Things You'll Need:
- Some extra time and effort when browsing eBay auctions.
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Step 1
You've found an item at eBay that you just GOTTA have and you're excited. But wait just a moment before you click "Place Bid." The first and most important step in making sure you get what you pay for is reading the auction description and terms very carefully. Know exactly what you are getting for your bid price. How much is shipping? What kind of return policy does the the seller have? You must read the entire auction text. Some sellers put special terms in their auction descriptions, and can claim you were a non-paying bidder or leave you negative buyer feedback just because you missed some fine print.
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Step 2
If you have questions about anything, be it specifics about the item or clarification of auction terms, use the "Ask seller a question" link at the top right. Don't panic if they don't answer you right away. You will have time to come back and bid. Most good sellers will also be on hand near the end of their auction specifically to answer last minute questions in hopes of getting more bidders.
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Step 3
Once you fully understand what you are bidding on and what terms the seller expects from you, check out their feedback page. Near the top of the auction page, on the right side is a small section about the seller. It gives their name, feedback percentage and a few other details. You want to click on "See detailed feedback." At the top of the feedback page, you get a summary of their feedback. If you see neutrals or negatives, you will want to scroll down to read specific comments. Sometimes it was just a misunderstanding or the buyer's fault. Also, one negative amidst several hundred positives isn't a problem. The red flag you are looking for is multiple negative or neutral comments, possibly about the same type of bad experience such as shipping at a different rate than agreed or sending an item that was not what was described. If you see repeated issues that don't seem to have been corrected, steer clear of this seller.
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Step 4
Certain high value brand name items can be faked and not all sellers are 100% honest about what they are selling. Be sure you are familiar with the product you are bidding on. Check the seller's photos carefully. Did the seller photograph the actual item or did they use stock photography of what the item is supposed to be? If you have doubts, or the pictures are unclear, use the link to "Ask seller a question" and request a more clear photo. An honest seller should be happy to oblige. Again, it pays to be sure to read the full description of the item. Sometimes sellers do keyword stuffing in the auction title to get you to look at their auction, when in fact their item is not the brand name item you thought it would be.
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Step 5
Once you have done all your homework about the item, the seller, and the auction specifics, feel free to place a bid. There are two common methods for bidding. You can enter the maximum amount you want to pay and eBay will increase your bid up to that amount as needed. Each time someone outbids your current bid, it will automatically increase your bid amount. Or you can "snipe" the auction near its end. The bidders wait until the auction is very close to expiring and then place their max bid, hoping to "snipe" the item at a low price before other bidders can get their higher bids in. This method strives to prevent bidding wars from raising the cost.
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Step 6
Pay with Paypal to protect your valuable personal information. Using Paypal, all the seller will see is your email address and your mailing address. He will see no account numbers, credit card numbers, or any other vital information. It's free to sign up and free to send money. Do not send cash through the mail.
Comments
arwen1964 said
on 5/29/2009 Very important information to get what you pay for on EBay.