EBAY is an online auction site made up of over 4 million items. Individuals and small businesses post items for sale in many different categories. After registering, anyone (over 18) can then bid on theses auctions throughout the site.
I have been using the site for about 4 years now, buying dirt-cheap obscure textbooks through to cameras from Russia. I have no complaints about the service and find it unparalleled. Want that retro Pan-Am toothbrush holder? Chances are some red necked American is selling it
on Ebay.
Ebay allows sellers to list their items on the auction website where sellers can look at the item and hopefully make a bit for it. Ebay charges the seller for the services, they take a cut from the end prices (1.5-5%) and a listing fee (usually 10p-£2)
FROM A BUYERS POINT OF VIEW
Firstly you need to find what you want to buy, I have spend hours just browsing around the site looking at all the silly trash people are trying to sell. The site is arrange into sections like Toys, Cars, Clothing each with their own subsections. To be honest I find the search function the best way to locate what I want. When you find that special something, type in the maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item and click ‘submit bid’. It really is that simple!
When the auction is ended you arrange a method to pay with the seller, I usually use PayPall that allows you to pay via credit card. You can send cash/IMO (see later).
The main problem you will encounter is that most of the items are listed in America, given the poor exchange rate between pound/dollar at the moment, this can push the price up. Also many sellers in America refuse to ship internationally although I find, if asked nicely, they will.
Getting money to America is easy enough, I use PayPal (there is no fee for Mastercard/Visa payments you card issuer offers a slightly less competitive exchange rate as a fee) which is quick and simple. Other times I have used cash and international monetary orders. You are protected by Ebay’s ‘Safe Harbour’ that will reimburse you if your good fail to come through. This is lengthy process so I recommend you check the sellers credentials (everyone has a feedback page where sellers comment on buyers, and visa versa) to make sure they are reputable.
FROM A SELLERS POINT OF VIEW
Selling on Ebay is easy enough, first you locate you a section in which you wish to sell and click ‘Add Item’, a screen comes up asking for a title, starting price and a description of the item. You should include:
1) a description of the item-
a) the colour, size
b) the condition (chips, scratches, usage, etc.)
c) the year it was made or was in circa
d) what equipment comes with
e) if the instructions and/or original box is included
f) if it is an original, copy, or other
The description can be done in HTML which makes the page more catchy, there are various tools that help you write HTML (see the Ebay Website.) It is also VITAL to get a picture of your item on the page, you should consider using a digital camera or scanner. This picture you ‘embed’ into your HTML description, if I’m loosing you with geekspeak check the help section of Ebay. It sounds complicated but it really is not.
After the action is finished you arrange payment and post the item (see above), hopefully this all goes according to plan and the buyer leaves positive feedback for you and visa versa. You will also need to pay Ebay the listing fee and commission, this can be done via credit card when your account with them has exceeded £10.
CONCLUSION
In all Ebay is great. It gives you a stall in a marketplace visited by 10 million people a day. If you want ANYTHING you will find it on Ebay. As for comparisons with other online action sites, Yahoo is good and charges no fee but has nowhere near as many visitors. QXL.co.uk, forget it, it is useless.
I did a little research via the EBAY website. I wasn't aware that the whole Ebay idea came from a conversation the founder, Pierre Omidyar and his wife had. She thought it would be nice to have a trading/selling site for Pez collectors, she herself being an avid collector. I bet they could have never imagined how far it would go!
by (97%):
by (3%):
09.09.2001 13:33
Great op. I have been away for a bit so I have a lot of catching up to do. I will read and rate your ops but the system wont let me rate at the mo so i will have to come back to rate.a really informative op though and i think that i will give this site a go, i have a few things i wanna get rid of.Louisa:)
02.08.2001 14:43
I have had many e-mails from this online site, but Ive yet to use it. I probably would like to sell stuff too and perhaps buy stuff from International Users-the point about quoting poor US$ :£ rate is useful. Very informative opinion, thanks.
31.07.2001 14:46
Good Op, I use Ebay all the time when looking for stuff, thanks for adding me to your COT.....Cheers Andrew