Is this a deal?

[dtam]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tls/196925429.html

[buddyroo]

HF drill press

Take a look at the HF website and draw your own conclusions.

[LCHIEN]

Is this a deal?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tls/196925429.html

Harbor freight sells them new for around $60; this one looks very used. Do YOU think its a good deal at $200?

Caveat Emptor-
Buyer beware!

[crokett]

I sent the seller a polite note with a link back to HF.

[buddyroo]

Note

That was nice of you. The seller might have no idea what the dp is worth.

[LinuxRandal]

I am getting a little sarcastic about craigslist. Lately, anything that might make it here, in the bargin alerts, ends up on Craigslist for higher. Most recent one, the Ridgid planer (now DROPPED to $100, LOL).

[LCHIEN]

I think sometimes, if not often, these Craiglist people put items on at exorbitant prices hoping for an uneducated guy to bite. In some cases high quality industrial machinery can be very expensive and lo, HF helps by giving it a very industrial sounding name (they do it to help their sales, too) - Central Machinery rather than Hobbymaster or something like that.

These people hope that someone will bite, it doesn't cost anything for the ad, and if it doesn't sell, then they can lower the price, to $150 and some other slob will think, wow, it's $50 off, a real bargain

It's not restricted to Craigslist, sometimes on eBay, I see used HF goods going for the same kind of prices.

Its just the way it is, if you're going to be a used equipment shopper, you'd better know the products. Caveat Emptor.

[Thom2]

It's not restricted to Craigslist, sometimes on eBay, I see used HF goods going for the same kind of prices.

It goes on at "live" auctions as well, when my grandfather passed away his estate sale looked like a HF clearance store. I was shocked at what some of the items brought as I could buy them brand new any day of the week for 25-30% less than they were bringing at auction.

Just one of those things that make you go

[LarryG]

It goes on at "live" auctions as well

In fact it's everywhere, it's everywhere. Another good example are the catalogs from "upscale" mail-order vendors like Harrington, Griot's Garage, Sharper Image, etc. There's stuff in these things that can be bought for as little as ONE-TENTH the catalog prices from normal retailers. I guess the customer mentality is that if it carries a big price and is presented slickly enough, then by gosh it's gotta be worth it.

[burrellski]

I think sometimes, if not often, these Craiglist people put items on at exorbitant prices hoping for an uneducated guy to bite. In some cases high quality industrial machinery can be very expensive and lo, HF helps by giving it a very industrial sounding name (they do it to help their sales, too) - Central Machinery rather than Hobbymaster or something like that.

These people hope that someone will bite, it doesn't cost anything for the ad, and if it doesn't sell, then they can lower the price, to $150 and some other slob will think, wow, it's $50 off, a real bargain

It's not restricted to Craigslist, sometimes on eBay, I see used HF goods going for the same kind of prices.

Its just the way it is, if you're going to be a used equipment shopper, you'd better know the products. Caveat Emptor.

There is someone on e-bay who keeps trying to sell a Central Machinery 6" Jointer for $440. I'm not sure how to feel about that. Hopefully its just someone uneducated and not somone trying to rip people off.

There are a lot of people with the mentality that if its on e-bay, it must be a bargain.

[brooks]

I am getting a little sarcastic about craigslist. Lately, anything that might make it here, in the bargin alerts, ends up on Craigslist for higher.

Ebay gets a lot of the same auction. Big bargains here end up in Ebay within days. Some of the stores running these special sales should put a limit on how many one person can buy. Stores often do that to spread the good news around. Small stores like Heavy Duty Tools should be even more careful. They run out of goods - and their big sale ends up marked higher in Ebay a week or two later.

[davidtu]

I am getting a little sarcastic about craigslist. Lately, anything that might make it here, in the bargin alerts, ends up on Craigslist for higher. Most recent one, the Ridgid planer (now DROPPED to $100, LOL).

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with putting something on Craigslist for more than you would pay for it "here" on Bargain Alerts but still far less than one would pay at retail. Right?

[BrazosJake]

Caveat Emptor, especially on Ebay (I dunno what Craiglist is).

The seller listing the $440 hf jointer probably does know what they sell for, all he needs is one sucker to click "Buy it now". It's the ultimate impulse-shopper's forum.

[ssmith1627]

I used to be a big Ebay person -- mostly for aircraft parts that I couldn't get really anywhere else. Simulator stuff -- not for real flying -- don't be alarmed.....haha.

But I had just enough bad experiences sprinkled in to stop going back. I prefer something local even than online, new or used. It's nice to be able to just run something back to HD if I'm not pleased with it. Packing up to ship back to someone else is definitely a hassle. I guess it's just buying from someone you have some experience and trust with.

Steve

[btompkins]

When I first started building my shop a couple of years ago I fell for one of the ebay auctions where a guy was selling the HF (not named at the time) rolling miter saw stands.

Had a Buy It Now of $59.00 with a $25.00 shipping. I bit.....$84.00 for a miter saw stand didn't sound too bad.

Took three weeks to get to me and it came directly from Harbor Freight not the fellow that sold it to me.

Came to his name at my address. He had bought it, charged it on his (??) card, got free shipping at the time on this pretty heavy item, and the thing that makes me laugh (got to right?) is HF had it onsale for $49.95.

So, in essence, he made $34.05 (less his ebay fees) for placing an order with Harbor Freight for a schmuck like me.

The stand was such a piece of junk (my objective opinion) that I trashed it except for the wheels which I kept for a possible future project. I then caught one of RIGID MSUV stands on sale at Home Depot and have been very happy with it.

Morale of the story.....know your tools and know what they are worth on the market BEFORE putting your money down.