Everything you never wanted to buy or how to get a rush without really trying.
Written: Mar 22 '01 (Updated Apr 29 '01)
| Customer Service: |
 |
|
| Notification Services: |
 |
|
| Search and Navigation: |
|
|
| Sense of Community: |
|
|
| Trustworthiness of Sellers: |
|
|
| Cost of Selling: |
|
|
| Trustworthiness of Buyers: |
|
|
The Bottom Line
It’s fun, it’s easy, and you can get hooked. Keep your wits about you and you just might find a one-of-a-kind item or bargain.
|
| Full Review |
I got hooked on auctions when I was about 8 years old. Our next door neighbors were moving and they were having an auction to get rid of some belongings, kind of unusual (garage sales were more common), and I wanted to go over and see what kind of bargains I could get. Boy did I get one. An 8’ drapery rod for 50 cents. The largest window in my parents home was, oh maybe 6’ wide, so I don’t know why I bought it, but I think we did finally put it up at our cabin.
But what a rush. Getting something that was worth far more than I paid for it was a definite high, even for a 3rd grader. They do say that addictions are learned early in life : )
So I grew up. And I got married and started going to farm auctions with my husband. I get a little nervous at these auctions, because the bidding audience is mostly comprised of old farmers (and younger ones) dressed in bib overalls, Carharts, and seed corn caps; they all spit on the ground and buy greasy old tools that I wouldn’t even put in my garage. I don’t really like to bid because I can’t keep track of the auctioneer, but I go anyway, and usually end up spending more money on something than I thought I did. But I still get that rush.
Then I found eBay. The online, no auctioneer, 24 x 7 x 365 auction where you can buy anything, including the kitchen sink.
For the first few months, I found and bought all kinds of “stuff”. Horse “stuff” (we raise Morgan horses and it’s fun to have Morgan “stuff”), CDs, books, memorabilia, computer “stuff” (I even bought a printer), oh geez, I can’t even tell you what all I have bought. After the initial buying frenzy was over, I started trying to sell some “stuff’ on there, and I couldn’t believe what some people would pay for junk that I had laying around my house. $15 for an “I Love Lutefisk” button. $25 for printer cartridges that cost $15 in the store. $20 for an old Popular Mechanics magazine.
While I am not a “professional eBay-er” (there are books out there if you really want to read them), I do have some lessons learned and tips that I either know (or have on good authority) to share with you regarding eBay. The first thing to do, regardless, is to get yourself set up on eBay with an ID and account; it is also a good idea to set up a PayPal or other epayment account as well to facilitate payment more easily. (Buying all those stinking cashier’s checks, or running them into the bank is a real pain, PayPal will just make it easier for you.)
The site
eBay is extremely user-friendly, in fact, so friendly, you can get lost browsing for hours (kind of like epinions!). You can also get “addicted”. (As long as you don’t spend money, and balance it with time with your family, eating, sleeping, and working, it’s not a terrible habit!) Items are categorized by the seller, so a search will sometimes bring up more of what you are looking for than a simple browse in a category. Because some sellers are spelling-challenged, you may find Hummel figurines spelled as “Humel”. (This can fall into the “unexpected bargain” category, no one else can find it since it’s spelled wrong, so you pick it up at a song!)
Sellers also have the option of adding pictures, which is great, especially if the item is one of a kind or used. As a buyer, I won’t even look at an item that doesn’t have a picture (unless it’s something brand new that doesn’t need a photo, like a book or CD). Special advertising (gallery and features) are used to catch your attention. A new feature, “Buy Now”, allows you to buy the item before the auction is over at a set price.
Sellers can list items singly, or if they have multiples of the exact same item, they have the option of doing a “dutch” auction. This means they may list 5 of the same item on one auction; you can bid on 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 for the same price (each).
eBay also allows you to “talk” (via email) to the seller prior to the auction’s end to get any questions answered. There may be some details about the item you aren’t able to glean from the ad, or maybe you are curious where they are located (for big items) or how much the shipping/handling will run.
Another tool that is handy is “My eBay”. After signing in, you can check on items you are “watching” (not bidding on, but interested in), items you are bidding on, selling, and more. It’s oh so much easier than filling up your browser “favorites” (or bookmarks) with eBay auctions.
A quick primer
Although I believe everyone knows the basics of bidding on eBay, you might not! So here is a VERY quick overview of how it works.
1. After you’ve found an item you want to bid on, you place a secure bid (via sign-in) on the item. You can enter a maximum bid – the amount you will bid up to. Think of it as what you have in your wallet when you go to the auction. You can also enter a smaller dollar amount than you are willing to ultimately go to, but only if you want to continue to check back on the item and re-bid if you get beat out. You will only pay your maximum amount if someone else bids against you up to that price; the amount of the high bid will go up incrementally as other bids are placed. (For example, I want a Beethoven CD. It starts at $1. I place the first bid, with a maximum bid of $15, because that is the top dollar amount I am willing to pay for it. My first bid will be $1, and if no one else bids against me, I will get the CD for $1. The $15 only comes into play if someone bids against you.)
2. You’ll get back a screen message stating that you are either a) the top bidder (at what price), or b)another bidder has outbid you. This happens because the other bidder’s maximum bid was higher than yours.
3. During the auction, eBay will send you an email if you are outbid. You can go back and submit a higher bid, or forget the item.
4. If you have the winning bid when the auction is over, you will get an automatic email from eBay telling you that you won. It’s up to you and the seller to get together to discuss payment and delivery of the item. I always send a quick email to the seller right away, quick communication will win you good feedback, which is important.
5. Leave feedback for the seller after the transaction is complete, and remind him/her to leave some for you! It’s how eBay-ers build their credibility (see #5 below).
If you are buying, here are a few basic tips that I have found may help you…
1. Read descriptions carefully. I love giraffes, and found a cute Beanie Baby giraffe at a cheap price. Well, it was cheap because it was a trading card, not the actual stuffed animal, and I didn’t read the description closely enough. So look carefully at the description, shipping and handling (more on that in a second), payment procedure (some people will just not take anything but a cashier’s check, and I’ve gotten so spoiled that unless they take PayPal, I won’t even bid on something).
2. Watch the shipping and handling (S/H). Remember, your total cost is going to include this cost. A $3 item with $10 shipping and handling is not a bargain if you can buy it a store for $7. Some sellers really mark up S/H…most will charge you actual or a fixed fee that is reasonable. Keep in mind that reasonable may include not only the cost of postage or UPS, but also packing materials and boxes/envelopes required to ship the item.
3. Comparison shop. That means everywhere, dude. Even other eBay auctions. If you are searching for a specific item, look at eBay auctions that have the same item listed. The OOP (out of print) video that you just bid $50 on may have another auction running with a high bid of $10. And don’t forget the obvious…other e-tailers, retailers, online auctions, etc., that you can check out pricing on. I actually got into an argument (as a seller) with a buyer who refused to pay me because he said he could buy the product in a store for less money. Happens all the time, I told him, and buddy, you were the one doing the bidding, not me! I can’t explain it, but I can go out to eBay right now, find countless items that are brand new, selling for twice what I could run down to Target or click over to buy.com and buy them for. Why? Well, one theory is that some people just want to…
4. Win at all costs (DON’T). Remember that rush I got as an 8 year old? Well, it’s still there. Even when I am sitting in my living room, playing on my PC and get that Justin Morgan Had a Horse video for $80. “Ha-ha-ha (imagine an evil cackle), I beat out that rotten “morgans-r-us” ebay-er yet again. Who cares that I have 18 copies of the video in my cabinet! I won!” Get the picture? Don’t let yourself fall into this trap. After doing your research on S/H, comparison shopping, and deciding, yes, you really do want/need this item, set a maximum price (if only in your mind) and stick to it. Material possessions do not guarantee happiness. You will not feel better about yourself if you win that moldy old Tupperware container.
5. Check out the seller’s ratings. Ever noticed those stars and numbers in parentheses after the seller’s names? They mean something. Very similar to the ratings used by epinions, eBay allows buyers and sellers to evaluate each other and leave feedback. It’s a slick tool; you have to actually have a transaction with the person to leave feedback, you can’t do it anonymously, which cuts down on fraud or revenge ratings. Unfortunately, there are some people who just refuse to be satisfied (the jerk who argued and refused to pay me on eBay is the ONLY negative feedback I’ve ever gotten!), but you are allowed to defend yourself with a rebuttal comment. This is handy in making sure you are dealing with a reputable seller. I’ve never been burned (from a buyer standpoint), but I know people who have, so be careful. While eBay will take complaints about unscrupulous sellers (or deadbeat buyers), warranty is pretty much in the seller’s hands. Check out the ratings and ask questions of the seller ahead of time to ensure you are not disappointed or downright ripped off.
6. Keep an eye on your auctions. I have heard that there are some people out there who can “lock you out” of an auction, thereby making it impossible to get in a last minute bid. I’ve no idea how this is done (being the ethically pure person that I am), but it sounds pretty sneaky. My advice? Set your price (see #4), and make your first bid up to your maximum. If no one else bids against you, you will not pay the full amount, but you won’t have to sit up until 3 a.m. Sunday night to get in a last minute bid on that genuine Ming dynasty vase that you have your heart set on, and you won’t get “locked out”.
Final take on eBay? I love it. My husband loves it. We’ve bought all kinds of items recently, from a Norwegian bowl as a Christmas present (approximate value: $125; paid $25 on eBay), to a couple of tractors (yes, full-size, plow the fields tractors). Like I said, you can find anything, you can have fun, and you can find some wonderful bargains or unique items. Just use it wisely!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
lynnzop
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Lynn Kvigne
Location: The Great Midwest
Reviews written: 101
Trusted by: 72 members
About Me:
Publisher of BeadingHelpWeb.com
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.