Used kitchen equipment on web auction?

[David Jones]

I was surfing through ebay the other day, and saw that they now have a category for Foodservice & Kitchen Equipment. I've gotten some really great deals on computer items and other stuff; and I've spent as much as $600 on items sight unseen (a $1300 Dell 21" monitor, specifically). I wonder how many of you would buy a piece of used refrigeration or a prep table from an online auction? Would it help if it was a dealer who was auctioning the piece?

[cookM]

One of the owners of the catering comapny I work for regularly cruises Ebay. He's gotten some good deals. One of them, an F. **** sausage stuffer for a ridiculous price. Haven't bought big pieces of equipment, but so far, so good.

[mudbug]

Just use common sense, look at the seller's ratings and make sure you know the current market value of what you're buying so you can make sure you are really getting a deal, and don't forget shipping.

I hear stories all the time of people selling stuff and people paying much more than they have to because they are caught up in the auction environment and not shopping wisely.

It's a sellers market.

[Nick.Shu]

consider this, you buy something like a combitherm oven for say, $6,000.00. Brand new you would pay something like $15,000.00. Remember, this is comparative so, exchange rates or currency doesnt really matter.

So, what happens if your cheap combi oven wears out, say after only 3 months work.

Now you have to remember that mr 15k oven is brand new with warranty and mr 6k does not.

Especially with auctions, the extremely old saying "caveat emptor" does apply, especially unseen and untested equipment.

To save 1/2 price on equipment that costs you 4 times that is no saving at all.