Thread: Are overseas purchase a good idea?

There seems to be a major shortage of straight razors (I'm new to this market/activity) except for one dealer who maintains a "store" on Ebay, with a shipping location in Poland.
Not exactly MACY'S.
I have difficulty dealing with paypal, and sending my CC number overseas seems less than smart.
This seller has 1,600 transactions with only one negative. Seems like a good record.
Any comments on my concerns?

Note; I'm looking at a brand new Dovo Best Quality at $110.

I am not sure if you hve your heart set on this new Dovo, or just on a new razor. However, I would consider looking at the Classifieds here to pick up a good razor that wont break the bank. There is a good chance it will come shave ready, and if not shave ready it will be cleary stated.

Main Index - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Just my two cents. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Neckbone

There seems to be a major shortage of straight razors (I'm new to this market/activity) except for one dealer who maintains a "store" on Ebay, with a shipping location in Poland.
Not exactly MACY'S.
I have difficulty dealing with paypal, and sending my CC number overseas seems less than smart.
This seller has 1,600 transactions with only one negative. Seems like a good record.
Any comments on my concerns?

Note; I'm looking at a brand new Dovo Best Quality at $110.

I agree with MattCB - check out the Classified section here first, there's some great blades, in known condition, that will most likely come shave ready, something always to remember. You may purchase a new blade, that say's it's, "shave ready" or, "pre-sharpened", but unless they have been separately honed outside of the factory edge, it will not be ready to shave successfully with.

Having said that, was just on a supplier's store here in Canada, very reliable, and they have a nice assortment of Dovo straights, again, if you purchase one of these, it will have to be sent out to be honed by a pro.

Here's the link if you're interested:

Dovo Straight Razors Canada | Fendrihan Shaving Store

Cheers!

I have made purchases from all over the place, but not Poland. Not that I have anything against Poland, just hasn't happened. I would expect that you should be able to find a Dovo closer to home if that is what you have your heart set on. I think there are some other brands that are available out there if what you really want is a new razor. The Ralf Aust razors impressed me, I have a friend that has one, so good value there. I really like my TI too.

I too have seen that seller. It's not that I don't trust Polish, I am only suspicious of anything "new" via eBay. Besides, the Dovo Best Quality razors are listed at $81 at www.thesuperiorshave.com; and they are a seller I trust as well as Straight Razor Designs and others.

Rich

I've bought stuff from all over the world, including poland I think. Or was it the Ukraine?
Given how strongly Visa and Amex protect the customers, I would not hesitate to buy from a known ebay seller with good feedback.

I have also bought from overseas dealers on multiple occasions with outstanding results, in fact my best shaver was purchased from a gentleman in France. I would probably hesitate if the seller had very little or mediocre feedback from past transactions. Best of luck whichever route you decide to take!

-Dave

What's the issue with paypal? I know some have had bad experiences with them but overall it's the best way to conduct a transaction.

The biggest issue with overseas deals is the probability of loss in transit. As long as it is insured you shouldn't have a problem as long as the seller has good feedback and plenty of it.

I agree with Nelson - if the seller has good feedback and you take reasonable precautions (using PayPal, insuring the package and so on) then buying from a known seller with good feedback shouldnt be an issue.

I'd also check out the known sellers such as SRD, The Invisible Edge and so on. They have very reasonable shipping costs and I've bought a ton of stuff from those guys in the past with no issues at all.

Assuming you're in the US, why not just get it from straight razor designs? Not only will it be new, but it will be honed by Lynn. A guarantee that it'll be as sharp as possible. Shavenation is also quite a reputable seller.

Buying from the classifieds is also a good idea. Ebay is a place where you can buy all sorts of rubbish, so you need to be experienced enough to know what to look for, like hone wear, small chips/ cracks in the edge, bevel eveness etc. You can get some really good items on there, but for every good item there are tens of bad ones.

As for buying overseas, what kind of issues are you having with paypal? Difficulties in adding money or paying?