linkin
VIP Member
Many of us like to buy and sell things on ebay, so here I will include some handy buying and selling tips that I have learnt over the years. I am generally speaking about computers/computer parts, but these may apply to other items as well.
BUYING:
1) Smart shopping, don't just buy the first thing you see. Look around for great deals; bids starting at $0.99, good buy it now prices and items with free shipping. And most importantly, only buy from sellers you know and trust. Just because someone is selling the same item at a cheaper price doesn't mean it is a good deal. They may charge you more for postage and end up costing more than the item with a slightly higher price and lower shipping.
2) Buy within your country whenever possible. Returns are usually very hard to do with items from overseas, and you won't have to deal with currency conversions in paypal or bank desposit. Sellers may not have good english either,
3) Be careful with refurbished or used items: Make sure the seller provides an invoice and warranty, you don't want anything to fail a month after you get it. New items are usually the best way to go, you may get up to a few years of warranty with them.
4) Descriptions. Does the seller make a good description of the item? Do they use a market photo or a photo of the actual item? Do they include whether the item is new, used or refurbished? How many photos does the seller include? Does the item show any physical anomalies?
5) Know the seller. Do they prefer bank deposit or paypal? Many sellers will prefer bank deposit, as you won't have to transfer money from paypal to a bank account. This is ok for most sellers, but some sellers have ripped people off by getting paid and not shipping the item, and not responding to buyers.
6) Feedback, the most important thing to know about the seller. How many sales have they had? How have users rated the item decription, shipping charges and communication? How much negative or neutral feedback do they have? How much good feedback to they have?
7) Look out for ebay snipers. The people use programs to automatically bid for them. Bid a realistic amount to throw off the snipers.
SELLING:
1) Be descriptive. Choose a descriptive listing name. Provide a good description of the item, color, age, specification, compatability and so on. Use your own pictures if possible, this lets buyers know that your are genuine and selling the actual item you are describing. Try to use more than one picture.
2) Set a reasonable price. Let buyers send you their offers for consideration.
Start the bidding at $0.99 with no reserve. This attracts more people and ultimately gives you a higher selling price.
3) Choose more than one category. an extra 99c fee is nothing if it means your item sells for more money. Make your items stand out. Borders and Bold text are more effective than any other techniques.
4) Let buyers pick up items from you. This will give you a good reputation as a seller, because people will know that you are legitimate.
5) Provide a reason for selling the item. Is it broken? Incompatible with your system? Bought out of a mistake? Buyers want to know that you aren't selling a broken or defective item.
6) At the end of the description, have a link or sentance pointing potential buyers to your other items, you may have exactly what they are looking for.
7) Have another sentance at the end of the description saying that if you have any questions, just ask.
I will add more tips as time goes on, and as I become more experienced at Ebaying. Please feel free to post suggestions, and any construcive critisism. May your ebay experience be pleasant and smooth.
BUYING:
1) Smart shopping, don't just buy the first thing you see. Look around for great deals; bids starting at $0.99, good buy it now prices and items with free shipping. And most importantly, only buy from sellers you know and trust. Just because someone is selling the same item at a cheaper price doesn't mean it is a good deal. They may charge you more for postage and end up costing more than the item with a slightly higher price and lower shipping.
2) Buy within your country whenever possible. Returns are usually very hard to do with items from overseas, and you won't have to deal with currency conversions in paypal or bank desposit. Sellers may not have good english either,
3) Be careful with refurbished or used items: Make sure the seller provides an invoice and warranty, you don't want anything to fail a month after you get it. New items are usually the best way to go, you may get up to a few years of warranty with them.
4) Descriptions. Does the seller make a good description of the item? Do they use a market photo or a photo of the actual item? Do they include whether the item is new, used or refurbished? How many photos does the seller include? Does the item show any physical anomalies?
5) Know the seller. Do they prefer bank deposit or paypal? Many sellers will prefer bank deposit, as you won't have to transfer money from paypal to a bank account. This is ok for most sellers, but some sellers have ripped people off by getting paid and not shipping the item, and not responding to buyers.
6) Feedback, the most important thing to know about the seller. How many sales have they had? How have users rated the item decription, shipping charges and communication? How much negative or neutral feedback do they have? How much good feedback to they have?
7) Look out for ebay snipers. The people use programs to automatically bid for them. Bid a realistic amount to throw off the snipers.
SELLING:
1) Be descriptive. Choose a descriptive listing name. Provide a good description of the item, color, age, specification, compatability and so on. Use your own pictures if possible, this lets buyers know that your are genuine and selling the actual item you are describing. Try to use more than one picture.
2) Set a reasonable price. Let buyers send you their offers for consideration.
Start the bidding at $0.99 with no reserve. This attracts more people and ultimately gives you a higher selling price.
3) Choose more than one category. an extra 99c fee is nothing if it means your item sells for more money. Make your items stand out. Borders and Bold text are more effective than any other techniques.
4) Let buyers pick up items from you. This will give you a good reputation as a seller, because people will know that you are legitimate.
5) Provide a reason for selling the item. Is it broken? Incompatible with your system? Bought out of a mistake? Buyers want to know that you aren't selling a broken or defective item.
6) At the end of the description, have a link or sentance pointing potential buyers to your other items, you may have exactly what they are looking for.
7) Have another sentance at the end of the description saying that if you have any questions, just ask.
I will add more tips as time goes on, and as I become more experienced at Ebaying. Please feel free to post suggestions, and any construcive critisism. May your ebay experience be pleasant and smooth.
