Used gear, did you get what you thought

[rendezvous 0]

I'm new to this sport and ofcourse shopping for it. I was just wondering how much risk do you run in buying
of classifieds in terms of getting something that looks quite different from the advertising and how do you minimize this risk. Has anyone had bad experiences with this and what are the lessons learnt. There are lot's of payment methods that gaurentee that the money will be delivered but are there any methods that the can give you peace of mind regarding the expected quality of what you are receiving. Thanks.

[DZBone 0]

You should always be able to have sufficient time to demo the gear you are buying, and have time to inspect it, have a rigger check it out, etc.
You not only want to make sure it's what you thought it was, and that it's in good shape, but that it's a good fit, and you are comfortable flying it.
Don't buy gear "sight unseen". Usually that's not a problem. You may have to pay shipping or something if you decide to back out of the deal, but arrange all that up front.
Good luck!
Carl

[westcoastchica 0]

sooooo...i started jumping in january and began exploring used gear in late february. i contacted sunpath and even pd in search of what gear i would buy if it was brand new, i spoke to my rigger, my dzo, and pretty much everyone and their brother, and after i figured out what i wanted, i started the search through the classifieds. i contacted all of the people who had postings that looked interesting and i had them fully detail what they were selling. when it came down to it, i finally found exactly what i wanted, for a price that was reasonable and the seller and i created a contract that allowed me to demo the gear for a week and if i didn't like it, i would send it back on my bill...i paid COD through UPS. funny thing, he was one of the first postings that i saw and we talked throughout the three months, and by the end of it, he had dropped his price for me by $400. AND! that time let me get to know him and all the little details about his rig and its usage, so i really knew who i ws buying from and what i was getting.
long story short, i started the process at the end of february and had the gear in my hands at the end of may. long process, but it was worth it because i got exactly what i wanted. took three months, but i would rather take the time and end up with the gear that is right for me, and that is in good shape, than make a hasty purchase and end up hurt or with bad gear, or both.
so good luck with your search...just remember that this is a big fat purchase you are about to make, and not only that, it is a purchase that will be in charge of saving your life. take your time and choose wisely!

[skybytch 259]

Make sure that whoever you buy from agrees ahead of time to take it back and refund the purchase price if for any reason you decide that you don't want it once you've received it. I've sold used equipment for friends and always offered to hold the payment (ie not deposit it) until after the buyer has received and had a chance to check the gear out and jump it. Where I work we offer buyers two weeks from the day they get the gear to decide if they want to keep it; we refund the purchase price not including shipping if the buyer decides to send it back.
Sometimes your local dzo, gear store or rigger will be willing to act as a middleman in the sale - they hold the payment from you and have the seller ship the gear to them. Once they've received and inspected the equipment they then send the payment on to the seller. This works well for both parties; the buyer is assured that the gear is good to go and the seller knows that a reputable business is holding the money.
Best way to buy used gear is to first determine your budget, then determine what brands and types of gear you want (along with a couple of second choices), then figure out what sizes you need (main and reserve canopy sizes, container size and harness sizing), then start looking around at what is available. You can make the whole process easier by calling a major gear dealer that also offers used equipment (did I mention where I work? ). I've helped numerous new jumpers figure out what used equipment (sizes, etc.) will work best for them, even when I don't have anything on my list to fit/sell to them.
pull and flare,
lisa
----
I am a nobody.
Nobody's perfect.
Therefore, I am perfect!

[mouth 0]

You are about to make the purchase of a lifetime since your gear can save your life. Both my rigs came from classified ads on DZ.com. Like mentioned before my DZO acted as a middleman for each purchase, and everything went great with the transactions.
I would suggest that you look around at your DZ and get an idea of what it is you want before you start looking because that will just confuse you totally. I knew I wanted a small Mirage when looking for my second rig and so I didn't look for anything else. That narrowed my search greatly. I also know what a fairly new Mirage sells for so I knew about what I was going to have to pay to get what I wanted.
The only bad experience was when I tried to sell an old main to a guy in Canada. He wanted me to send the main directly to him without anyone acting as middleman. Beware of anything like that. I could have been out the main and the money....not a good place to be.
Good Luck....

[PalmettoTiger 1]

I HIGHLY recommend an online escrow service. I bought one rig through Tradenable.com, and I'm happy that I used the escrow service because I eventually sent it back (harness was too small). Tradenable charges a small percentage that you can split with the other party. They use package tracking to ensure that it's received, and once it's received the buyer has a pre-agreed amount of time to check it out, have it inspected, and try it before the money is released to the seller.
Blues, squares,
PTiger
"Beer: the OTHER other white meat."

[PalmettoTiger 1]

I HIGHLY recommend an online escrow service. I bought one rig through Tradenable.com, and I'm happy that I used the escrow service because I eventually sent it back (harness was too small). Tradenable charges a small percentage that you can split with the other party. They use package tracking to ensure that it's received, and once it's received the buyer has a pre-agreed amount of time to check it out, have it inspected, and try it before the money is released to the seller.
Blues, squares,
PTiger
"Beer: the OTHER other white meat."

[Tee 0]

Hey Rendezvous. I bought my gear from our very own dz.com rigger, SkymonkeyOne. He made the whole experience soooo easy! Tee

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Quote

I bought my gear from our very own dz.com rigger, SkymonkeyOne. He made the whole experience soooo easy!

Thanks Marteen, you are giving me a big head . Actually, I have sold quite a bit of gear through the classifieds in this website as well as the one in http://www.enclave.com . What I do is use SkyKat gear shop on my DZ (Raeford) as an intermediary. Not that I would ever sell anyone bogus gear, but the person on the other end can't be sure of that, so my method is outstanding. I take the gear to the shop, box it up, and have Tony send it off to the person after having them pay in advance with a CC. Once they get the gear, they have five days to decide if it is what they thought or else ship it back to the shop in "same" condition. If they want to keep it, then the transaction is completed; if not, their CC is credited back to them. I pay SkyKat a small fee for this transaction, but it is definitely worth it in my opinion for both party's safety.
Chuck

[rendezvous 0]

Thanks everyone for all your input. It's been quite valuable to me in understanding how these transactions are done. Do keep the suggestions coming.

[rendezvous 0]

Thanks everyone for all your input. It's been quite valuable to me in understanding how these transactions are done. Do keep the suggestions coming.