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-   -   Is it good to buy from ebay.co.in / Ebay's Global EasyBuy system? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/31890-good-buy-ebay-co-ebays-global-easybuy-system-10.html)

^The same item is listed many times with different end dates. It is always better to choose the one with the farthest date.

The International seller ,i2cworld_inc3, usually intimates within two to three days (most of the time within hours of placing the order) that he has already purchased the item from ebay, USA and will furnish the shipping details within the deadline.

I had so far placed orders for three items on three different dates. In respect of the first item, the Lite-on Bluray burner - approx cost $140: Paid Rs.7727 after Rs.1000 discount - for which shipping deadline is today, I had just received the message that it has been shipped and will be delivered within the next fifteen days.

It could have been sheer bad luck in your case. (That said, I am also jittery since one consumer had reported that instead of Bangalore the item was shipped to Bengal. :))

The courier for the International reseller i2c world inc is ICC Worldwide (Bombay Courier Express).

When I visited their website ICC World to track the shipment, I was pleasantly surprised to find that you can shop through them on any of the US online vendors. It is also stated in one of their webpages that their procuring arm is i2c world inc. The page with active links is in the PDF document below.

shopabroad2.pdf

So it boils down that you are not limited to GEB or 20 North alone and inasmuch as they are the regular agencies for ebay India, their services may be better than those of others. I do not know whether anyone here has tried their (ICC Worldwide) services.

The procedure is that you fill up the webform with all details and they will send you a quote with all duties and taxes involved. If you accept and pay, i2c world will procure and the item will be delivered to your doorstep within 10 to 15 days.

Awaiting more inputs on this from other BHPians.

Rummaging through the web pages of ICC World, I found some more interesting bit of information.

One can free of cost open a "Personal Post Office" service account with them and then buy from any retailer in U.S.A direct giving their New York Corporate address and phone number as the shipping address. Once the item reaches them, they take over and deliver it to your door. Of course you have to pay in INR, for the shipping to India, customs duty, and any other taxes/expenses incurred while taking delivery.

You can also buy items in auction. ( Remember you cannot bid in GEB but with this you can bid in ebay, U.S.A., I presume). Some U.S. merchants do not accept Indian credit cards. If so, they advise one can resort to the Shop Abroad mode indicated in my previous post where they procure it and ship it.

More details in their webpage ICC World

So far I have not stumbled upon any review or user experience on their shop abroad or PPO service mode and I am still not sure whether PPO service can be availed by once-in-a-blue moon individual buyers. They just say "retail and corporate buyers"

I've recently used ICC World to procure headlamps. The consignment is expected by 20th August.

Though I haven't received the product yet, the positive part is that ICC World rates were ~2K less than the rates quoted by Ebay GEB even with the "Fake/name sake" Free Shipping offer (which in my opinion is already padded by surplus charges) and ~3K less than the rates quoted by 20North. The above difference is for an item originally costing ~$200 + shipping in US. They also give you a clear breakup of the rates involved. I found the conversion rates jacked up a bit but it still works out much cheaper than GEB or 20North

The sweetest part is that they still route it through Ebay India for payment so all the buyer protection still applies.

I'll report how the shopping experience was once I receive the item.

Thanks for your valuable input. ( I was wondering whether I am going to draw a blank from other BHPians on ICC World.:) )

Google searching, I could just find one reference to shopping on ICC World here @ Shopping abroad - ICC World where also it is mentioned that their exchange rates are jacked up quite a bit.

That they use the ebay.in for secure payment with applicable Paisa Pay protection is again a valuable bit of information that should add to the comfort level of intending buyers.

Another fact that I stumbled upon is that they have an ebay shop eBay Seller: iccshop abroad: Consumer Electronics, Laptops Computer Peripherals items on eBay India but there aren't many items. They have a total 83 feedbacks, all positive (100%).

We shall wait for your report after receiving the item.

Have anybody tried buying good from abroad using Borderlinx.com ? They have tied up with Citibank in India and offers you "virtual" postal address for you in UK and US for collecting goods bought online. These good are then shipped to your address in India by DHL. Looks better than buying through dedicated online portals such as 20north or Ebay global with their inflated prices.

Well...here is the report on my shopping experience with ICCWorld

Pre-Sales Enquiry: The response to my email inquiry was prompt (within 24 hrs) and the final costs involved were cheaper than Borderlinx, Ebay Global Easy Buy or 20North. The forex exchange rate was a bit jacked up though. 1USD = 48INR.

Ordering: ICCWorld automatically sets up an Ebay India link for the international purchase which is good since you can pay in INR using debit card or credit card via PaisaPay. Just like any other Ebay purchase, you get to benefit from PaisaPay buyer protection. We can complete the purchase procedure just like any ebay India purchase.

Purchase from US Seller: After you confirm the order on Ebay India website, ICCWorld promtly orders the item from the US seller. I could see the status from the buyer listing on the US seller's ebay page. I also received a notification from ICCWorld regarding the purchase from the US seller and approximate timelines involved.

Shipping from US Seller to ICCWorld Warehouse (US): On further email inquiry, ICCWorld shared the AWB number of the US shipment from seller to ICCWorld warehouse in US. It took 6 days for the item to reach ICCWorld's warehouse in US which is normal for UPS Ground shipping.

Shipment from US to India: Shipment from US warehouse to India is done by ICCWorld's own courier service. This is were things started to get sour. Tracking via ICCWorld website simply didn't work for the first few days. After repeated follow up, it started showing up, but the tracking is very primitive and it felt like a manual update whenever you request for information/update via email...lol.

As per the tracker, the item was sent to India the same day it was received at US Warehouse (good) but it took a nice 4 days to reach Mumbai where I guess it was also customs cleared by ICCWorld. 4 days for international transit as well and customs clearance is quite OK even though I've seen DHL (Via Borderlinx) door delivering the item in 3 days flat from US. The tracker also shows it reached Bangalore the same day.

Delivery: The item reached Bangalore on 16th August and on 19th August also still no sign of it. Repeated emails sent to ICCWorld go unanswered and I finally contacted their corporate office in Mumbai via email. The response from Mumbai office was prompt and it appears that ICCWorld-US missed to add my contact number on the address slip and Bangalore office was sleeping on it...:Frustrati. I've set the delivery address to my office but without any contact number mentioned, ICCWorld claims that the office security rejected the delivery of the courier on 19th August. I find this quite unusual since the security normally find the details from the corporate database.Such courier deliveries has happened many times before without any issues.

Now that the phone number problem is sorted out, ICCWorld delivers the item by 20th August.

Packaging: ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE - To my utter disbelief, the packaging was torn open at both places and held together by cellophane tape which was not stuck at the right places. This was for an item which is marked "Fragile". Possibly it was opened for customs clearance and not well packaged later.

The end result is one of the two load modules are missing and there are two non-significant breakages on the plastic assembly due to poor handling.

Since August 20th, I've send multiple emails to ICCWorld reporting the missing item and poor state of the packaging and as usual there is no response yet.

I'm filing for a refund claim with Ebay buyer protection.:Shockked:

Verdict: In short, services by ICCWorld is UNRELIABLE & NOT RECOMMENDED.
At the same time, I also think that mine was an isolated incident since they are the same people who does the work in the background for Ebay GEB. I doubt whether I'll use services from ICCWorld again...It highly depends on how fast they would like to settle the refund claim of deliver me the missing part/refund proportionately.Just too much headache for nothing IMHO.

Use at your own risk.

Thanks for your detailed report.

That should be a big disappointment for those tempted to try their services considering that the cost is cheaper than other online purchases.

In any case as you have rightly pointed out, it could still be a one-off instance. One has to perhaps wait for more detailed reports such as your's.

Interesting discussion here.

I received the delivery of my second order thru EBay Global, serviced by i2cworld & shipped thru ICC today afternoon.

Both the times they were perfectly packed and delivered within 15 days of ordering. Both times it was a laptop battery.

Here are few snap of todays package:




I did receive a mail when they shipped, but never bothered to keep tracking. Am happy as long as it is delivered properly.

I think the experience varies with the product ordered. They might be packing it alright, but when our customs department does a pass through it, the re-packing messes it up.

I just bought a PAL/ NTSC converter from ebay.co.in. The seller was very helpful in delivering the goods at my place! When we met, the seller noticed the T-BHP sticker in my car and his face lit up!
We met 4 months back in a T-BHP Pune tapri meet!
Small world.
Seller's handle in T-BHP is bj96! Funny we had to meet through e-bay!

I bought an Ottebox cover for my Nexus One from Global Ebay, got the item within two weeks from the order date. It reached well packed.

I buy a lot of RC components like servos and motors from ebay and havent had a problem so far. Also a fair amount of jazzy accessories and toolkit etc for the car.

But a camera? Nope. Stick to the dealer.

I agree with the point, ebay purchases are safe and reliable. I have virtually sourced items for my drive from all corners of the globe and 90% of them have been through ebay and paypal protection.I havent had any stuff this far gone missing or damaged. There has been postal delays, but a few follow ups have got me the stuff sooner.

I ordered a pair of headphones on Global Easy Buy, it was never shipped and I got my money back 20 days later. Is there no other reseller in India other than I2cworld_inc3?

Usually they don't ship you the item if you bought something on an auction and that auction was over when I2cworld_inc3 got to it.If you bid on any item make sure there is time left or you can call them and tell them that you bid on an item and ask them to prioritize your order.It's better to research the seller on ebay.com as ebay.in doesn't show sellers details.