Have you ever watched the seemingly omnipresent TV show Bargain Hunt? Well, eBay is a little similar to this - it is, as I'm sure a lot of you know, an online auction site. But there's a few important differences. Firstly, literally everything is up for grabs on eBay from bean bags to .. umm .. beans, so you aren't limited to rickety old chairs and novelty egg-cups. Secondly, bidding on eBay is actually pretty fun. Thirdly and most importantly, there's no sign of David Dickinson and his ridiculous glasses.
Initially, I was pretty wary of buying anything from online auctions. Say I got ripped off? Say I paid but never received what was rightfully mine? Say my account details were stolen and used by fraudsters? Say eBay decided to sponsor Bargain Hunt?

First, it should be noted that there's actually several different eBay sites, for pretty much every developed country in the world. The subject of this opinion is eBay.com, but if you're in the UK you want eBay.co.uk. From here it's possible to reach any of the other worldwide sites.

Registration is very easy. The registration link is displayed prominently on the main page, and from there it's just a matter of following the clear instructions, which guide you through entering your details, agreeing to eBay's terms and finalising your registration. eBay need your name, address, date of birth and contact details. You'll also need to set a user name and password - eBay provide a feature for constructing user names if your first choice is taken, which can result in some rather amusing nicknames! I followed the registration process without any problems, but it should be noted that if you are using an 'anonymous' email address such as a Hotmail or Yahoo account, you'll need to enter your credit card details to verify your identity. It's a bit of a pain, but probably a good move bearing in mind the reputation of these addresses as a haven for junk-mailers and fraudsters.

Let's get down to some bidding! Bidding, like everything else on eBay, is very simple. There are two ways to browse the site. eBay has a well designed browsing area, allowing you to happily surf through the categories of items to find that signed photograph of Ruby Wax you've always wanted. Categories include Automotive, Electronics, Clothing, Jewellery, Computing and many more. Alternatively, the site includes an efficient search function, which you'll be using pretty often as there are so many items on offer! Items are listed with pictures, the current number of bids, prices, descriptions, and the time remaining on the auction, and can be sorted by the latter three of these. Items shown can also be limited to specific areas, useful if you need a large item that you want to pick up yourself.

eBay makes it easy to keep an eye on the items you’re interested in, before bidding on them. It’s possible to ‘watch’ any item which is a possible candidate for purchase. The attaches it to your personal page, where it’s easy to follow the auction. eBay will also send you regular emails allowing you to keep up to date on your auctions.

After the auction, if you’ve won you need to make contact with the seller. Normally the seller will do this first. You need to return to the auction page and specify the payment method you will be using. If you choose an online payment method such as PayPal you can pay right away – if you use ‘traditional’ methods such as cheque or cash, you still need to inform the seller of this before sending payment. Any questions you have can easily be sent to the seller.

The vast majority of transactions go smoothly, but eBay have good provisions for the minority that don’t. If you’re selling an item and your bidder doesn’t pay up, eBay can send a number of progressively nastier emails to them. Failing this, you can report the bidder as a Non-Paying Bidder. Repeated offences can result in suspension. If you need to work things out with your bidder, it is also possible to request their contact details.

eBay is one of the best sites around on ease of use. It’s just so simple to navigate the site and find items you’re looking for. On logging in to the site, you are taken to your personal page. From here you can keep watch on all the items you are bidding on or selling, check your account details or feedback, update account preferences or get help on any aspect of eBay. eBay’s help, by the way, is very comprehensive and easy to use and to understand.

It’s cheaper than shops, less hassle than real auctions, and much easier and more fun than scouring the ad column in your local newspaper. If you’re not using eBay, you’re missing out on a lot of bargains. Highly recommended.