I have to admit, although i have only been using eBay for about a year and a half now, i consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to bidding. So, to share my knowledge with you lovely people, i have put together my guide to everything eBay!
Step 1- Checkin' it outOK, just say your looking for the perfect pair of shoes for a perfect night out. Where do you start? If I'm looking for something specific then its good to use the advanced search, to narrow down unwanted results. (You can find the advanced search button near the top of the screen, on a yellow bar, next to the search button) Type in the exact colour, material, size, payment method etc that you want, and press search.
Another good way to find exactly what your looking for on eBay is to learn a few of the keywords and phrases which sellers use to advertise the product that they are selling. Just say i was looking for
this top which was originally from
asos.
I would probably type in words such as '
batwing', '
oversized', '
asos' and 'fine knit'.
The longer you use eBay the easier it will become to learn the keywords that sellers use. It's a great way to find exactly what your looking for!
Once you have found something that you wish to bid on, you need to keep an eye on it. Press 'watch this item' in the right hand corner of the screen and it will automatically be added to your watching list (which can be found in your
myebay section.) Even though you will receive an email from eBay telling you that the item you are watching is ending soon(you will usually receive this email within a couple of hours of it ending) it is always a good idea to note down the date and time, just in case.
Step 2- Safety is keyBefore bidding, it is important to check that the seller you wish to buy from is trustworthy. The best way to do this is to look at their feedback section, which is the number next to their name, located under the 'meet the seller' section. The main thing you need to look at is the little box on the left-hand side of the page. This will tell you if they have been left any negative feedback. Don't risk buying from someone who could be lying to you. Although
paypal usually refund you the money, its not fun having to go through the process of
getting that money!
On the page of the item you are looking at, there should be a short description about the item written by the seller. It is very important that you read this because they usually include some information on paying and shipping. Check that you are happy with the sellers requirements, and then its onto the next step!
Step 3- So you think you can bid?When should you bid on an item? Well, many people have different strategies when it comes to bidding, its just about finding whatever works best for you. Check if anyone has bid. If there are no bids on an item then there is always a risk that someone could offer a higher buy it now price and the seller accept it (a seller cannot accept a buy it now price once someone has bid.) For that reason, its always a good idea to place a bid just so you know that no-one will be able to run off with it! How much you bid is your choice. I tend to put in the highest price that i would be prepared to pay, which means you wont have to keep bidding little amounts as time goes on.
Like i said before, everyone has their own bidding style, but mine ensures i almost always win! I wait until there is about 10 seconds left until the bidding ends. That gives me just enough time to place my bid, and not enough time for the other person to outbid me. I'll put in the absolute highest that i would be prepared to pay and by this time there should only be about 4 seconds left- there's no way anyone will get the chance to outbid you then! The main reason i do this is to try and cut costs. Starting a bidding war days before the item is due to end will result in a higher final price- bid later to keeps costs low!
Step 4- Paying upNow that you have (hopefully) won the item you wanted, its time to pay! Different sellers will each offer different methods of payment, the most popular and safest being
paypal. I
always pay immediately, your more likely to get positive feedback that way and the seller will hopefully post the item faster too. Some sellers will then send you a message to thank you for your payment and inform you when your item will be sent.
Step 5- The aftermathOnce you have received your item, its always nice to send the seller a message saying thanks/ how much you love it etc. Now its time to leave feedback. The most important thing when it comes to feedback is being honest. You will have three options; positive, negative or neutral. Pick whichever you feel right and leave a short message about the service that you have received.
If, on the other hand, you dont receive your item, then the first thing you should do is contact the seller. Its always best to sort any problems out rather than reporting them straight away.
If anyone has any questions, or if there is anything i have missed, dont hesitate to email me!
