eBay "Bargainland"- bad experiences?

[stasz]

While scouring the internet for whatever deals I can find on drum stuff, I came across a seller on eBay known as "Bargainland". They say they're a wholesale liquidator for a large variety of merchandise. They warn retail customers about this since they don't pay special attention to any of their products and have no idea what condition they are in except from a short physical inspection and picture taking (for example, they wouldn't play a cymbal before selling it). However, this also means their stuff is on the cheap... which is good.

Anyways, I was hoping someone had some experience with this and other ebay drum stuff, particularly cymbals or atleast this eBay seller. They do say that some of their merchandise is in perfectly good condition even though it may be from, for example, customer returns or damaged goods from a company, and they have mostly good feedback.

P.S. Links to this seller's eBay profile and customer disclaimer, respectively:

http://myworld.ebay.com/bargainland/

http://www.bargainland.net/faq.aspx

[The Ploughman]

If you want to play Paiste Signatures, or 2002s or Zildjian Ks or K Customs, or anything else.......then save your money and buy them. NO Cracks, No Warp, No Keyhole, No NO NO NO. Dont buy someone elses garbage.

You can buy really good used cymbals on ebay.
You can buy really good new cymbals on ebay.
or you can buy crap on ebay.

Buy the good stuff. Skip the crap. Its not worth the time or the heartache.

Bargainland sells crap.


PS. I recently spent 1000.00 on ebay for a brand new set of Paiste 2002 cymbals. I am very happy. And I saved money. I also sold my K Customs.....though not on ebay, to finance the purchase of the 2002s.

[Velimor]

I'd say it varies on the cymbal in question. However, the vast majority of the stuff they sell is crap. Chances are it'll either have massive keyholing, cracks, or chunks missing out of it. You're better off paying a little more for a cymbal that's actually in good condition.

[stasz]

Yeah, looking at pictures, it's really sad how some of them literally have massive chunks out of them and it's obvious. Atleast they don't hide it, but then I'm worried when I see one without cracks because there's probably something else wrong with it.

[harryconway]

Look at their feedback and what items they sell. http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=bargainland&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true&seeallfeedback=See%20All%20Feedback I personally, would stay away. I like buying drums from drummers.

[stasz]

Look at their feedback and what items they sell. http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=bargainland&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true&seeallfeedback=See%20All%20Feedback I personally, would stay away. I like buying drums from drummers.

Yeah, I have looked at the feedback... and I do definitely agree that prefer to buy something when the seller actually knows what they're selling and in this case knows what it sounds like. The only thing that's still keeping me interested in this is cymbals on the cheap but I'm pretty convinced that this is the last seller on eBay you can rely on.

[harryconway]

Going with a "gut feeling" is usually always a good idea, especially on eBay.

[fourstringdrums]

I try to stay away from people selling items that they have no idea about, although looking through their store is definately giving me some chuckles.

My favorite is this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sabian-Metal-X-Chinese-18-In-Cymbal-NR_W0QQitemZ170118842706QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10174QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

" Keep those shiny new cymbals for your live shows and use this as a practice symbol" (notice the mispelling of symbol...a sure sign of a non-drummer.

and

"Cracked and missing pieces. As with all liquidation products this is sold 'as is' and what you see in the photo is what you are bidding on."

Cracked and missing pieces...the understatement of the year? Why would they even sell the cymbals with chunks taken out of them? It doesn't take a drummer to tell you it's useless.

[Drumms]

I try to stay away from people selling items that they have no idea about, although looking through their store is definately giving me some chuckles.

My favorite is this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sabian-Metal-X-Chinese-18-In-Cymbal-NR_W0QQitemZ170118842706QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10174QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

" Keep those shiny new cymbals for your live shows and use this as a practice symbol" (notice the mispelling of symbol...a sure sign of a non-drummer.

and

"Cracked and missing pieces. As with all liquidation products this is sold 'as is' and what you see in the photo is what you are bidding on."

Cracked and missing pieces...the understatement of the year? Why would they even sell the cymbals with chunks taken out of them? It doesn't take a drummer to tell you it's useless.

Wow!! There's about two thirds of the symbol missing. At this point you can use a random piece of metal instead.

Anyway at the sight of his feedback you have about 9 chances out of 10 to get a good thing. It's useless risk.

[fourstringdrums]

I'm reading some of the feedback:

"This product is food that expired in 2005, health hazard!" for item http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170115173495

You bought FOOD over the internet, what the heck did you expect??

and this one is pretty interesting:

"Seller shipped empty box, no item received, seller refused refund - dishonest"

How could they ship an empty box and then refuse refund? The sad thing is, the buyer only paid $15 + whatever for shipping. There is a $25 fee for Ebay claims.

[Drumms]

"This product is food that expired in 2005, health hazard!" for item http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=170115173495

You bought FOOD over the internet, what the heck did you expect??

Selling food is forbidden on eBay...

[fourstringdrums]

Selling food is forbidden on eBay...

Maybe there is something that allows candy to be sold but not "food"?

[Drumms]

Maybe there is something that allows candy to be sold but not "food"?

Well it's not really forbidden, but restricted (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/food.html)

PS: I love the "Don't blame the platypus" image and the two-legged platypus.

[fourstringdrums]

Well it's not really forbidden, but restricted (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/food.html)

PS: I love the "Don't blame the platypus" image and the two-legged platypus. It could be a name of a song.

Yeah so they can probably sell non-perishable foods, although that person was complaining that the candy was expired. I have a feeling though that most people who would've bought it would have bought it for collectors reasons because it was Nascar. I can't imagine perusing Ebay for candy to eat. "Free shipping and a free pack of razor blades!".

[Drumms]

That was not a random china by the way, it was a Metal-X, they do not crack so easy.

Anyway I make a little collection of cracked cymbal photos from eBay (our new platypus friend has taken it to a whole new level though):

[hauk]

I try to stay away from people selling items that they have no idea about, although looking through their store is definately giving me some chuckles.

My favorite is this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sabian-Metal-X-Chinese-18-In-Cymbal-NR_W0QQitemZ170118842706QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10174QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

" Keep those shiny new cymbals for your live shows and use this as a practice symbol" (notice the mispelling of symbol...a sure sign of a non-drummer.

and

"Cracked and missing pieces. As with all liquidation products this is sold 'as is' and what you see in the photo is what you are bidding on."

Cracked and missing pieces...the understatement of the year? Why would they even sell the cymbals with chunks taken out of them? It doesn't take a drummer to tell you it's useless.

And after all that, it gets a 3 out of 5 rating on condition. I'm guessing the only item to get a lower rating would have to be completely gone - like that empty box they shipped.

[The Ploughman]

I think some of you are missing the whole real point here. They sell crap. Garbage. Waste. Trash. "Anyway at the sight of his feedback you have about 9 chances out of 10 to get a good thing." ......What? are you frigging nuts??? There is no ........."good" here. Its all trash. Scrap metal. Something that would cost more to return to the manufacturer than it is worth to them to recycle.


Garbage. These arent cymbals anymore. They are crap. And buying crap because a person is too damn cheap to buy a real cymbal..... well, in my opinion, they are getting what they are paying for.......and exactly what they deserve. Garbage.

[Drumms]

I think some of you are missing the whole real point here. They sell crap. Garbage. Waste. Trash. "Anyway at the sight of his feedback you have about 9 chances out of 10 to get a good thing." ......What? are you frigging nuts??? There is no ........."good" here. Its all trash. Scrap metal. Something that would cost more to return to the manufacturer than it is worth to them to recycle.

Stay cool. I have put it the wrong way, my fault. First of all I wasn't talking about cymbals in particular. What I meant is that 9 deal out of 10 get a positive feedback. And it doesn't even mean that the buyer is satisfied.

As for the cymbals, like Rob said, It doesn't take a drummer to tell you it's useless..

[Skitch]

While scouring the internet for whatever deals I can find on drum stuff, I came across a seller on eBay known as "Bargainland". They say they're a wholesale liquidator for a large variety of merchandise. They warn retail customers about this since they don't pay special attention to any of their products and have no idea what condition they are in except from a short physical inspection and picture taking (for example, they wouldn't play a cymbal before selling it). However, this also means their stuff is on the cheap... which is good.

Anyways, I was hoping someone had some experience with this and other ebay drum stuff, particularly cymbals or atleast this eBay seller. They do say that some of their merchandise is in perfectly good condition even though it may be from, for example, customer returns or damaged goods from a company, and they have mostly good feedback.

P.S. Links to this seller's eBay profile and customer disclaimer, respectively:

http://myworld.ebay.com/bargainland/

http://www.bargainland.net/faq.aspx


I bought a ride cymbal from them that had a crack in it. They didn't mention the crack and when I called them I got the run-around!

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[fourstringdrums]

I bought a ride cymbal from them that had a crack in it. They didn't mention the crack and when I called them I got the run-around!

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

So I guess it would be safe to say that if you purchase any cymbal through them, even if they don't mention any defects and it looks alright, it's still most likely damaged.

[zambizzi]

I buy and sell cymbals on ebay frequently and you can't miss these guys...they've flooded the ebay market w/ crappy, broken cymbals. It's annoying to search for cymbals and finding that 2/3 of the search results is junk from Bargainland.

Virtually everything they sell is guaranteed to be damaged and their feedback score is frightening. I'd personally avoid these guys and spend a *little* bit more to get good, non-damaged merchandise from a reputable, respectable ebay merchant.

[tamadrummer132]

my question is how do they get so many beat up cymbals?

[3-ply_guy]

I have never bought a cymbal I haven't put a stick to first. Never... I know there are some good cymbals on ebay and I really prefer the auctions that have sound file or youtube links so you can hear them, but that too can be manipulated just by room acoustics.

If an auction reads the seller is a drummer and doesn't need a Neal Peart setup anymore, I keep reading. If the seller is a drummer or working drummer and raves on about what a great cymbal it is, then I question why are you selling it ? Would you sell your best sounding cymbals ?? Honestly ????

[Skacatz]

I recently bought a pair of 14" Sabian AAX, Accelerator hats off Ebay for $125.00. They were 6 months old and in excellent shape. I had played the same hats at a music store so I knew what they sounded like.

The old saying "let the buyer beware" definitely applies, but if you're careful and use some common sense you should be fine.

I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Everything was as promised and the price was sure right.

[Drumms]

If the seller is a drummer or working drummer and raves on about what a great cymbal it is, then I question why are you selling it ? Would you sell your best sounding cymbals ?? Honestly ????

There are hundreds of reasons for selling a great sounding cymbal...

Well, first of all, one might need money, so he would have to sell his cymbals. It would be a desperate move, but there are more important things than drums in life. And what do you expect him to write about his cymbal - that it's crap?

Or maybe the guy just doesn't like the sound after all,
Or the cymbal is not fitting into his current setup...

I can go on and on...

[mofle]

important things than drums in life[/B]. ...

Absolutley not.

Twenty

[fourstringdrums]

If the seller is a drummer or working drummer and raves on about what a great cymbal it is, then I question why are you selling it ? Would you sell your best sounding cymbals ?? Honestly ????

I had a Bosphorus Thin China that was honestly the best china I have ever played, I loved it. I got rid of it. Why? Because while it was a great cymbal, it just didn't fit in with my setup and what I play and I wanted to have a second pair of hi-hats more because they suit me better. I'm now selling those hi-hats, why? Because I need the money. Things happen like life and money. Your tastes also change. It doesn't mean that whatever you're selling is bad, it may be one of the best cymbals you've played, but if it just doesn't have a place in your arsenal, and you're not one to collect things, you get rid of it.

[zambizzi]

There are hundreds of reasons for selling a great sounding cymbal...

Well, first of all, one might need money, so he would have to sell his cymbals. It would be a desperate move, but there are more important things than drums in life. And what do you expect him to write about his cymbal - that it's crap?

Or maybe the guy just doesn't like the sound after all,
Or the cymbal is not fitting into his current setup...

I can go on and on...

Exactly.

There's apparently a very nosy nature for a lot of folks who use ebay. I have a 100% feedback score w/ over 300 buyers...and I recently had someone send me a message asking me why I was selling something...where I got it...and if I was selling it, why did I need it to begin with?

Who's business is that but my own? I can understand concern about buying something from an anonymous party over the web...however, nosy isn't polite. It's just rude to imply that someone is a thief if you do not know it to be true.

I've *never* gotten ripped off on ebay...because I apply simple common sense. Check the user's feedback...check if they have sold anything recently...and for how much. Always contact them and ask specific questions about the item. As a general rule, if they don't answer or don't know anything about the product they're selling...I don't bid/buy. This isn't much different than the "real" world.

I've purchased several cymbals on ebay and all have been very, very nice. I've only been unhappy with one or two of them and I was able to re-sell them and get the same or more for them.

If you're not taking advantage of a massive free market like eBay, you're just missing out!

[mikei]

I love eBay!!!!

I buy lots of my stuff from eBay.

Never once have I been burned. However, I do my homework on who is selling what. I check feedback religiously.

I bought my second 22 starclassic bass drum a few months ago for $200 shipped. It was in perfect condition. I would have paid $600 plus new.

Almost all of my Paragon cymbals came from eBay as well.

Long live eBay.

[karan733]

i bought my istanbuls off ebay.

they arrived, they look awful, but they are easily (easily easily easily!) the best crash cymbals ive ever played. i took them into my local music store to see if they would part exchange them for an AAX box set, and i kid you not, not one person walked out of that store without commenting on how good those cymbals sounded when the guy way playing them to check them out.

result? ive still got the istanbuls, and the AAX's are also in my cymbal bag :)

so i suppose the conclusion is that ebay is a real minefield. its a real hybrid market, and relies on people taking risks on things. you can never be 100% sure about anything on there, but if you do your groundwork, things are more likely to go well for you, and you'll save on the price for having taken that risk.

[mofle]

Where do Bargainland get all the broken cymbals? And why broken? And how can they make money, by selling all of them for under $5?

And, to all the people looking for a new kit: Mapex Pro M (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-5-Pcs-Mapex-Drum-Accessories-NR_W0QQitemZ170121592833QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10173QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) , I would trust this, though I would not trust all their cymbal sales

-Mofle

[fourstringdrums]

And, to all the people looking for a new kit: Mapex Pro M (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-5-Pcs-Mapex-Drum-Accessories-NR_W0QQitemZ170121592833QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10173QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) , I would trust this, though I would not trust all their cymbal sales

-Mofle

I wouldn't trust that, they only show a picture of the box. The drums could look like they just fell off the back of a truck.

I have no problem with people asking me why I'm selling something, I usually get that actually. I understand where they're coming from. When you're buying something, you want to know WHY they're parting with it in the hopes that they'd be honest. There are some people out there who would sell a cymbal with a small minute crack in the hopes that the next person won't notice it for example.

[CraigG]

I hve had nothing but good experiences so far. I have bought 3 Zildjian K's from there (14", 16",22") a pair of 13" K Custom hats, a new DW 500AD3 single pedal, some cymbal stands. It is a buyer beware environment, true. Just do you due dilligence, check it out, ask the seller questions. I tend to buy form sellers with atleast 99% positive feedback and have sold a couple hundred items. There have been a couple of times I got a bad feeling about an item/price/seller so I passed on the deal. My loss? maybe, but I use the gut feeling too. People will buy almost anything, so you have alot of everything on there.

[shawn]

i bought a sweet ride and an 18" z custom crash from them about a month ago, the auction said scratched and dented. when i got them they were both cracked. the sweet ride was in bad shape and the z custom had one small crack on the edge. i drilled both of them, the ride was mostly a total loss but the crash still sounds pretty good. the worst thing about them is they charge high for shipping and the cymbals arrived in a box w/ no packing material.

[ludwigvondrumcrazy]

Bargainland does serve a purpose to some dishonest buyers.
My friend owns a Drum Shop, selling all the Major Brands of Cymbals, and Bargainland has been mentioned on more than one occasion by people who have "tried & failed" their scam..............

What they do is buy a cracked or damaged Cymbal for next to nothing, then take it to a Dealer and say they bought it new, at another place of course, and want to have it sent back to the manufacturer for a new one, you know, the warranty thing...................

The Cymbal Companies are pretty good about catching this sort of thing but I'm sure some get through so it's basically a gamble on the "scammers" part.............

Don't count out cracked Cymbals, some very sweet sounding Cymbals have had the cracks cut out of them and still sound as good as ever. My friend has a number of customers that have brought favorite Cymbals in for repair more than once and I can tell you this, they would'nt even think of parting with them until the very end.
Early on I made the mistake of casually saying something along the lines of "That Cymbal has seen better days" only to receive a look that is hard to describe. After hearing quite a few of these Cymbals with cut out sections I no longer say anything knowing that the majority sound better than a new one of the same model, which is probably due to the "aging thing."

LVDC

[fourstringdrums]

Bargainland does serve a purpose to some dishonest buyers.
My friend owns a Drum Shop, selling all the Major Brands of Cymbals, and Bargainland has been mentioned on more than one occasion by people who have "tried & failed" their scam..............

What they do is buy a cracked or damaged Cymbal for next to nothing, then take it to a Dealer and say they bought it new, at another place of course, and want to have it sent back to the manufacturer for a new one, you know, the warranty thing...................

The Cymbal Companies are pretty good about catching this sort of thing but I'm sure some get through so it's basically a gamble on the "scammers" part.............

Don't count out cracked Cymbals, some very sweet sounding Cymbals have had the cracks cut out of them and still sound as good as ever. My friend has a number of customers that have brought favorite Cymbals in for repair more than once and I can tell you this, they would'nt even think of parting with them until the very end.
Early on I made the mistake of casually saying something along the lines of "That Cymbal has seen better days" only to receive a look that is hard to describe. After hearing quite a few of these Cymbals with cut out sections I no longer say anything knowing that the majority sound better than a new one of the same model, which is probably due to the "aging thing."

LVDC

Well I would hope that most cymbal companies require a receipt of purchase from the person sending back the cracked cymbal. I know that when I had a cracked Sabian years ago, I needed just that. They needed to know when it was purchased to know if the warranty was up or not. Also, depending on the crack, most cymbal companies seem to be pretty good at judging whether or not it was the drummer or a manufacturing flaw that is at fault. If it's the drummer's fault they won't honor the warranty, so I would think that 99.8% of the time, the rip off artists lose.

Shame on bargainland for trying to score every penny they can off of crap. It's like when I go to a flea market and I see the most worthless junk that people are selling. Stuff that is borderline destroyed, or my personal pet peeve, dirty (can't you clean it before you try and sell it?). If it's a piece of junk and YOU don't want it, what makes you think someone else will? Or if it's a mess, but fixable, why not spend a few minutes to improve the esthetics of it alittle bit? Geez.

[dblinkhorn]

Maybe some of these cymbals could be turned into great chimes or custom effects cymbals?

[ludwigvondrumcrazy]

Well I would hope that most cymbal companies require a receipt of purchase from the person sending back the cracked cymbal. I know that when I had a cracked Sabian years ago, I needed just that. They needed to know when it was purchased to know if the warranty was up or not. Also, depending on the crack, most cymbal companies seem to be pretty good at judging whether or not it was the drummer or a manufacturing flaw that is at fault. If it's the drummer's fault they won't honor the warranty, so I would think that 99.8% of the time, the rip off artists lose.

A receipt is more of a Dealer requirement so they don't waste their time, but Companies, Zildjian especially, will take a look at any Cymbal you send them and, for the most part, are quite fair to the Drummer. With that said, my friend sends a few Cymbals back a month usually receiving them back with the customary explanation letter saying this Cymbal is 8 years old, when he was told it was 8 months (or something similar depending on the story he was told,) or, the most common not covered reason, "abuse."

LVDC

[tamadrummer132]

Where do Bargainland get all the broken cymbals? And why broken? And how can they make money, by selling all of them for under $5?

And, to all the people looking for a new kit: Mapex Pro M (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-5-Pcs-Mapex-Drum-Accessories-NR_W0QQitemZ170121592833QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10173QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) , I would trust this, though I would not trust all their cymbal sales

-Mofle


This item appears brand new or factory sealed and we believe it to be in complete and perfect functioning condition. As with all liquidation products this is sold 'as is' and what you see in the photo is what you are bidding on.
50225-00977



lol....

[ermghoti]

And, to all the people looking for a new kit: Mapex Pro M (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-5-Pcs-Mapex-Drum-Accessories-NR_W0QQitemZ170121592833QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10173QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) , I would trust this, though I would not trust all their cymbal sales

-Mofle

Items Included are 3 Hi hat astands Item # h55OA, 1pedal Item # P55OA, And 1snare Stand Item # S55OA.

There are no drums. I wouldn't buy anything from somebody that does business the way they do. 500 cymbal auctions, all with the same text, whether the photo shows no damage, or less than half the cymbal present. Everything three stars out of five. What would they give two stars to? Would the cymbal have to attack children without warning?

Fork 'em.

[Steamer]

You guys had me check this company out for myself. Look at these "gems" offered at BargainLand particularly the one on the left in the photo. Yikes!!!!:


http://cgi.ebay.com/Zildjian-18-16-Inch-Crash-and-Crash-Ride-Cymbals-NR_W0QQitemZ170119831496QQihZ007QQcategoryZ41444QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[fourstringdrums]

It just ocurred to me that why would they spend their money posting these auctions? Unless they have a discount for being a store, the fees alone will kill any profit they'd make on the item.

[kung_f00]

It just ocurred to me that why would they spend their money posting these auctions? Unless they have a discount for being a store, the fees alone will kill any profit they'd make on the item.

Well, they sell a ton of stuff, and their shipping rates are outrageous.. so I'm sure their cymbals are the least of their worries.

[Drummist222]

Where do Bargainland get all the broken cymbals? And why broken? And how can they make money, by selling all of them for under $5?

And, to all the people looking for a new kit: Mapex Pro M (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-5-Pcs-Mapex-Drum-Accessories-NR_W0QQitemZ170121592833QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10173QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) , I would trust this, though I would not trust all their cymbal sales

-Mofle

Just no one bids on this thinking they'll be getting a drumset, its looks to me like this auction is for hardware, not drums. It says "5 Pcs Mapex Drum Accessories: Items Included are 3 Hi hat astands Item # h55OA, 1pedal Item # P55OA, And 1snare Stand Item # S55OA. " Sounds like 3 hi-hat stands, a pedal, and a snare stand.

I would just think of bargainland as a gamble. If you feel lucky and see something promising, throw a couple bucks out there and hope for the best. If you actually need something, better look elsewhere.