I used to buy regularly on line but without a fib, 16 of my last 22 purchases have had problems. Problems have been - new set top box - description stated would record 2 shows at once. After buying, instruction book states clearly you can't do this. Bought chair to partly assemble - yet screw holes were around 15mm out of alignment. Bought necklace to trial for bridesmaid - arrived in 4 different pieces then seller swore at me and said I had deliberately broken it. Bought a size 14 top - that had size 14 on sewn label - but size 8 on swing tag (and WAS a size 8). Bought so called new dress - had clearly been worn. Shoes sold as leather - were cheap nasty vinyl, already cracking. Purchased genuine ink cartridges - they were recycled. Bought bag clearly stated as white - was a horrible light brown colour. Seller told me - 'it was white when I bought it', and was annoyed when I wanted to return it. Bought a tea caddy storage box with picture showing tea sachets in slots - arrived with smashed glass (had no packing material) and slots would not take a tea sachet. Bought an 8m long dog extender lead - sent a 5m long. Paid over $400 for a pool filter - 9 weeks later, still had not received it, with seller telling one story to me and other to Paypal (apparently they were only ordering the unit from overseas after making a sale here, And this was despite them saying immediate dispatch). Bought vacuum cleaner - suction was so poor, wouldn't even pick up a piece of paper. Bought B-B-Q cover - sent wrong size. Bought a size 14 dress, clearly noting seller was in australia. Arrived from China, and couldn't even get it over my head was so small. Seller replied saying that was 'chinese size 14'. Yet ad clearly stated Australian seller, and gave Aust measurements.
Buying less and less now, as just so sick and tired of dud purchases, and dreadfully unhelful sellers. of the few 'happy' purchases, could not fault the seller, just a pity there couldn't be more like that!
chameleon said:
For many people the internet and ebay are the only way to purchase things. Think rural and remote, living in the city, but no car and no usable public transport. Disabled, old or for other reasons house bound. Living alone and Isolated from family and friends that could help.
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The internet is great. I live in suburbia but even so, it is a real time saver to be able to buy online, saves a lot of running around and what is more, if you are buying as a gift, you can just change the address and have things sent direct to the person. I can fully understand why disabled or country people would be inclined to buy this way.
So far in the last fortnight, I have bought a wedding present, an engagement present and numerous bits and pieces, all online.
I think the key though is to pick your websites. Horses for courses, as they say.
Most of the big stores in Australia now have online sites. Plus there are general sales sites such as Catch of the Day, where you can get well known brands and very quick, reliable delivery. (That's where i picked up the engagement/wedding gifts 
)
Clothing-I have bought quite a bit on ebay, not so much recently. Probably more inclined to look for private sellers for these though-for items in excellent or NWOT condition. I have found for me, what works is to know the brands & to read the ad really carefully.
It doesn't always work, I fell for some deceptive ads in the past but have been lucky in the last year or so.
@collect247 wrote:Surely you can afford a digital TV by now haha
Maybe you should have read my post instead of trying to be funny (which you weren't) 
Didn't read my post.... I live in remote outback Qld. Buy a vacuum cleaner from a shop? - none around. And as I said clearly, I didn't buy the dress from China - I bought it from a seller listed as based in Sydney - yet dress arrived in packaging from China. Nothing in the ad said anything about item coming from O/S.
I have a selection of 2 dress shops, plus 2 op shops. Relying on on-line shopping is not a choice, it's a fact of rural life. Again, just today, I have been sent the wrong item, and the seller wants me to pay for return postage to Sydney.I will only pay via Paypal, and have already reached the maximum 6 claims for return postage. In all instances, my complaint was decided in my favour.
Not only annoying, but really disappointing when we have to heavily rely on on line shopping.
