Is this a good deal?

[nikaso]

We are interested in getting some spare Dell switches, seen this on ebay, does it sound like a good deal?

 

9 DELL PowerConnect Switches (6 x 6248P, 1 x 3548P and 2 x 3524) | eBay

 

[matt40k]

Check with your bursar\get them to check with your finance team - but pretty sure schools can't buy off eBay (or other auction sites).

[nikaso]

Check with your bursar\get them to check with your finance team - but pretty sure schools can't buy off eBay (or other auction sites).

 

We can

[HarryMonkey]

We can, we sell on there too

[matt40k]

Hang on, are we talking about schools?

[localzuk]

We can buy from wherever we want now - we're an academy. Our head just bought a conference table on eBay, for example.

 

That said, I'd never buy something as critical as switches second hand. Maybe for home use, but not business or school use.

Edited September 3, 2015 by localzuk

[elsiegee40]

Schools can buy from wherever they want as long as it's done in a legal manner. Restrictions on eBay use are inevitably local or set by an LA. Many schools couldn't survive without eBay!

[nikaso]

We can buy from wherever we want now - we're an academy. Our head just bought a conference table on eBay, for example.

 

What he said, we are an academy chain.

 

That said, I'd never buy something as critical as switches second hand. Maybe for home use, but not business or school use.

 

We will mainly be using them to replace Netgears that are out of warranty so there is no difference really and the 6248Ps cost a fortune new, their replacements (N3000 series) are nearly 4 grand I believe.

[matt40k]

Beyond the VAT issues - isn't buying off eBay \ an auction site pretty risky? I mean just because your school has a credit card and you can buy from anyone who accepts VISA or whatever, it doesn't mean you should. It's very risky?, I mean you basically buy it sold as seen, you also don't know where it came from, ie is it stolen, a factory reject, whatever. Personally if its a company, nothing stopping you contact them directly and cutting out eBay and raising a PO like normal. It'll cut out the eBay \ Paypal charges - so I'd be worried if they won't want to do it. As its public money anyone could put a FOI about the purchase and inquire what safeguards were\are in place to reduce\remove the risk and I'm not sure I could find a good enough deal to make the risk worthwhile - this is especially true for Academies as they can't hide behind the Local Authority. Still buying a table is one thing...

[elsiegee40]

Beyond the VAT issues - isn't buying off eBay \ an auction site pretty risky? I mean just because your school has a credit card and you can buy from anyone who accepts VISA or whatever, it doesn't mean you should. It's very risky?, I mean you basically buy it sold as seen, you also don't know where it came from, ie is it stolen, a factory reject, whatever. Personally if its a company, nothing stopping you contact them directly and cutting out eBay and raising a PO like normal. It'll cut out the eBay \ Paypal charges - so I'd be worried if they won't want to do it. As its public money anyone could put a FOI about the purchase and inquire what safeguards were\are in place to reduce\remove the risk and I'm not sure I could find a good enough deal to make the risk worthwhile - this is especially true for Academies as they can't hide behind the Local Authority. Still buying a table is one thing...

 

I think you're right that it depends what you're buying. But you have to risk assess the outcome of the sale. And for many itrms it is low risk and cost effective

[FN-GM]

We also buy and sell on ebay. The buying is limited to companies only though and its not much stuff. Finance sort out the finance side of it all. Edited September 3, 2015 by FN-GM

[nikaso]

Beyond the VAT issues - isn't buying off eBay \ an auction site pretty risky? I mean just because your school has a credit card and you can buy from anyone who accepts VISA or whatever, it doesn't mean you should. It's very risky?, I mean you basically buy it sold as seen, you also don't know where it came from, ie is it stolen, a factory reject, whatever. Personally if its a company, nothing stopping you contact them directly and cutting out eBay and raising a PO like normal. It'll cut out the eBay \ Paypal charges - so I'd be worried if they won't want to do it. As its public money anyone could put a FOI about the purchase and inquire what safeguards were\are in place to reduce\remove the risk and I'm not sure I could find a good enough deal to make the risk worthwhile - this is especially true for Academies as they can't hide behind the Local Authority. Still buying a table is one thing...

 

I get the impression this is a guy who has been given these switches from a company and therefore if the seller is a private individual selling their own used property in the EU or UK then no VAT is payable. That is because the VAT was paid for the item when it was first bought.

 

The safeguards are payment with a credit card so we benefit from legislation surrounding that and the option of buying new/refurbished from a network equipment supplier is that much more expensive I don't see a problem in answering an FOI request, as elsiegee has said many schools couldn't survive without eBay!

[TomHD]

We're not allowed to purchase via eBay... Reasoning... Paypal is not secure LOL Yet more than happy to shovel public funds to companies like Amazon who dodge their taxes! Edited September 3, 2015 by TomHD