Double edged sword
Written: Sep 06 '01
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The Bottom Line
Half.com can be really cool, but also a giant pain.
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I much prefer using half.com over eBay, simply because it's neater and less stressful. I hate the feeling of losing something I really, really wanted on eBay, all thanks to a sniper who came in at the last second and bid higher than I did.
THE PROS
You can find stuff really cheap here. I buy used CDs for $5. It's great. You can also find very rare products-- my mom wanted me to find her a copy of a book printed in India in 1966, and the only place I could find it was on half.com, for $2.95 (Like New). I couldn't find a copy of this book on any other websites that sell books, including barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, and textbookx.com.
For the most part, people are nice and don't want to rip you off. They want you to be pleased with what you bought.
Shipping is reasonable. Hardcover books cost $2.99 to ship, music, movies, and games cost $2.30. For all the other categories, sellers set their own shipping costs and shipping methods. (I find these categories to be pretty obsolete).
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE! You don't have to wait a week to buy the item, you don't have to fight with other people, like eBay. If you find the item first, then you can buy it.
Payment is easy. A credit card is what I use, and I can be checked out of their website in under a minute.
THE CONS
Unlike eBay, half.com only sells limited merchandise, including books, videos/DVDs, CDs, video games, computers, electronics, sporting goods, and trading cards (although most people do not tend to buy the sporting goods and trading cards).
Although I've only bought from half.com, never sold, there are some other reviews that say half.com is a nightmare to sell with. There's absolutely no communication between buyer and seller, and although sellers can be ripped off in a worse way, buyers can also get screwed (i.e. they buy and never receive the product, the item they receive is in a worse condition than originally described, etc etc). Usually it seems that sellers do not have as many rights as the buyers.
The website is slow to respond to complaints and the like. I've had sellers wait longer than the two days (that they are given) to confirm the purchase. I've waited weeks for purchases to arrive here, although it shouldn't take longer than a week.
The only bad experience I have had with half.com was when I bought a "Dangerous" CD (by Michael Jackson) in "Like New" condition for $1.00. I paid everything, and the CD I eventually received was in awful condition. The CD was slightly scratched, the jewel case was so scratched you could barely read the CD insert, and the insert was incredibly water-damaged. The seller included a note in the package, saying she was selling two "Dangerous" CDs at the same time, and mixed them up. So I got the short end of the rope, and received the CD that was in very bad condition. She also refunded my money, and taped 50 cents to the note. I almost laughed, because the shipping is what ripped me off. Plus, the seller didn't notify me ahead of time (like BEFORE she actually sent me the CD). It just wasn't worth it to send it back, because it was purchased for so little money.
Also, half.com does not guarantee any items from sellers with below 3.0 (out of 5.0) rating. That's a pain. Something else interesting is that you can put an item in your cart, then keep it there for 30 minutes. At this time, other people cannot see this item for sale.
I still like half.com and will use it in the future. However, I will never sell, because the other reviews not recommending half.com have scared the bejesus out of me.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Pamela
Location: Fremont, CA
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me: Taken the day after I returned from Japan.
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