Why Ebay is not the best source for purchasing your network equipment

02

Oct
2014
Posted By : Melissa Bardello 0 Comment
buy used cisco through ebay
Categories :Uncategorized

buy used cisco through ebayLet me just start out by saying that Ebay is a great website that executes an amazing concept. Allowing anyone, anywhere to sell anything they have to people all over the world while also allowing people to find virtually anything they are looking for, is truly amazing.

However, there are downsides to purchasing through Ebay and there is definitely something to be said for purchasing network equipment or anything really from a vendor that you trust and have a great relationship with.

What Are the Downsides?

I am in no way saying that you should never buy IT gear from Ebay. I am merely stating that Ebay should be one of the many resources that you keep in your sourcing arsenal. In fact, many secondary market resellers use Ebay as a resource to find accurate market pricing and sell their products. The problem is, that you can never really be 100% sure if the ebay seller you are buying from is reputable or not before you make a purchase.Scammers and Inventory Ghosters!

The sad truth is that for every reputable secondary market reseller selling on Ebay, there is a, shall we say, not so stellar seller. Some of these dubious sellers are outright scammers and some of them are inventory ghosters. Either way, I can assure you that taking a chance on either will not be pleasant.

avoid ghostingIn fact, Ebay is the number one place where you will encounter inventory ghosting. Which is most likely due to the fact that there is no way a seller can prove that they actually own the equipment that they are selling. It is this loophole that allows these types of sellers to advertise equipment that do not have in stock, aka Ghost another resellers inventory, which alters the true value of the unit and effects the secondary IT market, and not in a good way!

What can you do?

Utilize Ebay in a Different way!As I previously stated, Ebay should be one of the many resources that you use when you are sourcing your servers, routers, switches and firewalls. This cache of resources should also include a secondary market reseller whom you have an established relationship with or at the very least comes highly recomended. This way you can use ebay as more of a market pricing tool to help you to ascertain an appropriate figure to expect from your reseller when you request a quote

 

What if you have no other option?

researching the Ebay Seller is important

We have all come across an elusive item that is difficult to source. It is with these items, that you will find you have no other options than to purchase directly from an Ebay seller. Keeping in mind that there is always a risk when buying through Ebay, there are a few things that you can do, before you purchase, to minimize your chances of being scammed.

  • Always check the seller’s feedback
  • Try to contact the seller and directly ask if the item is in stock
  • Request serial numbers
  • Make sure you receive a legitimate tracking number
  • Pay with paypal to protect yourself if the seller is a scammer

Doing a little research on a seller is never a bad idea and any of the aforementioned request will not be out of the ordinary or an inconvenience to a reputable reseller. If the seller refuses any of the requests or gives you a difficult time for asking, you should seriously reconsider purchasing from them.

The Bottom Line

Ebay is a great is a great resource when all of the when everyone plays fair. Unfortunately there will always be someone looking to cheat the system to make a quick buck. As a buyer, the best way you can utilize Ebay is as a tool for pricing research to educate yourself on the current value of the networking equipment you are looking to purchase. Setting up appropriate expectations of the quote prices you will receive from your secondary market reseller. When all else fails, and Ebay is your resource for a particular item, doing your homework on a seller will greatly reduce your chances of an unsatisfactory Ebay experience.

Want to find a trustworthy Secondary Market Reseller?
Not sure where to start?
Check out our free guide to choosing the right Network Equipment Dealer!

choose network reseller

What YODA means for you and why you should support it

25

Sep
2014
Posted By : Melissa Bardello 0 Comment
Yoda
Categories :Uncategorized

No, I am not talking about everyone’s favorite Jedi Master. 

YodaI am talking about the You Own Devices Act (YODA for short) a bill that has been presented before the house by Representative Blake Farenthold, to stand for the customer’s rights to resell products that they physically own and transfer ownership of the software contained in said products to the new owner.

If you are not in the reseller business, then the issue that YODA is attempting to resolve, is probably not at the forefront of your mind. It really doesn’t matter to you if resellers are prohibited from selling network equipment with copyright protected embedded software. However, with the Internet of Things (IoT) looming on the horizon, you can be sure that the You Own Devices Act will have an impact on everyone.

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Why you shouldn’t be married to your Network Equipment Manufacturer

22

Sep
2014
Posted By : Melissa Bardello 0 Comment
Cisco Systems Brand Loyalty
Categories :Uncategorized

Brand Loyalty is real and it’s deep.

Cisco Systems Brand LoyaltyEveryone can relate to finding a product that they like and sticking with it. From specific brand of cars, to a certain brand of shampoo, everyone has a product that they stick with, through thick and thin. This same type of brand dedication is very common amongst IT buyers and data center managers. While it is wonderful to find an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that provides dependable products that suite your needs, it is just as valuable to know what other manufacturers are offering.

Now I am in no way trying to discourage anyone from sticking with a brand that they love, but simply stating that being blindly loyal can be bad for your business. Being blindly devoted to one, and only one brand of networking equipment like Cisco, Juniper, or Alcatel can hinder your data center from performing at its maximum potential.

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Why You Should NOT Buy This New Cisco Switch

12

Sep
2014
Posted By : Melissa Bardello 0 Comment
Cisco 6800 Series Switch NEW
Categories :Uncategorized

Reuse, Renew, Repair and  when all else fails, Buy Used!

Cisco 6800 Series Switch NEWThere is nothing quite like the rush you get when you buy something new. Knowing that you are the first and only person to own it is a great feeling. When you purchase a new cisco switch or router, that same feeling applies. However, that rush of excitement  you feel opening the brand new box and check out your beautiful new firewall is short lived, and frankly the thousands of dollars more that you will spend to get that feeling is not really worth it. Is it?

 As much as I would love to tell you that it is worth it, the truth is, buying new equipment has the propensity to be wasteful while simultaneously breaking your budget.

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Why You Cannot Find the CATV Headend Equipment you Need

11

Sep
2014
Posted By : Melissa Bardello 0 Comment
Don't throw away money! Keep spare broadband equipment on hand
Categories :Uncategorized

Ask any Director of purchasing or IT Buyer how easy it is to find the headend / Broadband  equiptment that they need, and they will tell you it’s not a walk in the park. Ask them how easy it is to find a satellite receiver, modulator or demodulator after they have a fatal failure and they will tell you it’s next to impossible. The question you have to ask yourself is why is it so difficult to find these units and nearly impossible to procure them when they are needed urgently? The answer is not as crazy as you might think.

The fact of the matter is, the new channel you are launching at the end of the month, you know the one you need the 30 satellite Stress caused by network equipment failuresreceivers for,  your company is not the only one launching it. As it just so happens, all of your competitors are going to launch that  exact same channel at the exact same time you are, and you guessed it, they have decided to use the same Motorola satellite receivers and digital demodulators that you are planning on using. This would not be an issue, if the secondary market was flooded with these specific units. Unfortunately, it isn’t and the closer you get to the channel launch date, the scarcer these receivers will become.

 

So I am guessing your biggest question now is what you can do about it?

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