Ebay is my other home...
Written: Nov 24 '00 (Updated Jul 14 '01)
| Customer Service: |
 |
|
| Notification Services: |
 |
|
| Search and Navigation: |
|
|
| Sense of Community: |
|
|
| Trustworthiness of Sellers: |
 |
|
The Bottom Line
Excellent search engine, largest selection, largest selling/bidding market and very user-friendly! Makes for a great time! :-)
|
| Full Review |
After many months of my friends nagging at me to try Ebay, I looked it up. Sure enough, it took about one minute for me to be addicted. They have everything! And that is no exaggeration! You could say I'm an Ebay addict, but I don't mind. I'm certainly not ashamed! I've found some of the best bargains around, and I didn't even have to leave my house to get them!
IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUY
I have purchased from Ebay, in the short time I've been there, a variety of things, including a lamp, comforter sets for my children, books, CDs, movies, clothes, toys, puzzles, and both of my children's Halloween costumes. When my three-year-old child requested to be the Pillsbury Doughboy for Halloween, I was sure I'd never be able to pull that off. I looked on Ebay, and sure enough! There it was, brand new in the package, in just the right size, and I got it for $4.99. What a bargain! Of course, there are people out there who will take advantage of you. I did buy a "Sniffin' Bear in the Big Blue House" for $23.99, and then paid additional shipping on it, and then discovered I could have gotten it for $19.99 from EToys.com. Such as it is, though.
How do you start? Well, first of all you need to register with Ebay. Basically what this means is you need to set up a user id, a name with which to identify yourself to other Ebay users. You must also get a password, which prevents others from using your user id to bid on items. Once you've done this painless exercise, you're ready to bid!
Next you need to search for what you're looking for. There are two main ways to navigate Ebay when looking for something: Do a specific search, or browse through the specific category that you are interested in. If using the Smart Search feature, you may choose to search by item #, seller, bidder, or words. You may also narrow your search down to starting time, ending time, cheapest prices, most expensive, ending first, just started, by location, etc. Most auctions are 3, 5, 7, or 10 day auctions, so searching by auctions ending first is a great way to find some deals!
If you see something you like, decide how much you're willing to spend and enter that in the space that says "enter maximum bid." When you click on the link that says "bid" you'll be taken to a page where you are given one last opportunity to check your amount and then you have a link to submit your bid. You will immediately be told whether or not you are the high bidder.
If you're the high bidder, does that mean you've won? No. More than likely you'll be outbid, which means you can either drop out of that auction or post another higher bid. Ebay will automatically send you an email if and when you are outbid on something. I think this is one of their best user services available!
I definitely recommend scoping out the dirt on your sellers, because if you're seeing several neutral or negative feedbacks, then you might save yourself from getting in a pickle. For the most part I've had nothing but positive experiences, and most Ebayer's are nice people just out to have a good time. I did have a guy threaten me because I retracted a bid, but in the end it worked out okay. There are strict Ebay rules, and violating those rules can have you "expelled." That kind of helps keep things from getting out of hand.
How do you pay for an auction you've won? Well, most sellers accept different methods of payment. The most common are personal checks, money orders, cashier's checks, Paypal, Billpoint, etc. Paypal and billpoint are online credit card services that are free for bidders to use. You can pay your seller directly from your checking account, savings account, or credit card. They do not see your personal account info, nor do they have access to your account numbers. It's a great service!
IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO SELL (OR MAKE SOME CASH TO SUPPORT YOUR BIDDING HABITS...)
Since I first wrote this review, I have ended several auctions as a seller. Registering to sell on Ebay requires only one other thing than bidding--that is to register a credit card with Ebay. This card # will NOT be given out to anyone at any time, but is merely a way for Ebay to collect it's listing fees that you owe.
Selling is much more productive if you have a picture of the item you're wanting to sell. Ebay has a simple form to use to help you sell, although more experienced sellers choose to use an auction service such as AuctionWatch.com. These services can be costly compared to the .30 it can cost to list with Ebay. (Your Ebay listing fees vary based on the starting bid price you set, the features you choose, and the final bid price...)
When listing your item, Ebay's form asks you for your picture URL, or you can browse and let Ebay's picture services download the pix for you. Remember that if you use Ebay's picture services that only the 1st picture is free. You must also choose a category or categories for your item to be listed in, write up the item description, enter your location, the starting bid you want to use, and how many days you want to run the item. If you're familiar at all with basic HTML tags then it is helpful to use them in your auctions. It spruces them up and makes for a more attractive listing.
I've sold about 80 item so far on Ebay, and found the experience to be somewhat difficult but not too bad. I suppose if you did if frequently you would get used to it. Buying is a cinch, though!
One last thing: Consider creating your ME page on Ebay. Your ME page is a space Ebay give to each user. You can use this space to insert pictures, tell about yourself, show off your glowing feedback report, or show off your items for sale. Most sellers and bidders feel more comfortable doing business with someone online if they can get to know a little bit about that person first. Your ME page allows them to get to know you, without giving them too much personal information!
I think Ebay's site in general is very, very user-friendly. This is one of the best search programs I have ever used. And if you like garage sales, then you'll love Ebay. It's like the world's largest mall and garage sale combined! Stop by for an excellent auction experience!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mommykim
|
|
Location: Mad Season, USA
Reviews written: 46
Trusted by: 37 members
About Me:
"Lay all your troubles down on me..." Robert Kelly Thomas
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.