Has anyone here bought a modern bow on Ebay or other 'used' bow sources?

I am just wondering if anyone can share their experiences. There are a few bows I have came across that might be a good fit for my dad, who I will be taking into a shop and have him fire some floor models to see which ones he likes.

I am worried about dry-fired bows. I am not aware of anything other than looking for cracked limbs that would help detect this. I bought mine new, but I know already he would rather get a good price on a used package with all the accessories.

I know if I buy from a 'reputable' seller all will likely be fine, but I was just looking for some input. Thanks!

myself and several friends have purchased numerous items from ebay includeing bows and excessories. none of them has had a bad experience with ebay so far. check the seller out is the best thing i can tell you.

There is always a risk, but there are also many good used bows on ebay, especially if you're not looking at anything too old. The biggest problem usually arises from a novice choosing what to get. You not only have to know what ATA, brace height and draw weight is best for you, but you also have to know the correct draw length, how to adjust and tune the bow or be willing to pay a bow shop to help you out there. You'll probably need a new string and cable (just for peace of mind), and it would be a good idea to have a bow shop check the axels and make sure the bow isn't dangerous to shoot. Also, bow warranties are not transferable, so if something goes wrong, you have to pay to fix it.

Used bow purchases can work out for some, especially the experienced archer who can work on their own bows.

I have in the past and will not again. There was one guy here that said his bow was junk and was currently selling it on ebay. I bought a scoot relaese there and it has turned out to be bad, cuts the string. Saved your self some trouble and buy from a place that will take care of a problem.

BTW Hoyt will not warranty a bow bought over the net. Also type "ebay sucks" into google and read on.

I have bought and sold several on ebay and I have had nothing but positive experiences.

I just bought a Patriot Dually for 40% of what a new one would have cost.

I have not bought a bow on Ebay in quite some time and when I did it was from a liquidation house that was somehow affiliated with Martin archery. The bows were brand new overstock from past years. On the other hand, I have sold quite a few of my own bows on Ebay and have not had a negative experience so far...knock on wood. The best indicator, I have found, of the product and seller is the feedback provided by others from previous auctions.

There is certainly a risk to buying anything on Ebay, and it mainly depends on the seller and thier ethics. I have had mostly good experiences and have been able to try many reasonably new bows, and if I didn't like them, sell them back on ebay without taking much of a loss.

Thanks for the feedback. I am not new to Ebay, and I know that you have to be careful and consider the seller's credentials, due diligence and all.

I am a novice as of yet, but I have a fairly good idea what sort of bow he would prefer and we will confirm that by testing out some floor models. If we did go the used route, I would immediately bring it in and pay the pros to install a new string and give it a good look before going forward with using it.

Bought a few. All I can suggest is research the bow before you bid. You want to know what it is worth before hand. I have seen people bid well beyond the worth of a bow. Remember shipping as well. It runs about 25 bucks at the least to send a bow. So some times you could get the same bow from a shop cheaper. Other than that, I have bought some good bows and accessories on ebay. I just bought another muzzy zerro effects rest for a hoyt for only 45 bucks. It was brand new and in the package. Over all it costed 51 bucks with shipping, so I saved at least 15 bucks.