Buying things on sites such as eBay, Craigslist, and Kijiji can be pretty scary at times. Even if you check the photos to see if the item is legitimate, you never know how it’ll arrive. Whether the item got damaged from shipping or the item being completely wrong, there is going to be some kind of risk of buying second-hand things online.

A few months ago, I was buying a camera from someone off Kijiji. I made sure to go through a bunch of safety precautions. I reverse-Google searched the images, checked the condition, and made sure the person I was interacting with had a good vibe. When I was buying the item, I made sure we did it outdoors in a public space so there would be witnesses when I got the item. Thankfully the transaction went well and I have a camera I like.

>finds console on eBay at OK price
>"as-is" or "untested"
>finds evidence it was previously opened.

Hard nope from me.

— cyo (@cyothevile) January 19, 2023

Sometimes things can be misleading. People will try to sell something unopened or as-is, but there will be signs where that is clearly not the case. There’s also the case of buying things that are counterfeit. People will try to sell their thing as the real deal but once it lies in the hands of someone, they will find out it was a phony. Thankfully there are some protections but it still won’t stop people from doing such a thing. People have spent thousands of dollars on items before only to find out their valuable item is a fake.

Websites for buying things used won’t go away. With people liking older things, there will always be a place for these sites. If you ever decide to buy things online, remember to check photos before committing, especially if the item is expensive. You do not want to be in a situation where you get scammed.