Ebay Kleinanzeigen: Saving Money on Household Items
Quick question: what do you do when you need to buy some furniture for your room in your Studentenwohnheim, WG, or that flat you rented before you realized it doesn't come with a kitchen? Depending on how long you're planning on staying there, you might be able to get away without buying it, but some things just don't make sense to do without, and even Ikea becomes expensive after a while. In the U.S., somewhere like Craigslist would be a fairly logical place to look; in Germany, you're going to want to start with Ebay Kleinanzeigen (classifieds).
Ebay Kleinanzeigen works almost identically as Craigslist does, with listings of all kinds, ranging from furniture, to services like music lessons, and anything else that people are looking to sell. The transactions are likewise handled in person, using cash, not online with a card or bank transfer. Generally speaking, the offers posted tend to have a lower risk of sketchiness compared to what can happen in some areas in the U.S. on Craigslist, which is a plus.
It's always worthwhile to try to haggle on the prices of furniture or other things you may be trying to buy, particularly if someone has listed multiple units at once (i.e. several lights, multiple parts of a furniture set, etc.). You should also make sure to look over whatever you purchase carefully, as pictures can sometimes be deceiving (intentionally or by accident), and not be worried about walking away if whatever item you were considering buying doesn't match up with what you had thought. Also, bear in mind that if you are buying furniture as a student living in Germany, you likely don't have access to a car, and will have to plan for how you will bring whatever you've just gotten home. And sometimes you'll end up carrying a disassembled table halfway across the city, taking a couple of trams and the bus.
Notes:
- When you see "VB," it stands for Verhandlungsbasis (starting price for a negotiation), which will be listed either along with, or instead of a price on a listing. Haggle away!
- If you want buy a bicycle on Ebay Kleinanzeigen, and the bike is newer, ask for the receipt, the paperwork that came with the bike, and/or when/where they bought it. People do occasionally sell stolen bikes, and it's worthwhile to take extra precautions.
- To be extra safe, write down the name and whatever contact information you have for the sellers of whatever you buy for your records.
- There are no fees for posting ads or for any transactions.
The good news about Ebay Kleinanzeigen is that when you are preparing to move or return home from Germany, you can also post items that you are looking to get rid of, and as long as you price them reasonably, they'll likely go. Or you can just price them to move and save on disposal fees. Either way works.