Olx and Quickr Adds..... good deals or scams.....??

[garyalanlane]

There appears to be some good deals on av equipment advertised on Olx and Quickr but when looking at these adds it appears that the same add with the same pictures appear for different people in different states. Are these to be avoided......are they scams?
Has anyone had experience with these adds, good or bad?

 

[Audio_Freek]

Hi Garyalanlane,

Its part of Marketing, Buyers would like to purchase the products mostly from their Own City to reduce the risk of Shipping and so the the Dealers or Sellers post add (same add\Duplicate) it in nearby Cities.

EG:There is a Seller Name Prabhu he is from Salem, You could see his adds posted in Chennai and also Bangalore area.

When it comes to Pre-owned system , Dont go blindly on any seller. Physical verification is best.

 

[sanloyn]

Don't go to the dealers in Olx or Quickr. There are genuine sellers who wants to sell their pre-owned product, make direct contact with them. And yes, physical check is a must and audition and make sure you are satisfied with it.

 

[Audio_Freek]

Sorry,

I dont think, I got your point.

It could be dealers or Individuals, If you are capable enough to verify, its good. Either by you or some trust able person who has access to the Product.

 

[efernand1]

Agree!

OLX or Quikr would have legitimate sellers who can be individuals or good dealers, all depends on how verified they are...the best is always check or audition the product before purchase and close the deal....don't wire the money first.....

 

[sash]

My exp on olx:
Always check "show all ads of this user". If the user is posting ads in multiple cities, there is high probability that its fraud.
If the images are not original, i.e if they are not taken in home setting and lifted off public websites, it could be fraud
Always ask for demos. Just tell i have a friend in your city who is going to come and check (even if that is not true). See how receptive the seller is. If he is fraud, he will not bother with you again
Talk to the seller. There is something about personal interaction that will tell you whether the person is trustable. This can go wrong but for me it always has worked.
Ask for part payment options. Usually sellers are reluctant but some may be ok.
Ask on hfv, if some FM in the city can help out. I will usually oblige a AV enthusiast.
Lastly, i know everyone advises caution, but trust is the most important aspect of human relations and most business happens on trust. I will give you a personal example.
I wanted to buy a pair of speakers from a olx seller in Surat. It was pretty expensive (50K+), so i was naturally apprehensive. I even spoke to the person many times and he offered to give me references of previous buyers and also agreed to have someone in Surat visit him on my behalf. The deal was done but i couldn't arrange enough funds in the time - the seller had even packed the item. I sent an sms to the seller apologizing for wasting his time and explaining my predicament. The seller sent an sms back to me that reinforced my trust in humanity. He wrote "Sathish bhai, money is not important in my life, i have seen a lot. You transfer whatever amount you have even 10k and i will send you the speakers right away. You tell me when you can give the money and we'll work out something". I transferred what i had, he sent me the speakers (they were flawless) and i paid the rest after 15 days. So for me, there have been a lot of instances when trust in people has worked.

 

[Vinod.R]

Hi,

I bought my TV through OLX. I have also sold lot of stuff through OLX. So it is a matter of trust. But it has to be backed by safe selling and buying practices which are already mentioned.

It is a matter of common sense on each dealing with a smite of humanity involved.

 

[bose]

At times I have sold stuff through these sites. Buyers don't seem unaware of fraud possibilities. In fact if they don't use phone to communicate I feel their query is not sincere. In my opinion it is in best interest of both buyers and sellers to minimize electronic communication and transaction to protect themselves from fraud. Buyer/seller in different city cases are more complex. Some other city buyers who were highly keen on buying a phone I posted I simply suggested them to try local ads. In our society there is a huge trust deficit. We must use our best judgement to asses a situation and protect ourselves from fraud.

 

[spirovious]

Simple way is if you can check the product personally,you can think of it.Else No.

 

[miroflex]

There appears to be some good deals on av equipment advertised on Olx and Quickr but when looking at these adds it appears that the same add with the same pictures appear for different people in different states. Are these to be avoided......are they scams?
Has anyone had experience with these adds, good or bad?

Look alike ads with the same pictures for different people in different locations are best avoided unless you are in a position to view the item personally. As are deals from people who say they will ship from remote locations which you may not be in a position to visit or from foreign countries.

My experience with sellers on olx and quikr has been universally good except for one Canon photo printer which was a dud. I have made many deals, including some for expensive products, without seeing the items, making payments in advance through net banking and have never had a bad deal or a product not being delivered. Perhaps I have been very lucky.

 

[gp_freak]

And then there are some super good deals, which is so tempting and makes you stop breathing by its ultra low price, when you see that, control the desires and exercise caution. Especially the ones where they ask you to pay upfront and they will ship from their warehouse which is abroad.

 

[greenhorn]

I got scammed by a kerala seller who goes by the id of ajims on various sites - sent me two scrap tape decks .

I have met other dealers with suspicious merchandise or overpriced merchandise - at least they were up front about their stuff

 

[greenhorn]

I have a doubt about the pricing put up by dealers on OLX etc
I understand if induviduals put up silly over the top pricing - say 25K for a 25WPC amplifier or 15K for a pair of entry level bookshelves with a blown tweeter - they might be under the impression that these are priceless one of a kind items

but what is the rationale between dealers doing so - the ones who frequently put ads - are there people who actually pay these prices, or are these merely an indicative starting point for negotiations? (I've not had much luck negotiating either)

So what exactly is their agenda? are they just hoarders trying to see if they can get a sucker on the open market?

 

[MaSh]

Okay, having bought a lot of stuff from OLX, I have begun to understand how it works. What I do is, when I see something exciting, I check 'More ads from the seller'. Individual sellers would have very few ads listed usually in different categories, on the contrary, a dealer would have a lot of ads either in the same city or different cities selling AV equipment only and nothing else.

I see no harm in dealing with a dealer, as long as he is in the same city or another where the product can be physically inspected. If neither fit the equation, move to the next ad, don't even bother about it.


My entire Hometheater gear has been bought off sellers on OLX and so far, touch wood, everything I have bought has been excellent. Plus I have made some friends too. No harm in having a dealer friend, keeps you informed of the stuff.

Currently looking for a Big TV and have come across sellers who sell just off the market equipment in sealed condition, at almost half the MRP at which they were being sold when in market. I mean, yes we lose out on a couple of latest features, but for the average Joe like me, I am happy to get a top of the line product(in its days) at half the price.

All the best.
MaSh

 

[greenhorn]

^^ PS: forgot to mention that the above post was intended for vintage eqpmt pricing.

 

[soulforged]

Buying off OLX...I avoid it like an NRI avoids regular water in India...go for that only if there is no other recourse...

 

[Vinod.R]

Hi Soulforged,

I would not agree with that statement. I have bought and sold lots of stuff through OLX. My TV was bought through OLX and touch wood and thank god it is going good.

Why, don't people end up paying more for a product even in normal shops? Or get cheated when dealing with salesman in shops?

Whether dealing through OLX or going shopping, it is the information that we possess and precautions that we take that help us from getting cheated. Sometimes despite all precautions, we still get cheated.

 

[navinsinha]

My experience is that some ads are OK but some are hoax! A few months back I saw and ad from Kolkata - a person was selling a Thorens TD 160 in excellent condition for about Rs. 16,000, a mouth watering deal. The only catch was that there was no phone number. I sent a reply to the message but never got a response. One of our Delhi FMs also sent a message but again, no response. Having said that, I have found that some of the ads are genuine but it is desirable to see the items personally. AV items must be auditioned - there have been cases of badly repaired items also being passed on.

 

[efernand1]

Hi

My personal experience so far has been good over OLX and Quikr, i have purchased stuff and even sold stuff..experience has been good...it is important to be cautious and careful. Follow the laid down rules and if you are able to build a good rapport with the seller or buyer...then TRUST is what works well which closes good deals...

 

[techiecal]

My experience is that some ads are OK but some are hoax! A few months back I saw and ad from Kolkata - a person was selling a Thorens TD 160 in excellent condition for about Rs. 16,000, a mouth watering deal. The only catch was that there was no phone number. I sent a reply to the message but never got a response. One of our Delhi FMs also sent a message but again, no response.

Yes some of the ads are just posted by people to guage the response. They are really not interested in selling but since the ad is free they post for the heck of it. You have to sift through the ads to genuinely find what you are looking for. Look if the seller has posted all the finer details of the product including many photos of the item.
I have successfully sold several items, including my car, through OLX and Quikr to some very satisfied customers.