For Bidders A-, For Sellers C+
Written: May 02 '02
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| Full Review |
As a frequent bidder and seller on online auctions, eBay is my #1 choice. This is simply because of the high volume of visitors they receive, therefore, the more potential customers for my products and the more items I have to choose from when looking to buy. However, there are actually more negatives to bidding and selling on eBay than positives.
There often many people selling same products, so prices are competitive (good for bidders, bad for sellers).
Prices for submitting auctions are much higher than other sites such as Yahoo!, which may in turn raise the price bidders pay. There is a "listing fee" starting at $.30 and can be as high as $3.30 (this is for normal merchandise - there are exceptions with higher fees). That's just to get started. Once your item has sold, you pay a "final value fee" that starts at 5.25% of the closing value. This really adds up! eBay also has many other options/services available, all at a fee, for promotion of your item, additional images, special icons, etc. So, as you can see, you can easily rack up the charges while trying to make money.
Both bidding and selling can be confusing for a newbee, but if you're not turned away your first time, you should get the hang of it quick enough. In case you make a mistake, you can end your auction early or retract your bid (though they frown upon this). Their "help" section is extensive, but sometimes leads you to a dead end. This can be frustrating.
As far as bidder and seller honesty, I haven't had too many problems. I once had an item broken in shipping due to poor packing and never received a replacement. The seller disappeared. In the end, I accepted responsibility; I bid on something sold by someone with bad ratings. While selling, I've had about 2% of my bidders back out or never contact me. My advise: READ USERS RATINGS BEFORE BUYING/SELLING!!!
It seems I have a lot of negative things to say, but all in all, eBay is the place to buy and sell just about anything you can think of. Selection is what got me there in the first place, the millions of bidders led me to start selling, and I'm still coming back for both. Just be careful - it can be addicting!
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Robbie Rice
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 7 members
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