MARCH 2010 - BUYING ON EBAY

BUYING ON eBay

At its base level, eBay works exactly like an electronic “flea market”:
• eBay sellers pay a small flat fee plus a 1.5% percentage fee to eBay in order to market their wares
• eBay buyers visit and use the marketplace without any surcharges
• Any parties that abuse the system or each other will be disciplined or ejected

When you first start out on eBay.com, the huge site with dozens of bulletin boards, chat areas, articles and over 27,000 categories can be intimidating and confusing. Fortunately, you don't have to know everything about eBay's site if you just want to do some simple buying. eBay can be very easy to use.

Registering is Painless
Registering on eBay currently asks for your mailing and email information. You'll also pick a personal eBay ID and password. After you register, eBay will send a confirmation note to the email address just registered. Clicking on the link in the confirmation email takes you to the page that completes the registration.

If eBay can't verify your email address, it’s usually for one of these reasons:
1. Your email address came from a free, Web-based account such as Yahoo! or Hotmail.
2. Messages to your email address are repeatedly bounced back to eBay.
If the email address you entered can’t be used to verify your identity, you will be asked to place your credit or debit card on file. eBay will use your card for identification only -- you will not be charged anything.

Buying on eBay - First You Have to Find It
• Go to main search box on eBay's home page and do a search for your item in all categories.
• After you do the preliminary search and look around, go back to the main search box and type in the item you are looking for, but spell it wrong! You'll be amazed at how many items come up with the wrong spelling.
• If your item is a bit unusual, always be sure to check Search Title and Description box.
• If there is more than one word in the title use the "+" between the words so that you only get results with that exact wording.
• Use the Advanced Search link at the top of the page (right hand side). There are more options than just the simple Search box. The Advanced Search link will also give the option to search by buyer, seller or store.

Don't Bid on the First One You See!
• When you find your item, the first tendency can be to bid immediately. DON'T! Do a bit of quick research. First continue searching on eBay, you could find it cheaper, maybe finding one that isn't drawing as much bidding interest.
• Go to the manufacturer's web site and see if they are offering it for sale at a better price.
• Do a general search on the Internet to see if another website is selling your item, or if a local store – such as Best Buy, etc. - has it on sale. eBay DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE THE CHEAPEST PRICE AROUND!
When extensive searching does not turn up any better deal, you can go back to the original auction and get ready to bid. That is, after carefully reading the description.

Carefully Read The Description
If you're the winner, you're obligated to live up to the listing agreement. If you don't agree with the options available, negotiate before bidding not after you win! Review:
• If it says used, you can't complain when it doesn't look new.
• Does the seller ship to your part of the world and how much will it cost? If the shipping costs aren't stated, ask before you bid and the auction has ended.
• What are the payment options and can you abide by them? Does the seller say no personal checks, or PayPal only? Make sure you are prepared to pay in the manner required by the seller.
• Any return privileges?

Don't Forget to Check the Feedback
It's almost time to bid, but not quite yet. Not until you check out the seller's feedback. Feedback is a seller or buyer's eBay reputation in a nutshell. Every eBay auction that is completed gives the option for the buyer and seller to leave a (feedback) rating about each other. There are three choices - Positive, Neutral and Negative to choose from, along with 80 spaces to write a short blurb.
• If a seller has been around for a long time, chances are they might have a negative or two -- if it's just a very small percentage of their total feedback, it's usually nothing to worry about. Look and see how long ago it was and how many successful feedbacks have been posted since then. If a seller has more than a couple of negative feedbacks and some of them are recent, think twice about taking a chance with your money and do a little further checking.
• Look at the seller's other auctions. Are the items similar, does the seller know his stuff?
• Feedback is also a good place to read complaints about excessive shipping charges.

Time to BID
Everything checks out, you're logged in and ready to bid:
• Click the Place Bid Button
• Enter bid amount, then click Continue.
• Review your bid and then click the Submit button.
• Bid the maximum amount that you’re willing to pay. As the listing proceeds, eBay compares your bid to those of other bidders. When you’re outbid, eBay automatically bids for you up to your maximum bid. Your bid is increased by increments only as much as necessary to maintain your high bid position.
• As a general rule, you are not allowed to retract or cancel a bid on eBay
• Some sellers specify a reserve price, which is a hidden minimum price on their item. If the listing ends without any bids that meet the reserve price, the seller is not required to sell the item. In reserve price auctions, if your maximum bid is at least the reserve price, eBay automatically increases your bid to meet the reserve, and bidding will continue from there.
• If another bidder places the same maximum bid or higher, eBay will notify you so you can bid again.

What is Buy It Now?
When you see a Buy It Now icon and price next to the item, you can purchase the item right away at a set price without waiting for an auction to end. There are several variations:
• Auction-style listings with a Buy It Now option: You can choose to place a bid and compete in the auction or use Buy It Now to purchase the item immediately. For some listings the Buy It Now option is only available until the first bid is placed. The Buy It Now price is at least 10% higher than the starting auction price.
• Reserve price auctions with a Buy It Now option: The Buy It Now option is shown until the reserve price is met. This means that when you see that an item has both a Buy It Now price and one or more bids, you’ll need to act quickly.
• Buy It Now price only (no bidding): You can purchase the item right away at the Buy It Now price.
• Listings with variations: Some listings have variations to choose from, such as T-shirts that come in various sizes or colors. Specify the variations and quantity you want before you click the Buy It Now button.

You Won! Now Pay for your items:
Ebay will email you when you win an auction on which you are bidding. Once you receive this email,
or if you used the Buy it Now option, it is time to pay. After you win an auction or click the Buy It Now button, the Pay Now button appears in the following locations:
• In the listing
• In the Won section of My eBay
• In the confirmation email you receive from eBay
• On the invoice email you receive from eBay on behalf of the seller

How you pay for an item depends partly on what payment methods your seller accepts. Read the item description before you bid to find out what payment options you have. Most sellers accept PayPal because it transfers funds immediately and they can ship your item right away instead of waiting for funds to clear.
The fastest way to pay on eBay is by clicking the Pay Now button, which allows you to use PayPal, ProPay, Moneybookers, or Paymate. Learn more about how to pay.

When you’re choosing a payment method, look for options that are convenient for you, secure, and traceable, just in case there’s a problem. To compare payment methods, check this chart on eBay:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/methods.html

To pay for an item:
• Click the Pay Now button.
• Check your shipping information, and confirm the order details, including shipping and taxes. Then, click the Continue button.
• You are obligated to pay the seller using one of the payment methods specified in the eBay listing. Select your payment method and enter your payment information. Then, click the Continue button.
• Click the Confirm Your Payment button to complete your purchase.
• Note: These steps assume that the seller is using checkout on eBay. Sellers have the option to use other checkout systems.

After you buy your item
• The amount of time that it takes for an item to arrive often depends on the shipping method that you selected when you bought the item. You can review the estimated delivery time on the Order Details page.
• It can take longer for your item to arrive if you paid with certain payment methods. Sellers usually wait to receive your payment or for the payment to clear before they ship your item.
• You may have received tracking or Delivery Confirmation information in an email. You can use this information to check the shipping status of your item on the shipping company's website. You can also check the shipping status of your item from My eBay.
• When you receive your item, inspect it right away to make sure it matches the description in the seller's listing. If you’re not happy with the item, please contact the seller to discuss it.
• Leave the seller Feedback about your experience and your satisfaction with the purchase. Remember that Feedback is permanent and public, so be accurate and factual when commenting on the item or seller.

Finally, if you run into problems with an item, eBay's buyer protection programs can help. eBay wants you to shop with confidence on their site, so they will help you resolve any problems. Check their website for information on their buyer protection assistance.