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Buy on eBay - Finding Bargains with eBay Online Shopping |
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There are lots of bargains to be had buying on eBay. Many people visit eBay Australia on a daily basis because of the thrill of eBay auctions, combined with the ease of bidding from the comfort of your own couch! To get started,
register for an eBay account. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. You will be asked to enter your name and address which will be used for shipping, as well as your email address. You can choose when eBay sends email notification of winning an auction or being outbid, as well as signing up to you favourite sellers newsletters. Next choose a User ID. This is the unique name that you use to identify yourself on eBay and can be seen by all eBay members. Your User ID is displayed when you buy or sell on eBay or communicate with other eBay members. Think carefully about the user ID you choose. Choose a user name that is easy to remember (for yourself and others when you start selling) and tells members something about your business. eBay has certain rules for user ID’s. They must be at least six characters long, and cannot include spaces or tabs, email or web addresses (for example, abc.com), or the @, &, ', (, ), <, > characters. You can change you username once in a 30 day period, and keep your feedback score, however it is better to spend a few more minutes choosing the right ID now! Now you are a registered eBay member, don’t jump straight into bidding! Get the feel of the website, and do your homework before making any purchases.Start by searching for the items that you are interested in. Using the category list, click on the categories that take your interest, or use the search feature. There are two types of items for sale, ebay auctions and “buy it now” items. The buy it now items tend to be in the eBay stores, so have a look at these as well, and remember you can change the search options to look at stores and auctions. When you have found items you would like to purchase add them to your watch list. This will save the information for you and you can see how much the item sold for after the end of the ebay auction. Sometimes items can sell for more at online auction than the price in eBay stores or other ecommerce sites. Determine what the item would cost if it were brand new, and what you should bid now on the used item, in the condition that it is in. Consider postage and insurance in this valuation. There are several things to look for in an eBay listing. Firstly detail, the more details about the product (i.e. condition manufacturer etc), without endless disclaimers and conditions, the more I trust I will get what I pay for. A picture is worth a thousand words, so if the photo doesn’t show the product clearly, or there is no photo, email the seller and ask for a quality photo. The condition of the item should be detailed and clearly stated, especially for used items. Make sure the postage to your address is stated in the listing. Have a look at the Australia Post web site and check it is reasonable, ask for registered post on valuable items, this gives you a tracking number and some insurance. If the postage cost is not shown email the seller for quote before bidding. Be careful! 99% of eBay sellers are honest people, trying hard to please you to build there business. Watch out for the other 1%. The seller’s feedback detail can give a good indication which category the seller may fall into. The “Feedback score” can be misleading, as most sellers have 98-100% positive feedback. As a rule I do not buy from ebay members with less than 98% positive feedback, and prefer established sellers with lots of feedback history. The devil is in the detail. Buyers give sellers a 1-5 star score for several key indicators called detailed seller ratings, or DSR's. The DSR's are titled “Item as described”, “communication” “Postage time”, and “Postage and handling charges”. If the seller has had poor feedback this will tell you why. Lastly, read all recent feedback, even if it positive feedback, there may be some ‘constructive criticism’ about the seller. Another good way to learn about the seller is communication. You may have emailed the seller by now. From their response you can tell a lot about their character. Was it a fast response? Did they answer your questions clearly and in a friendly tone? When you find a seller you like to deal with keep an eye on their store for updates, or ask them to keep you updated via email. Once you find an item you want, have researched how much to bid on it, and the seller has a good reputation, you are ready to place your bid! Remember these tips when you buy on eBay Australia for a great online shopping experience. |