I would like to buy a new emb. machine with a larger emb. area, i see many good offer in ebay, but I am afraid to buy something and discover it is a lemon, Do you have any experience buying from this site, i need your opinions. Thank you.

I recently bought a Pfaff 2170 from Ebay. I was nervous but knew what to look for and asked some questions of the seller. It turned out fine for me and now I have 2 machines nearly the same and all the feet and hoops are interchangeable.

Mary I disagree with some of the comments that have been written below, there is nothing wrong with buying a second hand machine off the net, often people sell only because they have updated their machine, so are not necessarily selling a lemon. I personally recently updated my machine and am at present selling my Designer1 machine on Ebay. I hope it will go to a good home where it will be used and enjoyed! Not everyone can afford a new machine, often they buy a cheaper machine which limits them hoop size etc., and then they realise they have limited themselves on what can be done with the machine. So I beg to differ with some of the comments made, ask plenty of questions and buy not to far from where you are if you can,if it's not far from where you are ask if you can have a look at it, they may even offer to show you how it works etc. People sell for different reasons as I mentioned above. There are still honest people out there.

I have just got a brother 3100d off ebay. I was very unsure but asked lots of questions and she had lots of photos. I paid about 1/4 of the full price. First thing I did was pull it down and clean it as much as I could and so far so good. It was very scary but it was the only way I could get a bigger hoop too. Good luck. xx

I would recommend buying from a dealer so you have warranty, even though it might be a tad more expensive. I bought an embroidery machine from a dealer that was BAD. I argued with that thing for months, with repeated repairs, before finally they replaced it with one that actually does what it is supposed to do. Had I bought it used, then I would have been out all of that money. There are sales on machines. Go to a dealer and tell them what kind of budget you have to work with and they will show you what you can get for that. Good luck, and happy shopping!

Dear Mary,

As for me personally, I would only ever buy from a reputable dealer. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful Husqvarna dealer right here in Newcastle. He has been my dealer ever since we've been here. Good luck with whatever you choose to do. Love and blessings Chris

I bought my Artista on SewItsForSale Yahoo group and the way I did it was ask lots of questions and then used a company (can't remember what they are called) but they recommend them on the group. They hold the money until you get your machine, then you check it out and when you are sure everything is OK you release the money to the seller. It costs a percentage but worth it. I shared the cost with the seller. I got a screaming good deal on my machine.
Muffy :)

stick with a dealer..I paid over 5000.00 on one on ebay and it was delivered broken beyond the cost of the machine..it was not packaged properly (and the seller even paid to have it packaged and shipped)it took me getting an attorney to get most of my money back..but I was still out the machine....

I got my deal on craigslist. Looked today for my daughter and found machines in all price ranges! I now whatever you get will be great! christine Live Laugh Download Stitch!

Good luck on your choice.

I was one of the lucky ones. I bought my first embroidery machine (a Janome 10000 upgraded to 10001) on ebay, From day one it worked wonderful and I still have it and use it every day. It had all the accessories with it and the hoops. I am not sure if I would do it again or not. I recently bought a Janome 350e from a local dealer. Did not even check ebay, Good luck whatever you decide.

Mary just my thoughts: I would NEVER buy an embroidery machine from any website...too many chances for things to go wrong. Many people can afford to upgrade to newer Embroidery machines. My dealer has used machines that they have completely gone thru to be sure they are working correctly. I would go to a dealer and buy a used machine...if they do not have in stock what you are looking for...have them call you when they get one in on trade. The support alone is worth its weight in gold if things go wrong. H&*

2 comments

by asterixsew 09 Oct 2011

Seconded

by asterixsew 09 Oct 2011

Both my 'used' machines came from the same dealer

Mary, my dealer has a few horror stories of people buying 'lightly' used machines from ebay that he has had brought to him. These machines have been heavily used. I know my PR was expensive BUT to me part of this was the peace of mind that I have from buying from a quality supplier that will give me a great aftercare. I know that you live away from the mainland of the States and servcing is difficult but you currently dont need the extra hassles of a faulty 'new' embroidery machine. All dealers have secondhand/preloved machines with warrenty and at a reduced price. Let us know what you decide and share the projects you make with us

I worked aat a dealer for brother for 8 years and sadly they closed shop this past March but I know of 2 people who bought Emb. machines from E-Bsy and got Lemons then wanted us to help which we could not. One did not have the Emb unit with it and the other one had a broken Emb. unit both were used and older machines and the units were no longer available. We couldn't help them in any way and even Brother had no units left for those machines because of age. now I have a dear friend who bought one from E-Bay and it has been a wonderful machine for her, no problems at all. All I can advise is to talk to the seller before hand and get a guarantee that all parts are with it and in good condition. If I wer buying one from there I'd want a written guarantee with it. Of course anything can happen after you get it and use it for awhile which can happen to any machine. The old saying " buyer beware" is always something to think about. Check out the sellers reputation. I'd also have them insure it if mailing to you and pack it real well. The way some things are handled thru the mail it can be scarey. Thinking I might check out some of the other sites people have listed here first. I'm not saying E-Bay is bad just be careful. Best of luck. Hope you find a really nice machine. *4U

Thank you all for your advices!!!!

Mary,
Try www.digitsmith.com, if you may be interested in a used machine. This is a place that individuals can put their used embroidery machines up for sale. I just got a great price on a commercial machine there, and the machine was within a hundred miles of me, so I could pick it up and not pay freight. Many of the machines listed are multi-needle commercial, but quite a few are home or semi-commercial machines at good prices. Some are home machines listed, where the owners have bought a commercial machine, and no longer need the single needle machine. Just be sure you are not dealing with an individual, not a dealer selling used ones.

A most reputable place that has great customer service and sells new, used, and gently loved machines is www.kenssewingcenter.com. Their items come with a good warranty, even on the used machines.

I purchased my home embroidery machine many years ago from www.mrvacandmrssew.com and have never had any problems at all with it. I had to learn how to operate it from the manual as I bought it online, but being a Brother it was user friendly. I have never taken it into a shop for maintenance; just kept it clean of dust and stray threads. I consider myself lucky, but due to my own personal experience with this machine, I will not hesitate to buy online again.

As to ebay, you CAN find some honest bargains, but it is more risky. You need to do some research on the machine you are interested in and know a ballpark figure of what it should cost, so as to know if you are saving or getting ripped off on price when bidding on ebay. Ask enough questions from the seller to be more sure of condition, any problems with it, freight charges, warranty, etc.
I have bought a few miscellaneous items from ebay with satisfaction, but no major purchase.

www.allbrands.com has a good reputation, too. You may want to check them out as far as embroidery machines.

Good luck on your purchase!
Angel

1 comment

by edithfarminer 09 Oct 2011

I have sold a machine on E-Bay and sold it to collect and than also pay cash. Why: because I felt I wanted to show that the machine worked fine and wanted to demonstrate and show a bit how it worked( mind you I broke my wrist as it was listed lol)See if one comes up not too far from you and also feel that if the person is willing to show it working etc etc. I would feel safe to buy as I presume that it would than be in good working condition. Good luck

I always buy from Overstock.com and they are very reasonable in price and shipping is excellent. they have this machine PE770 and its 5x7 Hoop. I am thinking about getting for myself as a christmas gift to myself. Here is the site, good luck

http://www.overstock.com/search?k...

I always think buying on ebay is a bit like playing the lottery. It could be good, it could be bad, but I suppose if you purchase from a business it could be O.K,
Only enbroidery thing I purchased from ebay was a load of threads (sulky) and they were not very good. Even though they were new and still in the wrapping, I suspect they were old or of second quality. I would
buy a machine from a business because then you have your warrenty and support if you need it. The machines today are so comliplicated it is good to have a support system. GOOD LUCK
Michelle