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December 23, 2007

How I Purchased a Nintendo WII

Purchasing a Nintendo WII over the past month at retail outlets was next to impossible for those unwilling to camp outside of stores or stalk UPS Deliver trucks.  With Christmas just two days away you may have considered this gift idea a closed book.  

However, yesterday I was able to buy one of the long sought after items for just slightly over its retail cost.

How?  Of course I'll tell you.  I used ebay.  Yes, there are a lot of scalpers charging anywhere from $350 to $600 for the $250 package.  However, it is possible to elude these and find the few sweet deals that others may have missed.  Here's how I did it:

1. I used eBay's "advanced search" and entered both my search terms "WII console" and my zip code in the "items near me".   I realized purchasing items so close to Christmas would necessitate picking it up (and save me shipping charges).
2. I put items on my "watch list" that ended during the next hour, selecting items with few or no bids and which ended within 10 minutes of one another.
3. From the "My eBay" page I used "Bid Assistant" on the items in my watch list and set the max bid amount to $290.  
4. Finally I waited and was delighted to win an auction totaling $255.  

Perhaps my experience is a fluke.  I was fortunate to deal with an honest seller who was easy to contact.   Further, to minimize my risk I obtained the seller's address and phone number prior to paying.  Personal contact seems to make a difference.  

The bottom line is that just two days before Christmas it is not impossible to purchase a WII for a reasonable price if you're willing to take the inherent risks associated with buying via an online auction.

Merry Christmas.

Posted by Vital at December 23, 2007 11:45 AM