- May 15, 2015
- Posted by: Wevio
- Category: Open Market, Wevio Blog
The online auction site eBay has become one of the most popular open markets on the Internet. Nearly anything you can think of is available to buy. How do you make sure that you find what you are looking for quickly, cheaply and safely?
Step 1
Register: – Before you can begin bidding in eBay auctions. You have to choose a username and register your contact details including your email address. You also have to verify your identity using a credit or debit card. Your personal information will be kept confidential by eBay, as stated in the User Agreement, which you must agree to register.
Step 2
Searching in eBay: – Items for sale on eBay are divided into categories and they are listed on the left hand side. Clicking on one of these categories brings up a series of sub-categories. If you see the subcategory that you are looking for, clicking on it will bring up all the items currently for sale. Alternatively, if you know the exact name of the item you are looking for you can use the search box at the top of the page and enter in your search. This will bring up every item listed that includes the keywords in your search.
Step 3
Advanced searches: – The sheer volume of items for sale at any one-time means you have to add onto your initial search results. Clicking on the Advanced Search page provides many more search options. This includes searching by time left on sale, price, location of the item and type of payment accepted. These options also appear on the left hand side of the screen, when searching within a sub category.
Step 4:
Researching An Item: – Clicking on an item will bring you to its individual auction page.
All the information about the item is contained on this page. Check the details carefully such as current price, the description the seller written about the items condition and features, postage costs and payment options the seller accepts. There is also an option to email the seller if you have additional questions about the item that are not answered on the auction page.
Step 5:
Researching The Seller: – The number next to a seller’s username is a percentage representing positive feedback. Clicking on the number will show you the total feedback received and the comments left about the seller by his buyers. This will help you to get an idea of how trustworthy a particular seller is before buying.
Step 6:
Placing A Bid: – Clicking on the “Place Bid” button will take you to the bidding screen. This screen will tell you the current item price on the next bid price. Enter the maximum price you will be willing to pay and eBay will automatically bid up the price, if another user bids against you. eBay will email you if you’ve been outbid. Remember that when you bid for an item, you entering into a contract with the seller to buy if you win the auction.
Step 7:
Buy It Now: – Some items will be sold using eBay’s “Buy It Now” option. This mean the seller is willing to accept a fixed price for an item, on first-come first-served. You can pay for a “Buy It Now” item instantly through PayPal or another payment option accepted by the seller.
Step 8:
Paying: – If you are paying via pay-pal, click the “Pay Now” button located on the item listing page or on the confirmation e-mail sent to your email address. If you are paying any other way, the email will include contact details of the seller.
Step 9:
Completing The Sale: – When you receive the item, make sure it fits the item description. If you are pleased with the item, leave positive feedback about your seller on “My ebay” page. The seller will also leave feedback about you as a buyer. Leaving feedback is important part to the sales process, as you’ll be helping other buyers make decisions, just like their feedback helped you. If you have complaints about the item, try and contact the seller to reach a solution.
If this fails you can report the seller to eBay to consider what action if any to take.
Some of the eBay stores where you can buy your desired products:-