Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Computer
- Private information (residence, email, phone number)
- Internet access
- Credit Card
Step1
Set up an Ebay account. Select the sign-in button. This will take you to a page which will allow you to sign-in or register for a new account.
Step2
Have ready credit card information (for buying purposes), your current residency information, telephone number and email address. You will also be asked to select a secret question which will provide you with your password if you forget it.
Step3
Begin your search. You can do this either by entering keywords into the "search" box, or you can find items under their categories, such as automotive or jewelry.
Step4
Find an item you wish to bid on and then check to see if there is a "buy it now" symbol next to it. If there is, you can choose to buy the item at the listed price. If the price seems unreasonable, you can make an offer on the item. Some items have a "reserve" which means that there is a minimum offer a seller will take on that item. You may bid as low or as high as you want.
Step5
Check your bid often. In auctions where there is a lot of interest in the item, bids may come in every five minutes. If it is an item you really want, bid high and watch often. People who come in with bids at the last minute are called "snipers". They will up your bid at the last moment by bidding only a penny more than you, thus winning the auction. To avoid this you must check in on your bid every minute during the last half hour of the auction.
Step6
Ensure that you check your settings after you have bid with your optimum price, to receive email updates which will notify you if you have been outbid, or if you have lost or won an auction. This is an easy way to keep tabs on your auction without signing in regularly throughout the day.
