I have a question

[nosetoons]

I don't know whether or not if these types of questions are allowed but...

For anyone who has purchased an item from China or any other state, what was your experience? I'm asking because there are a few items I want to get that are cheaper in China than there is here, but I'm not 100% sure whether or not I should take the risk.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @nosetoons 

You do have eBay’s Money Back Guarantee if the item is ‘not as described’.   BE SURE to read AND understand it prior to purchasing.

I haven’t knowingly purchased from China … mainly because of the prevalence of counterfeiting.  Also, clothing sizes are often smaller than stated. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@nosetoons wrote:

I've been seeing USB drives from China as cheap as $1.99 or something.

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Small Electronic items like that, that sell for $5.99, $7.99 have an 80% markup for the store. 

Best Buy, for example, used to give Employees Cost +5%; so a Printer Cable that sold for $20, an employee could buy for about $2. 

A USB Drive is made in China for about 10c; shipped for free (USPS and/or China Gov't pays for the manufacturers/sellers) so 3 things:

a.) $1.99 would be normal

b.) All USB Drives (almost and/or 80% of all items are made in China anyway) so again, typical.

c.) $1.99 is about what a US Distributor would buy them for (Walmart) and then they retail for 3x-5x that price.