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| | | | | EBay Shopping Tips for the Newcomer by Matia Bryson | | | As a newcomer to eBay, I found there was so much to learn about eBay and how it all worked. Here are five things that I feel will help one to be a bit more eBay savvy.
1. Read the item descriptions carefully. Be sure you know what the shipping cost is going to be, and be sure you know what kind of payments the seller accepts. Be warned that sometimes what is important is words that are left out, such as "new" or "smoke-free." A previously owned item will probably show some amount of wear, no matter how good the picture looks. These things can still be some of the biggest bargains though, if you can live with that. Buy as if there is no return policy.
2. When looking at a seller's credentials or feedback, do not just look at the numbers and the stars. Read the comments left from the other buyers. In particular you should see buyers saying that they received an item that was just as described or met their expectations. It may also be important to you to see a mention that the seller ships items quickly.
3. Understand that there are deadlines for things. It is an eBay rule that the buyer must at least communicate with the seller within three days after an auction ends about how they intend to pay, and make payment within seven days. The reason for following these rules is to be considerate and to get positive feedback as a buyer. Positive feedback as a buyer can help you when you want to become a seller, and also some sellers block buyers with negative feedback. There is a deadline of thirty-one days for leaving feedback. You can politely ask a seller to leave you feedback before time is up if they have neglected to do so.
4. If you cannot use PayPal and the seller allows money orders or personal checks, be certain to communicate with the seller when you have mailed your payment. Be understanding if they wait for a check to clear their bank for a number of days. If you are not on PayPal, why not? It is as safe as any credit card company or bank, and I trust them as much for giving my credit card numbers and bank account numbers to. Think about it... when you are mailing a stranger your personal check, they have your bank account number. I know there are a small number of people out there who do not use credit cards or bank accounts, but the rest of you know who you are!
5. Be sure you know what a phishing email is, because eBay and PayPal are very prone to being imitated by phishers. A phishing email is a deceptive message that appears to come from eBay or Paypal and has a link for you to log-in to your account. When you click the link, you may be taken to a webpage that looks like your log-in page, but it is a scam. If you enter your user name and password, then the bad guys will have them. I highly recommend the eBay toolbar as protection from phishing. I believe the new Internet Explorer 7.0 also has phishing protection built-in and the default setting is to have phishing protection enabled. Legitimate email from eBay will have both your real name and your user name. If you receive an email that something is wrong with your eBay or PayPal accounts, check those accounts by typing the eBay or PayPal addresses directly in your browser. Forward any suspicious emails to the eBay or PayPal spoof departments.
I found the eBay website to be so huge that it is overwhelming at times. Although I do not recommend reading every last word that eBay has published for buyers, you should have an acquaintance with where to find answers to questions you may have. The first and best place to look is for the Help buttons all over the eBay site. The eBay University Learning Center is a place that gives a broad overview of eBay. Happy Shopping! | | | | Article Source : Article-treasure.com | | Publication date : 05-04-2008 | | | | Article by Matia Bryson | | | | Matia Bryson is a bargain hunter that relishes the hunt as much as the find. She has created a home study course for eBay shoppers. | | | | Keywords : auction, shopping, home, bargains, eBay | | | | | |
