How to read a second-hand listing like the seller wrote it
The words sellers reach for when they are not certain, and what each one usually means in practice.
Most listing language is honest but careful. A seller who is not sure of something has to write
something, and the words they reach for are fairly consistent. Knowing them saves you most of the
disappointment in second-hand buying.
WHAT THE HEDGES USUALLY MEAN
"Untested" — the seller has not powered it on. Sometimes that is honesty about a house clearance.
Sometimes it means they powered it on and did not like what happened. Either way, price it as broken
and be pleasantly surprised.
"Spares or repair" — assume it does not work at all. This is the one category where the description is
almost always accurate, because eBay will not protect a seller who calls a working item broken.
"Working when last used" — a real sentence with a real meaning: it worked, some time ago, and they have
not checked since. Fine for something simple. Risky for anything with a battery or a belt in it.
"Good condition for its age" — there is wear and the seller does not want to itemise it. Ask what the
worst mark is. A seller who answers specifically is a seller you can trust.
"No returns" — on a private sale this carries much less weight than it looks. If an item arrives not as
described, eBay's Money Back Guarantee applies whatever the listing says.
THE PHOTOS TELL YOU MORE THAN THE WORDS
Count them. A seller with nothing to hide takes a lot of photographs, because it is the cheapest way to
avoid a return. Two blurry photos of an expensive item is the single strongest warning sign there is.
Look at what is NOT photographed. No shot of the back, the base, the connector, the inside of the lid —
that is usually where the problem is. Ask for it. A good seller sends it within the day.
Watch for a stock photo on a used item. eBay's own policy is that used, damaged or faulty items must be
shown as they actually are. A catalogue picture on a used listing is a rule being broken and a question
worth asking.
THE QUESTION THAT SORTS SELLERS
"What is the worst thing about it?"
A seller who has actually handled the item answers that in one specific sentence. A seller who has not
gives you a paragraph of reassurance. You will know within an hour which one you are dealing with, and
it costs you nothing to ask before you bid.