Great place to sell. Great place to buy, if you're careful.
Written: Jan 02 '04 (Updated Jan 02 '04)
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If you've got something to sell, or you're looking for something to buy, eBay is the place to go. However, always remember - buyer beware.
Over the past year, I have used this service extensively as both a buyer and a seller. Since my experience selling has been better, I'll describe that first.
I had a lot of junk around my house this summer, so I decided to sell it all off. I'm poor and in college, so every buck counts. The books and computer software that I didn't want I sold on half.com (eBay's sister website), but everything else went up on eBay.
First off, there are a lot of users visiting eBay every day. For the seller, this is of course a great thing. Your product (or extra junk filling up the attic) is exposed to thousands of possible buyers. This means that there is more competitive bidding and thus higher prices than on other auction websites.
The extra volume also means that a similar item to the one your selling is probably already up for auction. This allows the seller to view other products that sold (or didn't sell) and get an idea of how much money you'll end up with in the end. It also lets you start an auction at a low price without being afraid that it will sell for that starting bid of $0.01.
If a person doesn't pay, you can file a non-paying bidder complaint and get the fees waived, but I only once had this problem. Most of the bidders on eBay these days are honest and pay for what they bid for. You can also set up a Paypal account (another one of eBay's sister websites) and use that to directly pay your seller fees and move your earnings into your checking account.
The whole system is very convenient and easy to use, from listing, to tracking sales, to delivering products. As a seller, I give eBay two thumbs up and five stars.
As a buyer, however, things get a bit more complicated. When you're selling an item, you can trust your buyers to be honest. After all, you have the upper hand - you get the money first, and only ship the product if the money arrives. Sellers, however, do not have the same reasons to be honest - they can easily take your money and not send your product.
On the whole, however, most eBay sellers are honest. If you are a smart buyer, you can avoid being ripped off. First, if you purchase something large - never pay by check, money order, or cash. Either pay by Paypal or Credit Card. Both of these options should have fraud protection guarantees, so you can easily cancel the payment if the seller doesn't send your item. If the seller refuses to accept these payments, do not deal with him. It is very simple for him to set up a Paypal account, and if he's not willing to do it then chances are he's up to something shady.
I have bought many things on eBay without a problem, but I have had two different instances where I didn't get what I ordered. My friend and I were shopping for some old baseball cards online, and we found a Michael Jordan rookie card graded and authenticated. It sold for a pretty good price, (around $700, it was worth a bit more) and I didn't think twice about sending a money order as payment. Instead of a graded, mint condition card, I received an ungraded, poor condition rookie card (that in all likelihood was probably counterfeit). I contacted the seller and wanted to send the card back for a refund, but he refused and eventually cut off contact with me. Another user listed a Hank Aaron rookie card (it sold for about $200) and never sent it after I sent him my check.
Of course, eBay does offer fraud insurance, but it isn't quite perfect. The details are on the website, but in short... if you purchase something over $25 and you don't receive what you ordered, they will refund your payment up to $200 minus a $25 deductible. I sent in two separate claims for my two problems, and after a few weeks of processing I received $350 hassle-free from eBay. I was upset about losing the rest of my money, but eBay did handle the problem well. I can't hold it against them if a buyer is dishonest.
Dishonest sellers aside, eBay is a great place to shop. There is a wide range of products and it is easy to either browse through items or search for something specific. Most sellers have pictures of the items that they sell, so you know what you're going to receive. Because of the nature of auctions, you can also generally find things cheaper than you would find them in a retail store. This of course varies from product to product, but that just means you have to shop around. eBay is now one more place where you can find a great deal, just like Costco Wholesale or WalMart.
On the whole, I encourage you to shop at eBay. If they've got something that you want at a price you like, bid on it! Just be sure to be careful, pay with a credit card or Paypal, and don't let someone pull the wool over your eyes. It's not hard to shop safely - you've just gotta take some precautions.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Baseball cards, video games, other stuff
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About the Author
Member: Brian Rock
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Reviews written: 48
Trusted by: 3 members
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