--------Introduction-------- This is a review of the online auction site Ebay.co.uk. Ebay was launched in 1995. The website describes itself as providing a marketplace where you can find practically anything. As a registered user you can either bid for items in the hope of winning them or alternatively list a product so that it sells. My review will provide details of how Ebay works, some advice and personal experience, the benefits and pitfalls of using the website, and my conclusions.
--------Getting Started-------- In order to register you need to provide your address details, an email address, and also choose a username. You will have to give your credit card/bank account details in order to register, simply for verification purposes. One can be assured that Ebay are not going to take money off you for joining since it is free to do so.
--------Using the Site-------- The site uses a simple layout of a search bar at the top right of the screen on the homepage with favourite (main) categories listed as you scroll down on the left, and the rest of the page is usually full of various promotions. Main categories include Computing, Phones, Sporting Goods, Toys & Games, and many, many others. By clicking on 'All categories' you can see all the main categories and sub categories that seems to be an ever-expanding list. Nonetheless, doing a simple search of Ipod 20GB, Nokia 6680, Return of the King DVD for example should usually provide a suitable set of listings to view.
When you sign in to your Ebay account, one can view 'My Ebay'. This provides a neat summary of whether you have won an item, have been outbid, items being watched, if your product is going to sell and if so for how much, and additionally that feedback needs to left or a sold item needs to be posted. So as to avoid any emails from Ebay threatening
to cancel you account if you do not pay your fees to them, 'My Ebay' also allows users to check how much you owe Ebay. My advice: pay them as soon as possible.
--------Paypal-------- One method of paying which is becoming increasingly popular is known as paypal. This is a secure way of paying for items online. If you intend to buy/sell items on Ebay receiving the money through paypal, then there are a couple of matters to think about. (1) As a buyer you will need to provide credit/debit card details linked to your bank account if your paypal account does not cover the cost of buying the item. Alternatively if you find websites (e.g. survey sites) which reward you with money that is paid directly to your paypal account then you may not need to give your bank details. Look out for Ebay sellers who impose a fee fro using paypal as the method of payment. (2) Sellers have to pay paypal fees on money received. The standard rate is 3.4% + £0.20 GBP. For instance, if you sell a CD for £5, your paypal fees (different to the fees needed by Ebay) would be £0.37; if one sells a computer game for £25 then the paypal fees will be £1.05; or if you sell a digital camera for £85 you fees will be £3.09. Thus it is works out proportionally better to receive paypal payments on items that sell for more than less.(3) If a person does not send the item that you have paid for using paypal, then a complaint should be lodged with paypal, who will refund your money back.
Of course if paypal does not appeal to you as a payment method then you should look out for sellers who allow more traditional ways of paying for items, such as cheque, postal order or banker's draft. As a seller you can specify the payment methods you are prepared to permit.
--------Buying-------- Ebay is great for finding items that you could not buy in the shops. Want a DVD that is no longer being made, check out ebay. Need a special limited numbered CD, search ebay. Looking for an ultra rare computer game, then ebay could help. You get the idea!
In order to attempt to buy goods, you will need to find the item you are looking for and then put a maximum highest bid amount on this product in the box provided in the listing. Ebay will bid automatically on your behalf bid up to this maximum. Always remember to see how much the seller's delivery charges are, because you will have to pay this figure in addition to the sale price. Additionally when attempting to buy an item, one must ensure that they can pay using the paying methods specified. For example if the seller says that the only paying method is by cheque, then there is absolutely no point in bidding if you do not have a chequebook.
If you win the item, then it is best to pay as soon as possible. I say this since, the seller will only send the item when he/she has received payment. They are not going to send a potentially expensive product to you on trust that you will pay some day in the future. The quickest payment method is paypal.
After you have received the item, it should be checked to ensure that it is the correct one and meets the description the seller wrote. If all goes well then you should leave some feedback. Feedback can either be left as 'Positive', 'Neutral', or 'Negative'. If there is a problem with the product then you should not leave negative feedback straight away. One problem for sellers sometimes is buyers who instantly leave negative feedback when one email would easily deal with the issue.
As a buyer another matter to keep is mind is the item possibly getting lost in the post. If the seller offers postal insurance then it is best to take it. Remember that sellers will not take responsibility for any products lost in the post, they will as standard just keep a receipt of delivery. Thus far, with over thirty items bought on ebay, nothing has ever got lost in the postal system. It is definitely something to be aware of though.
Keep in mind that often you can be winning an item going into the last minute of an auction, and all of a sudden not win (this even occurs at 3 or 4 in the morning). Thus as a buyer it can sometimes be an advantage to keep watching an item you want right until the last thirty seconds and then make a bid.
Always make sure that any uncertainty over an item listing is made certain by asking the seller your question. Sellers should be prepared to answer any question, even if it seems like an obvious one. If a seller ignores you, then it is best not to bid since it is likely he/she is trying to hide something. It does not take long for a seller to check 'My Ebay' for any messages or their email address to see your question and respond to it. Frequent pieces of omitted information seem to be postage and package costs, the condition of the product at hand, or no picture/stock photo so as to see what the item should look like.
Occasionally Ebay do a promotion allowing a small discount if you are buying a product using the paypal method (e.g. recently a 10% discount on one transaction was offered).
--------Selling-------- What do you have which you no longer need? Maybe an old rare comic that has been gathering dust in the attic? It could be a digital camera, mobile phone, or possibly a laptop. It should not matter, since if you can think of something, then you may be able to sell it on Ebay. Sellers in order to list an item will be required to pay an Insertion Fee. To clarify, this fee will vary in accordance with the start price you place on the item. Therefore if you place a start price of £0.99 then the listing fee will be £0.15; if one initially prices the item at £14.99 then the listing price is £0.35 (see Figure 1.1 below for full details). Ebay do promotions from time to time that offer a reduced listing fee, and have been known to offer a free listing day on some categories of products.
Furthermore, upon the item selling a Final Listing Fee will be imposed on the seller by the website. For instance if an item is sold for anything up to and including £29.99, 5.25% of this will need to paid to Ebay. Goods sold for between £30 and £599.99 cost 5.25% of the intial £29.99, plus 3.25% of the remaining closing balance, and an item which sells for in excess of £600 is charged 5.25% of the initial £29.99, plus 3.25% of the initial £30 - £599.99, plus 1.75% of the remaining closing valued balance. Obviously if the item is not sold then there can be no final value percentage fee to pay. I have seen some ebayers selling a DVD player for £5 with the postage costs at £25. This is obviously done to substantially reduce the final listing fee price needed to be paid to Ebay. Personally one should be careful of ebayers who have a very large postage cost as they may offer refunds on products, minus the postage costs.
One will have to decide how long an item is listed on the site, be it a 1-day auction, 3-day, 5-day, 7-day, up to 10 days. It is best to list one's item for more than a day, simply to allow more people to view the product, but this is entirely up to your discretion. When listing an item there are various enhancements that can be made to hopefully increase the likelihood of the products selling for a high price. For instance an item subtitle can be used, which costs £0.35, or highlighting the listing costs a meaty £2.50.
~Figure 1.1~Insertion Fees
Starting or Reserve Price----Insertion Fee £0.01-£0.99------------------£0.15 £1.00 - £4.99-----------------£0.20 £5.00 - £14.99----------------£0.35 £15.00 - £29.99--------------£0.75 £30.00 - £99.99--------------£1.50 and up-------------------------£2.00
--------The Negatives of Ebay.co.uk-------- - Sometimes after doing a product search the site will say a bid price is at X, but when you click on the listing the price is has actually increased to Y.
- It can be difficult for new users to sell items for a par price. If you have a very low feedback rating (lets say 0, 1, 2 or 3) then other ebayers are likely to bid for the same item from a more established person. Thus it is vitally important that you take buying/selling seriously to ensure that your feedback is at 100%, which helps provide some peace of mind.
- Leading on from the previous point, feedback is not obligatory which can leave one party with feedback and the other without. At the time of writing, I bought an item, received it and left positive feedback. I paid for the item without minutes using paypal but I have not received any feedback. Even contacting this person I have not received any. Unfortunately I do not have the option of removing the feedback until he replies because once feedback is left it stays. If people using Ebay put large emphasis on feedback, then even one or two non-feedback leavers could feasibly reduce you chances of selling an item, especially problematic for new ebayers.
- With more and more people joining each day, it does become ever increasingly difficult to find an out of this world bargain. This should work out well for sellers though, so this negative can be looked upon as positive depending on whether you are a buyer or seller of items.
- There will always be some who do not pay for the items that they have bid for and won. Some will ask to pay by a method not specified in the listing or email saying that they have bought the goods from elsewhere. This can be a real nuisance for it simply wastes everyone's time. Alternatively there may be sellers out there who say 'Original DVD or CD' but it turns out to be a copy, or sellers who do not send anything at all.
--------Overall-------- Ebay.co.uk provides a very comprehensive marketplace in which you should be able to buy many items for less than you could do in any high street store. The site is easy to use and understand, and listing an item to sell will take up hardly any time at all. For some, this site provides a means of business, for others it is a great way to earn money on something that you could only sell second hand in a local shop for peanuts. Of course, the website will not suit the needs of all. If one has no intention of buying products from an unknown person/business, or do not have anything that they wish to sell, then Ebay is not the place for you. For the majority though, Ebay.co.uk is a place that is definitely worthwhile joining.
Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed my review!!!!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: A great way to make yourself a bit of extra cash Disadvantages: Time consuming and unfortunately there are people out there who will let you down
junkboxjules 14.07.2003 (15.07.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of ebay.co.uk
Sep 29th, 2005
very helpful by (100%):
