Though eBay has a bit of a reputation (who can forget the Playstation 2 incident!), I would like to start by saying I have found it totally reliable. I have bought and received 12 items. Each one arrived safely, even on the occasion when I was daft enough to send cash!! I must admit, I have mostly bought small items like CDs and videos. I'm not sure that I would want to buy something like a laptop from there. Ebay sells items in hundreds of categories, from computers to clothes, from antiques to DVDs. So, if you are yearning for a vintage Apple Mac, or an old album that you once owned, give eBay a look!
EBay does have a feedback system, so, if you are unlucky enough to be landed with a load of rubbish, you can leave bad feedback, and so prevent others from being caught out.
So, how does eBay work?
You must register with eBay to buy or sell.
Firstly, a person puts something up for sale, for instance a CD. There is an inital listing fee, depending on the start price of the item, and a final value fee once it is sold. Up to £4.99, the listing fee is 15p. You can pay extra for all sorts of options, like reserve auctions, or highlighted entries. I have not sold anything on eBay yet, so I can't tell you much about it.
Next, someone else comes along, finds your item, and likes it. So, they leave a bid. You can either bid the minimum needed, or leave your maximum price, and eBay will keep bidding for you up to your limit. This is useful if you will be at work when an auction ends. You can save items and have eBay email you to remind you when they close (though currently my emails are arriving the day after the auctions end). You can also save a search, and have eBay email any new items that appear in it. If you want to know more about an item, you can email the seller through eBay.
When you have bought something, eBay will email both parties, and give out the email addresses. Until you buy something, no one knows your email address. Then, you send a cheque (or use Paypal or something similar), they wait until it arrives, and then send your item. It can be a little slow, but there are some good items cheap on eBay, so it is worth it. Once you have the item in your hand, and you've checked for problems, you can leave feedback for the seller, saying how reliable they are (or not!!).
Well, let me know if I havr forgotten anything, and I will add it, thanks!
*Just as a footnote, I yesterday had a problem with a CD I bought on eBay, as it arrived without its front cover. The seller did not realise, and when I emailed him, he was very apologetic, and a CD single arrived on my doorstep this morning by way of compensation. That is extremely good service in my opinion! *
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Nice to hear some good stuff about e-bay agaisn't the tide of bad comments. The only thing that I would add is that because sellers on e-bay rely on good feedback for future sales. I would say give it a go perhaps buy a small bargain to trial the website.
emuku 31.07.2001 02:48
I keep reading of these interesting sorts of things but really don't understand money and the internet. Talking of which, apparantly there's some money in this for me but i have no idea how! Eek! Love from Emily. xxx.
ericstannard 30.07.2001 13:58
Why I gave a "Fairly Helpful" (FH) rating .. my rating was a true reflection on how useful the opinion was to ME, given the knowledge I already have, and within the limitations of the rating systems allowed by ciao. I am sure that if I had no knowledge of auction sites and ebay inparticular I would have rated the opinion differently. FH is not a negative response, it is a positive response (in my opinion) but not the highest because of the knowledge I already have. If people do not rate the opinions as they see them then it is pointless having a ratings system.
Advantages: Finding things you will almost never see in a shop again! Disadvantages: Having to wait to see if you win it and then waiting for delivery!
tarara 22.04.2003 (22.04.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of ebay.co.uk
Advantages: Getting rid of unwanted items, finding rare things, not having to deal with queues in real shops, lots of choice Disadvantages: strange people, security
Pantheria 16.02.2007 (16.02.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of ebay.co.uk
Jul 30th, 2001
(Jul 31st, 2001)
very helpful by (75%):
helpful by (25%):
