Firstly I will to the best of my ability, explain what Ebay is. I will not presume that everyone knows what it is, because up until earlier this year, when my little brother explained it to me, I did not have a clue (or maybe I’m just not very observant!). Since my enlightenment, I am having trouble staying off it. I have trained as a Nail Technician (as a hobby not fulltime job) and so I came across this site whilst using a google search to try and find online suppliers of nail extension products. (This is only a minuscule section of the items on ebay, so don’t be put off if your not interested in acrylic nails!). I had a brief look, but thought that all the things for sale were second hand, how wrong was I! After a quick and somewhat patronising explanation by my brother, I decided to go back for a more detailed look.
Ebay is quite simply an online auction site. You can buy and sell items in an auction, where other ebay members can bid for them. You can access the site and browse through the items it has to offer as a guest and do not need to register. However, if you want to place any bids or sell your own items in an auction, you need to register and create a user name. You can buy from ebay at no extra cost (other than the cost of the item won in the auction of course!). If you sell items on ebay there is a listing charge, I believe (this is where ebay make there money from). I have only used ebay to buy things off and so I cannot comment on the selling side of it. Although I have read some of the online help instructions, which seem fairly self explanatory
**REGISTERING YOUR DETAILS**
Registering is fairly simple, you have to fill in your details (name, address etc) and decide on your user name. It’s quite a few months since I registered now, but I think you have to decide on a password as well, they then email you just to confirm your details and password to keep your details secure. The help sections are very easy to use if you
have any problems
Once you have registered, you can log on using your username and password. This will take you to the ‘My Ebay’ page. This page is the hub of your buying and selling. It lists any items you currently have bids on, items you have won, items you have lost and items you are watching (more of this later). It also has a feedback section and a favourites section. This page allows you to keep track of all the auctions you are interested in. It also shows your user name at the top. In brackets next to it will be a number, if you are a new member it will be ‘0’. This is your ebay rating (more about this later too).
I was at first a little unsure about buying something from someone I have never met, who is not a company (anyone can sell on ebay, from businesses to individuals sat at home). Ebay does provide protection against fraud and such, but I personally have not had any problems and so have not delved into this too deeply. Obviously everyone who joins has to give their name and address, plus valid email, which I think has to be one which is registered (i.e. paid for and connected directly to you. E.g. btopenworld etc.), not a free one which anyone can get (e.g. yahoo or hotmail).
Each member on ebay has a rating as mentioned above. This tells you how well trusted this member is. Each time a transaction is completed, both the buyer and seller leave feedback about their experience against the others username. Each time a member receives a feedback from someone who has not bought from them / sold to them before, there user rating goes up. For example, I now have a rating of (64) after my user name. This means that I have bought off 64 separate people, who have all left feedback for me (they all said nice things I can add proudly!). By looking at the seller’s profile, you can read the feedback they have been left in the past to see if they are a reliable person to deal with.
**SEARCH FOR GOODIES**
There are two main ways of searching for items. There is the home page, which contains a list of menus which are divided up into sections, e.g. Art and antiques, clothing and accessories, toys, PC & video gaming, music, sports etc… the list is very comprehensive. Each section is split down further into sub sections. For example, within the DVD, TV and film section, there are sub sections of DVDS, Videos and memorabilia. By going through the menu system you can filter down to the actual products you want. Alternatively, you can use the search facility, which operates like most Internet searches. You can search for a specific word or group of words, to get a list of all the items you need.
**PLACING A BID**
When you find an item you are interested in, you can read the description left by the seller and all the relevant details, which go with it. Some descriptions are better than others (depends on the seller), but most have pictures, so you can see exactly what it is you are bidding on. You can also email the seller with any questions you may have. I have always received prompt relies to my queries. Auctions can last for three days, five days or ten days. I think it is the seller discretion, which they use. Some items are second hand (or pre-owned which sounds better!), it is best to check if you are not sure, or not happy with buying used items.
You can bid as soon as you find an item you want. However, I tend to put things in my list of items to ‘watch’ and bid near the auction end, or you can get drawn into a ‘bidding war’ if someone else wants it too, during which you can get carried away with how much you bid. If you think you are not going to be available to watch the item when the action ends, you can ‘proxy’ bid. To do this you put in the maximum amount you want to pay, and ebay will bid for you up to that amount, if anyone else outbids your current amount.
The first transaction I did was only small, just to test the water. I saw some nail art products, which looked really good and at an unbelievably cheap price, so after reading the profile of the item and the seller at least three times, I tentatively placed a bid. I eagerly watched my bid in ‘my ebay’ page. The auction was on for 5 days so I was a nervous wreck by the time the final day came. Someone else put a bid in higher than mine on the last day, so I quickly went back into the item and entered a higher amount. The satisfaction of winning that auction was amazing (small things amuse small minds, I know!). The ‘my ebay’ page counts down the minutes to the end and allows you to be up to the minute on where your auctions are and if you need to up your bids.
**WINNING AND PAYING**
When the auction ends, you will be sent an email (only if you were successful in winning that is), telling you that you have won and whom you need to pay. It will also tell you how much postage you have to pay (in addition to winning bid amount). It is best if you check the postage amount before bidding to avoid any nasty surprises later.
There are a few ways you can pay for your purchase, but each seller is different and may only accept certain payment methods (so check before bidding). You can pay by cheque, posted to the seller. Most sellers will ship your goods to you after your cheque has been cashed. There is also an online payment service called Paypal (this is a separate site), with which you can securely register your credit card and use it to pay for your goodies online. These are the two methods I have had experience of, but there are a few other methods, clearly explained in the online help.
The selection of products and items is amazing and I could not possibly list them all. I have bought designer clothes brand new with tags, perfume still sealed, DVD’s, PC games, nail tech products, and clinique make up to name but a few. The site also has Electrical appliances (hoovers, hi-fi’s, irons etc), Adults and children’s clothes and accessories, collectable items (pottery, coins, books etc), art and craft supplies (cross stitch, sewing, etc), toys/games, mobile phones, jewellery and even cars. There is also an ‘everything else’ section which contains just that. It is very rare that I have searched for something and not found at least one for sale.
**INTERNATIONAL SELLERS**
I have even bought items from sellers in America. Obviously the shipping costs are higher, but sometimes it can be worth it. When paying international bidders, it helps to have a credit card so you can deal in different currencies (very few will accept £ sterling cheques). I have had no problems so far, and the people I dealt with were really nice and kept me up to date on where my shipment was up to. There are items listed from sellers in Europe, but unfortunately I am limited to English only so I am not able to read the descriptions in German!
**MY EXPERIENCE**
It is very addictive, I started out just bidding on one or two things to start off with, which I read and re-read all the descriptions and small print to make sure I knew what I was buying and who from. Now I have at least a few bids in at any one time and a full list of items I am ‘watching’. I have found myself just browsing through the menus or searching for things such as toys I used to have as a child, just to see if anyone is selling them, but then I am tempted to bid for them if anything shows up in the search. I was overcome with nostalgia when I found someone selling Sindy's Caravan I used to have when I was 7 or 8 (how sad I hear you say!)
In my experience, I have not had a single ‘bad seller’. Some items have taken longer to arrive than others, but so far I have not had any problems. You can take an educated guess by looking at someone’s feedback as to if they are reliable. If the quite a few people who bought from them complained and gave bad feedback, it would be common sense not to buy from them. However, it is worth bearing in mind that someone could have 1 bad feedback, but 100 good ones before that, so it is worth considering there overall performance. I have found all the people I have dealt with to be polite and a pleasure to deal with.
One thing, which can be very irritating, is if someone out bids you when you are not online, or a minute before the auction ends so there is not enough time for you to put in another bid. However, I have found that no matter what I am wanting to buy, there will be another listed within a week or so, so if I lose an auction I am consoled by the knowledge that someone else will be selling the same item soon, and you never know, it could even be cheaper!
**TIPS FOR BUYERS**
Always read the descriptions and terms of an item thoroughly before bidding. Check postage costs (especially international) before bidding Watch items, till near end of auction to prevent bidding wars Check how much an item costs brand new from shops to avoid getting over charged. Check feedback to make sure seller is reliable. Beware of over bidding and getting carried away. Pay promptly to get yourself a good rating
Happy Bidding!! :-)
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I've been on here a few times, but never really understood how it worked, though you've made it alot clearer now, thanks for this. Brilliant, informative op, Dan.
CherryBlossom 14.11.2003 00:57
Some of the P&P charges are extortionate. One seller charged me £5 to send two tops in an old envelope, second class! Nochex and Fastpay are also useful methods of payment and easier for buyers who don't already have a Paypal account. Excellent op. ~Sharon
raeisthehippychick 13.11.2003 12:35
Very good op - I keep meaning to have a look round ebay, now maybe I really will
Advantages: free, a whole huge vast and fascinating range of goods on offer, ability to sell items yourself, feedback system builds your rep as buyer/seller, well designed site, account info available Disadvantages: crooks can operate but not regularly and eBay insurance can cover some of costs lost
judithritchie 06.03.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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Oct 21st, 2003
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