although I have gotten reels without them.  If they are old hardy reels the resale value is higher with the pouches and boxes....not that my intent has ever beeen to resell them (unless my wife finds out  )

Using Paypal is the only way to go in MHO.....gives you $2000 insurance on the item.

I've been buying stuff off ebay for the better part of a decade now and one thing I've noticed the last couple of years is there are FAR more new items listed than used.....mostly from ebay stores as opposed to individuals selling items.  Was totally the opposite before which I preferred.  I figure I've made well over 50 transactions without a problem.  Most of the stuff I've saved close to 40-50% on what I would have paid buying retail.  I still support our stores up here an absolute ton so I don't feel guilty looking for a better detail when I can get it.  Luckily I can get stuff shipped to the States....a buddy of mine makes regular visits up here a few times amonth.

Last purchase:  Islander IR4 LA reel (excellent condition), 2 spools (never used), all 3 with boxes/warranty cards, lines on 2 of them, one used, one new.....shipped for $300 cdn.

[hue-nut]

i've made around 150 ebay transactions over the last 8 years, never had a problem that was not easily resolved. I really like the changes that ebay has made the last few years, in regards to feed back, they have made it much better for the buyer. I have a P.O. Box in the States which definitely makes things easier.

[penn]

Like a few others here I've done some buying off ebay , and only use paypal to pay . Ebay does have limited amount of protection to users . There is a rating system between buyers and sellers there .
Having said that I would never make a major purchase like a car or something big other than a personal transaction .
Other than ebay i only use online for finding ads like craigslist . The the transaction is face to face after that .
As for buying stolen goods , that to me is the biggest draw back to buying anything used . I ask for an original receipt if the seller claims to have owned it from new . Just last week I walked away from a guy trying to sell a chainsaw i found on craigslist because the seller claimed to have bought it new , but then could not produce a receipt . That and the fact he could not drive due to lost license made him lose all credabilty in my eyes , so no sale . How do I know that wasn't stolen somewhere along the line ?
Other thing to look for is serial number , is it still there ? I once walked away from an out board motor due to missing serial number .
The whole thing about stolen goods is , if doesn't feel right , just walk away.