What Not to Buy on eBay
'What Not to buy on eBay' is an informative article about the reality of buying on eBay with some stark reminders of what you really shouldn't purchase over the internet.
'What Not to buy on eBay' is an informative article about the reality of buying on eBay with some stark reminders of what you really shouldn't purchase over the internet.
• Search smart. For a particular item, do multiple searches using different terms. For example, a pattern name, then a pattern number, or a misspelled variation.
• Make sure the deal's a deal. Check out search engines such as BizRate.com and Shopping.com that scan prices on many Web sites. Also, read item descriptions carefully to make sure what is -- and isn't -- included in the sale.
• Eyeball the seller. Check the seller's feedback score plus the link that estimates the number of transactions he or she has made in the last year. Look for vendors who have completed at least 10 transactions and have positive ratings of 98 percent or higher.
• Check out return policies. Many sellers won't take returns.
• Check shipping costs. Most auctions list these charges. If not, e-mail the seller to find out the full costs, which can be high.
• Time it right. Standard auctions last one to seven days. Wait until the last day of the auction to bid. Try bidding odd figures, like $108.03 instead of $108. You might win by a few cents.
• Beat the competition. "Proxy bidding" enters bids for you so you can stay ahead. You enter the most you're willing to pay, say $120, and press "confirm bid." Whenever someone makes a higher bid, a new bid topping that one is entered for you. Another technique is "sniping," in which you can swoop in with a winning bid during an auction's final moments. Go to www.auctionsniper.com to try a free sample snipe.
• Use protection. Never wire money. Instead, use PayPal with a major credit card. PayPal Buyer Protection covers up to $1,000. EBay's Standard Purchase Protection program covers up to $200 not covered by PayPal, but it costs $25. Both cover only non-delivery or an item that arrives different from the description. With a credit card, you could call your credit-card issuer and try to get the charge plus any interest taken off your bill.
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What are Snipers?
Snipers are a extension of eBays own bidding tools, they automatically bid on your behalf upto your preset bidding limit. This facility does increase your bid, the moment another bidder enters the bidding war, snipers enter your lowest bid until the final moments. The idea behind a sniper is to keep bidding actions down to a minimum and also by keeping the final price low.
There are two types of Sniper: PC Based which require an interent connection to be active as the auction approaces the end and secondly their is a web based tool that goes ahead without your involvment, this offers the ability to bid on similar items simultaneously and then stop bidding once one has been won.
Snipers can not guarantee you a win, especially if the price rises above your maximum limit.
Second Chances and Offers
Not all items get sold via auction, especially if the reserve price was not met. The 'Best Offer' facility enables buyers to offer a price for their chosen item in which they are interested in purchasing. The sellers at any time can reject any such offers if it does not meet their requirments. This is very often the case when sellers and traders have high volumes of stock or old stock that needs to be moved on.
Also, if a seller has multiple items or the winning bidder could not go through with the transaction, even though you did not win the auction you could recieve an email offering the goods at your highest bid. On many occassions you may pay alot less then the winning bidder.
Ebay does not just offer auctions, there is also 'Buy It Now' option where the price is set and you can buy immediaitely, another option is Ebay stores go to http://stores.ebay.co.uk where you can look for items using the search window and directory.
A word of warning
As a buyer on ebay, always be very wary that some offers may not be genuine as you first think. We recommended you always be on the air of caution and check out the sellers history which is on the right handside of each listing, this will give you details of the sellers history and previous feedback.
If you buy from outside the UK their is very little you can do if something does go wrong, other than feeding negative feedback.
If goods fail to appear and you paid via Paypal some compensation is available. Sellers that have achieved a specific trading reputation with Paypal are granted Paypal Buyer protection which is indicated by a blue tick on a white shield. This offers buyers a safety net of upto £500 against qualified sellers if claims are made within 45 days. Most other transactions qualify for Ebays standard protection of £120, minus £15 fee for claims made upto 90 days.