No matter how savvy you may be at a real life auction, eBay will surprise you and is quite different. Here are some tips for getting that item you are looking for at an affordable price.
Tip: When you are bidding on an item, which I do occasionally, figure out what your highest possible bid will be and put that into the box when you bid. Do not assume that you can go back later. Sometimes, the auction ends before you think of it or somebody snipes it (takes it at the last minute. There is a program to do that even if the person is not at the computer). Ask me how I know.
Tip: No matter how good the deal seems to be, check the reputation of the seller..the feedback. If the feedback number is low, like 98.5%, then investigate why that is like that. Sometimes it’s because an inexperienced buyer has given bad feedback before they found out why the problem was happening. I check the negative feedback to see if it was only low feedback buyers. A low feedback buyer is usually too inexperienced to see that the item takes some days to arrive. Most of the bad feedback I see from low feedback buyers is because the item didn’t arrive a couple days after the auction. You must give it more time than that, at least two weeks. That’s about average for shipping items. Some sellers only ship on certain days. They usually mention that in their auctions.
At other times, the low feedback rating is deserved because the seller is simply not doing the right thing. They give descriptions that are not true. While you can try to get eBay to force them to stop it, it is unlikely that they will do so, especially if the seller has a really high feedback rating. Those are usually power sellers who can have many negatives and not be hurt by it all because of the percentages. Watch out for those sellers. Look at a lot of feedback for them. If MOST of it is good, look at the feedback of the people giving it. Are they experienced buyers? In the end, the biggest help will be your own feelings about it. Do you want the item enough to take the chance? If the answer is yes, then go for it. If no, then think about it for a while. Many times the bad feeling you have is valid.
If the feedback is really high, 99.8% or 99.9&, you have a good seller there usually. Again, read the feedback. If the only negative feedback is from low buyers it is likely that the person is good at what they are doing. If the feedback is 100% you can count on them to get your product to you in good shape as long as they have more than about 20 feedback with that 100%. Again, trust your feelings about it. Instincts are great.
Tip: REALLY READ the auction descriptions. Often, inexperienced buyers do not read the whole thing before they buy and end up being unhappy when it is not the seller’s fault because they did not read it themselves. Sellers are expected to put all information they know about the item into the auction listing. Most will do that. They provide shippping info too. Really look at all of the auction. If they did not put in the shipping info, email them. Sellers who are legitimate do not mind emails about their products. Then if you are satisfied, if it looks good, bid or buy it now!
Happy Shopping from the Window Shopper!
2 Comments
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This is VERY good advice for eBay buyers. Thank you so much for sharing these tips.
Your welcome. eBay is not the mystery it may seem to be. Just takes a few tips and you are on your way to saving money big time!! Glad I could help.