How to Bid at Online Auctions

Online auctions can be a great way to get deals on many types of goods, from computers and electronics to antiques and collectibles. You might also find those missing game pieces or even the cousin to your old teddy bear your mom tossed out years ago.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• Credit Cards And Loans
• Computers

1. Register as a bidder by entering your credit card number and an e-mail address for communication purposes. Registered bidders will be asked to submit a username and password.

2. Search categories to find things you want to bid on.

3. Select an item; enter your username, your password and the bid amount.

4. Enter a bid that is within your budget but higher than the current high bid. High bids are displayed along with the description of the item.

5. Click the Submit Bid button to go to the Web site's confirmation page. The site will advise you immediately on the status of your bid (whether you've been outbid or currently have the highest bid).

6. Look for a Current Winner message on the page showing that your bid is currently the highest. If no one outbids you before the auction period ends, you 'win' the auction.

7. Check your e-mail regularly during the auction. You will receive an e-mail message if you are outbid during the auction. Place another bid if you wish to bid higher.

8. Work out payment and shipping details directly with the seller when you win an auction. (The seller will most likely contact you via e-mail.) On some auction sites, you can submit payment through the site or a trusted third party. Payment is usually accomplished with a money order or personal check. Some sellers also accept credit cards.

Tips & Warnings

• Before bidding, ask the seller questions about how the item was stored or cared for and whether it has a certificate of authenticity.
• Check out size and weight specifications to ensure that you know what you're purchasing.
• If you have problems with a seller, complain to the site. Sites usually post negative feedback about a seller, and you can warn others who might have similar problems. Be a good buyer as well, as you may be rated by the seller.
• Comparison shop before you bid. Just because something's up for auction doesn't mean it's a good deal. Shop carefully'you could end up paying more money than you would in a traditional store.

[ynohtna]

on 7/4/2009 Good article thanks for the auction tips !

[costar]

on 11/12/2006 to avoid any shipping cost surprises it is the best to have the seller build the price including shipping. And if you use reverse auctions site like http://www.oltiby.com then you for sure will be able to save on shipping.

on 11/22/2005 Many online sellers are using phony "auctions" to peddle their wares. They set a "Buy It Now" price, and the starting bid is just a few dollars less. If the "Buy It Now" price is reasonable, just use that option. It just seems silly to think that you might "bid" and wait a week to see if you save $5 on a $250 item. Chances are, someone will up your bid and if you're not paying attention, you might actually surpass the "Buy It Now" price by accident.

on 11/22/2005 You can usually sort the list of items by price. I start at the very cheap end of the list, where most of the items have only recently been posted but start out way under the value. This way I can make ridiculously low bids on many items I am interested in. Most (by far) of the items finish way above my low bids, but on occasion I get some amazing deals this way. I also get a lot of thrill from the "risk" of having multiple bids in play.

on 11/22/2005 Some auctions let you "watch" an item. If there are several days left in an auction you may want to "watch" it rather than bidding too early, thus raising the price quickly. You can check back closer to the end of the auction to see if it is still in your price range.