Buying Jeans on Ebay is fun and you can save a lot of money if you know what you are doing.  But if you are not careful you can end up very unhappy with jeans that don't fit. 

I sell a lot of jeans, I mostly get them from my family and friends or on sale at stores.  I try to turn my good fortune into your good fortune by offering quality jeans at a low price.  But you have to come prepared in order to make sure you know what you are getting.

First you might know what size you think you wear but think again!  Jeans run wild with sizing!  Know your measurements and insist that your seller not only say the size in listing but the actual measurements.  American Eagle, Hollister, Aeropostale and others "Vanity Size" most of the jeans they make.  What do I mean well I hate to break it too some folks but the tags are fibbing about your size.  I took Home Economic Sewing Class oh so many years ago and did learn just a little bit.  I was taught that whatever size (in womens jeans only) that the tag said you added 20 inches to get the actual measurement.  So if you wore say a size 12 in jeans the waist should measure 32 inches or a size 10 would be 30 inches.

I currently have for sale a pair of American Eagle Jeans that the Tag Reads 10 Long.  If you actually measure the jeans they 34 Waist and 33 Length.  Going back to my old school lesson they really means they are a size 14.  But wait............. I also have a pair of jeans from Tommy Hilfiger that say 10 Long and they only measure 27 waist and and 31 Inseam.  So I would think Tommy Hilfiger should have labeled those jeans size 7. 

So I guess what I am saying insist you seller give measurements at least for the waist and length to insure proper fit.  For another example  Levi jeans used to run true to size or a bit small although lately they vary widely from style to style. 

Another thing insist your seller shows bright clear close up photos of those jeans in several angles.  I personally would have to have purchased many things from the same seller to trust someone on most of the photos I see on Ebay.  A single blurry dark shot doesn't do it for me.  I immediately think they are trying to deceive the buyer.   If I can't touch and feel or try on the item I want to see it clearly. 

I am personally pleased that a lot of jean manufacturers are adding Lycra and Spandex to their jeans.  They can help your jeans stay your size even if you gain or lose a couple of pounds.  And they make them so much more comfortable.  No more waiting for them to break in. 

And with all the different washes and fades that jeans have now days its so much easier for parents and students alike to say money and buy gently used jeans.  Unlike when I grew up and the style was brand new dark indigo jeans when school started stiff and uncomfortable and everyone knew if they were brand new or not.  Now for those parents who pinch pennies (like I do) you can make sure your child has the latest style with out having to mortgage the house. 

Also let your child be a part of the buying process let them help you.  First off set a budget.  Let your child know exactly how much you have to spend.  I let my daughter search on Ebay by herself with a couple of rules.  She was to place no bids (she was only allowed to mark the item to be watched as not to interfere with a auction) she had a calculator and wrote down on paper how much the jeans were and what the shipping would be (with buy-it-now items or best offer) or what she was prepared to part with if we decided to bid on a item.  Once all of this was done I would review her choices with her and check out each item throughly checking feedback, photos, descriptions, rules and so forth. 

She ended up spending about half her budget and was happy with all but one pair of her jeans (the seller did not say the zipper was missing in a pair she bought).  I contacted the seller and they gave me a refund with no problems.  Which brings me to my next point if the seller doesn't say ask them about the buttons and zippers do they all work?  Zippers and buttons are hard to replace and sometimes nearly impossible on some jeans to replace or repair. 

If you seller can't or won't take the time to answer your questions move on to someone else.  Obviously this person doesn't care about customer satisfaction.  Just like that old car commerical for my items my motto is "Customer Satisfaction Is Job One" if your not happy I am not happy.