Lenses

Jagner

I totally jumped the gun and bid on and won a Canon Rebel T2i on Ebay. It came with no lens whatsoever. I ordered a Vivitar package off of Amazon and they don't seem to work together. Did I get screwed or will I be able to find a decent lens for a reasonable price?

ohyeahar

You’ve got a Canon camera body with a EF/EF-S lens mount. Needless to say, you’ve got to get an EF or EF-S lens.
Your best bet is to buy a Canon lens.
If you want to get something from a third-party, make sure it’s either an EF or EF-S mount.
EF-S lenses are generally cheaper since they’re made for Canon’s crop sensor camera bodies like the one you have.

If you’re looking for a quality inexpensive practical lens, it’s hard to beat the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Mk II. It’s only about 100 USD brand new.

bruto

Not knowing just what was bought, but some of the Vivitar packages are accessories to use on an existing lens, not complete lenses by themselves.

You might try KEH.com, a very reputable mail order seller of used equipment. Their grading is generally pretty conservative, and their warranty is good. Some of their lenses - basic kit zooms, for example - are quite inexpensive. Of course some are expensive too, but they can compare well with new prices. Depending on age and features such as image stabilization, 18-55mm kit zooms appear to be going for anything from about $65 and up.
If you find the terminology of lenses confusing, welcome to the club. Here is a link in which some of the various designations are decoded.

(see here)

filmy

The T2i is a very capable and versatile camera, so you've done well so far.

Hard to say what "reasonable price" means to you, but I agree about the "Nifty Fifty" 50mm f/1.8. It's a great starter prime lens and available for under $100 (brand new) in some cases. The usual/standard "kit lens" that comes with these cameras is the 85-55mm zoom, which would give you a pretty full range of photographic options. They're available everywhere, under $200 new and under $100 used on Amazon. Don't forget to try your local Craig's List. But yes, you'll need Canon EF or EF-S mount lenses (or other brands like Sigma or Tokina, made with those mounts for Canon cameras).

If the package you got from the Amazon seller is mostly gadgets and a lens cloth, try to return the items. Amazon has a very good return policy. Good luck!