What You Always Wanted to Know About Ebay But Were Afraid to Ask
Ebay for Beginners
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Everyone talks about Ebay. It is almost embarrassing to ask, "How does Ebay work?", "Is Ebay safe?", or "Can I get real bargains on Ebay?". It's OK and there is no need to be embarrassed about asking these questions about Ebay.
How Ebay Works
Ebay is an auction site that has sellers and buyers. Buyers bid on an item and the highest offer "wins" the item.
Ebay Safety
Paypal and Ebay do offer some protection but from personal experience, it doesn't offer a whole lot of protection. I only purchase low dollar amount items and quite frankly it was more hassle to try and get my money back than to take the loss and learn a valuable lesson. Often consumers are better off paying a little more and using a trusted online source such as Amazon.com
. Of course, other Ebay safety includes NEVER giving anyone your user name and password.
Understanding How Ebay Works
In order to get good deals on Ebay, you need to fully understand how Ebay works and what things mean.
Ebay Accounts
Both sellers and buyers register to have an account with Ebay that includes name, address, user name, etc. You also select a unique user name for display when you sell, bid or buy.
Searching for Items on Ebay That You Want
Searching for items for sale on Ebay is simple. You can either go through categories of listing or use the search box. Once you find an item that you are interested in, you will need to fully understand the listing before putting in a bid.
The Ebay Listing
The Ebay listing includes:
Ready to Bid on Ebay?
If you have done your research and you are sure that the seller is legitimate and you asked questions if anything is unclear, you can bid towards the end of the listing. Enter the highest amount you are willing to pay and click enter. Remember that you are agreeing to purchase this item if you win the auction. Here are some things you should consider about bidding on Ebay:
- Compare prices first to know what an item is worth. Either check completed auctions on Amazon.com
. On Amazon, you can get the prices for the item new and the price for used items for sale by vendors associated with Amazon. I have seen many used items on Ebay go for more money than a new item at Amazon (that comes with a warranty and buyer protection).
- Determine what is the most you are willing to bid and stick to it. Do not allow yourself to get carried away with auction fever and pay more than your maximum.
- Ebay encourages you to bid high and often. They get a bigger percentage of the sale price if the item goes for more. My strategy for bidding, is bidding at the end of the auction (called sniping). Call me a sniper, but I will bid during the last minute with my maximum bid.
You Won!!! Now You Have to Pay
You won the auction. (I love how that makes it sound "I won xyz on Ebay" when in reality I only won the right to purchase the item, it sounds so good compared to "I got xyz at the flea market") Ebay will notify you that you won via email. Now you have to pay for the item. On the email or on the listing page, there will be a link to Pay Now. Follow the instructions to make the payment.
About Paypal
Signing up for a Paypal account is easy and safe. You can send money to the seller just by using your credit card. You can also get account verification through Paypal and they can send money directly from your checking account. This service does not cost you!
Selling on Ebay
I highly suggest you get fully comfortable with buying on Ebay first and when you are ready to sell, get some books about selling on Ebay
Questions
I hope this helped you to understand about purchasing on Ebay. If I didn't cover something that you wanted to know about, ask me via marcy@internetfamilyfun.com. (I am sorry but cannot be of assistance with specific issues with an Ebay auction or a problem with an Ebay seller)
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