I read with interest an auction on eBay today for a Fuji Xerox Docutech C525A colour laser printer.

This printer has an official “recommended retail price” (RRP) of $799, but anyone who’s ever bought IT equipment knows such a figure is ludicrous (except for buying Mac stuff!).

Some manufacturers now quote an “estimated street price” because they know full well that the full retail price is way above what most products can be purchased for.

Enter eBay and the chance to buy a “bargain.”

A quick check of the price for this printer from some well-known Melbourne-based IT resellers shows this printer has a street price under $600 to around $680.

However, one opportunistic seller on eBay is flogging off these printers at $669, plus up to nearly $45 in courier charges!

That totals around $715 — well ABOVE the best street price of the exact same item from an IT reseller.

That eBay auction might be a bargain when compared to the RRP, but you’d be spending over $130 — or over 22% — MORE than you could buy this item elsewhere.

Golden Buyer Rule #1: Know the value/price of an item before you bid!