If you’re considering becoming a regular shopper or buying anything of value on eBay, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with the eight critical things every savvy eBay shopper knows:
What eBay Is and What eBay Isn’t
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You’re familiar with the name. You’ve seen it in stories on the evening news. You’ve heard co-workers talking about it around the water cooler. Your niece says she even did her back-to-school shopping there. So what is this eBay phenomenon, anyway, and how does it work? What can you expect from my visit to eBay.com? The answers may surprise you.
Many Ways to Buy on eBay
Though all item listings on eBay have lots of things in common—information on item price, a seller’s past performance, and so on—there are also a number of differences between them, the most important differences being a listing’s type. Some listings are auctions. Others are items that you can buy right now. Some are binding contracts. Others are just tentative agreements. Knowing what kinds of listings exist can help you to choose between them when buying, as well as to know how to buy in the first place.
Quickly Judge Seller Trustworthiness
eBay’s feedback system is the most emulated and copied tool in the business for helping buyers to know which sellers to trust and which sellers to avoid. Knowing how to make quick use of the numbers, stars, and percentages that rate eBay sellers can mean the difference between a super eBay deal and a deep eBay regret.
Identify Risky Purchases You Should Avoid
Shoppers that make the most of eBay also know that there are a few key red flags that turn up again and again on eBay—and that when they do turn up, the best policy is to steer clear, even if the item in question seems spectacular or its price seems hard to beat. Know what to avoid and you’ll save yourself lots of the headaches that eBay’s toughest critics like to bemoan.
eBay’s Unusual Bidding System
Yes, eBay has auction listings and yes, shoppers “win” them by placing bids on them. Apart from these general details, however, eBay auctions behave almost totally differently from auctions in the “real world,” often in ways that lead new eBay users to think that they’re being cheated, either by eBay, by other buyers, or by sellers. New buyers can avoid getting themselves into trouble or losing auctions that they could easily have won by learning how eBay’s unique bidding system works.
If You’re Not Satisfied With Your Purchase
Sometimes shoppers aren’t satisfied with their purchases. This is as true on eBay as it is for any other kind of retail, whether online or offline. As an eBay shopper, you’re ahead of the game and prepared to avoid undue panic if you know in advance how to handle a purchase that doesn’t satisfy, provided it wasn’t listed as an AS-IS item.
What eBay Is and What eBay Isn’t
You’re familiar with the name. You’ve seen it in stories on the evening news. You’ve heard co-workers talking about it around the water cooler. Your niece says she even did her back-to-school shopping there. So what is this eBay phenomenon, anyway, and how does it work? What can you expect from my visit to eBay.com? The answers may surprise you.
How to Read Item Listings
Many Ways to Buy on eBay
Though all item listings on eBay have lots of things in common—information on item price, a seller’s past performance, and so on—there are also a number of differences between them, the most important differences being a listing’s type. Some listings are auctions. Others are items that you can buy right now. Some are binding contracts. Others are just tentative agreements. Knowing what kinds of listings exist can help you to choose between them when buying, as well as to know how to buy in the first place.
Quickly Judge Seller Trustworthiness
eBay’s feedback system is the most emulated and copied tool in the business for helping buyers to know which sellers to trust and which sellers to avoid. Knowing how to make quick use of the numbers, stars, and percentages that rate eBay sellers can mean the difference between a super eBay deal and a deep eBay regret.
Identify Risky Purchases You Should Avoid
Shoppers that make the most of eBay also know that there are a few key red flags that turn up again and again on eBay—and that when they do turn up, the best policy is to steer clear, even if the item in question seems spectacular or its price seems hard to beat. Know what to avoid and you’ll save yourself lots of the headaches that eBay’s toughest critics like to bemoan.
eBay’s Unusual Bidding System
Yes, eBay has auction listings and yes, shoppers “win” them by placing bids on them. Apart from these general details, however, eBay auctions behave almost totally differently from auctions in the “real world,” often in ways that lead new eBay users to think that they’re being cheated, either by eBay, by other buyers, or by sellers. New buyers can avoid getting themselves into trouble or losing auctions that they could easily have won by learning how eBay’s unique bidding system works.
What You Shouldn’t Expect From eBay and eBay Sellers
If You’re Not Satisfied With Your Purchase
Sometimes shoppers aren’t satisfied with their purchases. This is as true on eBay as it is for any other kind of retail, whether online or offline. As an eBay shopper, you’re ahead of the game and prepared to avoid undue panic if you know in advance how to handle a purchase that doesn’t satisfy, provided it wasn’t listed as an AS-IS item.
