Ebay
I love Ebay. How did I get started? I was starting up
ID3 and I needed a Mac computer for graphics. Sherri had a
G3 that she no longer
used, but no monitor. So I began looking for used monitors and stumbled by
accident into Ebay.
Well not only did I find a monitor, I found a G3 Mac with
monitor, scanner, printer and all the software that I wanted for $350.
After that I used Ebay to furnish my office as well as
plant equipment. Personally, I have purchased stereo equipment,
cameras,
computers, gifts, as well. I believe that the internet has spawned 3 great
companies, Ebay, Google, and Orbitz.
What is beautiful about Ebay is that the
site has created an entire economy and I will bet there are 1,000's making a
living
selling on Ebay. No matter what you are looking for, you can find it on
Ebay. Sometimes it is used, factory refurbished, or new.
I have over 1,000 transactions on Ebay and I have only
been burned once and disappointed twice. So here are my tips for
buying on Ebay.
1. Research what you want - sometimes you can do this
on Ebay. Watch what sells over a period of time and different
sellers will give
information that is useful and you will get a feel for what is good based on
number of bids. If a lot of
people are bidding on an item, normally there is a
reason.
2. When you are searching for a product, if there are
too many listings, go to sort by highest first. This will give you an
idea about
values. Or limit search to exact brands, etc. When you see something you are
interested - save in watching area.
After you have searched a lot of items - go
back to watching area and be more selective.
3. Look at seller's feedback. If they have (0)
transactions, do not bid. If they have less than 96%, read closely the feedback
comments. Sometimes, you will see comments by idiots, other times you will be
warned. The more sales the person has,
then they are probably making a living on Ebay (beware if they use discriptions, like my wife wants me to get rid of
this).
4. Beware of sellers who use private auctions (identity
of bidders is kept private), I have always felt that these buyers are
guilty of
bidding up their own product. Beware of sellers who spend more time telling you
the rules than describing the
product. Sometimes people forget who the customer
really is.
5. If an item really interests you, put in a bid. This seperates the serious from the watches. Bid just a few dollars above the
highest
bid. Early in the game you do not have to be high bidder.
6. If you are serious about winning an item, you need
to be watching it when it ends. The hottest bids will come in the last
two
minutes. Be aware that they are software programs that will place a bid for you
in the last 5-10 seconds (for a price).
My belief is that I figure what my
maximum is and add sometimes $25, I will then place my final bid in the last
minute.
If I am outbid, then so be it. Problem with Ebay is getting caught up in
a bidding war days before the item ends, this
practice always inflates the
price.
7. Make sure to leave feedback for the seller if
everything goes smoothly. I recommend Paypal as the best way to send
funds.
Because if there is a problem, you have recourse and a seller can refund you
through Paypal. I do not do items
where I have to send money orders. If you are
a seller, leave feedback for your buyer once you have been paid. I
personally
hate sellers who will only leave feedback after the buyer does.
Welcome to a wonderful marketplace and a fun way to buy
things.
Steve Begor - thebopper
5th
wedding anniversary
custom
Corporate gifts
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