# Buying online

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-online/94449>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 20, 2001, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-online/94449 "2001-11-20T19:37:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-online/94449/1 "2001-11-20T19:37:23Z")

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Hello

Has anybody ever bought a PC online esp at auction sites like ebay? , I’m gathering parts for a new PC to build myself but had a look at ebay and noticed some impossible PC prices .My separate parts from the cheapest reputable PC parts shop add up to about £600 , and these guys are selling PCs over my spec for up to £200 less than my parts  
they seem to have masses and masses of positive feedback , I’ll probably build my own but I’m curious fradualent or  
decent?

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-online/94449/2 "2001-11-20T20:04:35Z")

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I bought a Gateway (something- can’t remember the model#) for $200 a few years ago off Ebay when I was teaching myself NT Server. It was a decent machine, not bare bones but not top o’ the line either.

One of the internal cables came loose during shipping (initially making me think I had been suckered) but I emailed the seller and he walked me through some things that eventually led me to discover the loose cable.

Also, make sure the seller has a good rating.