I have been buying, selling and trading videos for over twenty years and successfully buying and selling videos on the internet since 2003. During this time I have stumbled into a few pitfalls which if avoided will keep your purchases simple and productive.
Search the sites and find that special video you are looking for and check out the information provided by the seller.
- Make sure the video you are looking for is compatible with your player, such as NTSC for Canada and the U.S.
- Check out the picture the seller provided. If the seller identifies this as the actual picture of the item you will be receiving you have an excellent idea of the condition of the artwork. IF the seller states it is a FILE PHOTO, avoid any unpleasant surprises by contacting the buyer prior to committing to purchase and get a proper description as to the condition of the artwork.
- There have been many remakes of older movies and they have the same titles, check out the names of the stars provided by the seller in the listing to ensure you are getting the video you want.
- For some reason some buyers are concerned IF the video is an ex-rental. Personally I perfer ex-rentals as they seem to be a lot more durable than non-rentals, however if this is one of your concerns and the seller has not identified it one way or the other...ask the seller.
- Check out the guarantee offered by the seller and make sure the time specified for returns is sufficient for you to return a faulty video. Delivery could take up to fourteen business days. IF the sale comes WITHOUT a guarantee the sale falls under the category of BUYER BEWARE.
- Shipping and handling fees (S&H) consist of two separate but combined fees. If the buyer is interested in an item the buyer must pay these fees to receive the item. Shipping fees are generally based on the size and weight and destination of the item. Canadian postal rates are much higher than U.S. Postal rates so be prepared for that. Handling fees are the additional cost the buyer tacks on to cover the cost of displaying his listing, storage and packaging. Personally I feel anything over $2.00 for handling to be excessive BUT the decision to buy or not is still the buyers, just make sure you get a firm commitment to the S&H cost BEFORE you hit the "buy it now" button.
- Allow an appropriate time to receive your video. Many listings will provide an indication as to how long delivery will take and will also provide a tracking number once the item is mailed. If following the expiration of estimated delivery time the video still has not arrived contact the seller BUT REMEMBER in doing so don't be upset as once the item was mailed out by the buyer, control of delivery time is in the hands of the postal service. The seller can however provide you with the actual mailing date and the tracking number.
- So your video arrives and you slip it into the VCR and it begins to bounce up and down. Immediately eject the video as your video heads may be dirty and while playing dirt is being transferred to the tape. Use a good video head cleaner tape and if you haven't cleaned the heads for some time, run the cleaner through two or three times. Reinsert the tape. If it continues to bounce, adjust the tracking on the VCR if there is no tracking button adjust the vertical hold on you TV. IF this does not resolve the problem contact the seller and advise him of the steps you have taken. The seller will then advise you as to what steps to take next such as return for refund etc.
REMEMBER the buyer is ONLY responsible for the information he provides in his listing or or to you in your queries so make you all your concerns are addressed PRIOR to purchase.
I hope this information is helpful in making future on-line purchases an easier and shock free experience.
