eBay Tips for Buyers
Almost everyone starts his or her eBay experience as a buyer. Learning how to buy effectively will improve your eBay experience and prepare you for becoming a seller. I recommend you make at least ten successful transactions on eBay before trying to sell. We hope the following tips will make you a better and more successful buyer.
1. Build A Positive Feedback Rating Give and get good feedback. This is less critical for buyers than for sellers, but having a good feedback rating makes other eBayers comfortable doing business with you. For example, I accept checks for immediate shipment if the buyer has a good feedback rating. If someone has very little feedback (less than 20) or several negative comments, then I hold the checks until they clear before sending an item.
2. How to build feedback quickly? Here is a quick way to build good feedback: make some purchases for a few lower cost items you use everyday or that you would normally buy at a store. There are plenty of items in the Health & Beauty category that you buy every day such as shampoo and razor blades –often at prices less than you would pay at Wal-Mart. Pay promptly using PayPal and immediately post feedback for the seller as soon as you get the item. If the seller does not post feedback, send them a short email telling them that you posted feedback for them and you would appreciate them reciprocating.
3. Be generous with your feedback Post feedback quickly and leave specific comments. Leaving a comment that says: "great seller," is nice –but it is more helpful to say, "Item arrived quickly in perfect condition, just as described." Or: "Quick Professional transaction –good email and just what I ordered." If the seller sells something specific you can mention it such as: "Beautiful Print –I will enjoy for many years." This type of feedback is very helpful to future buyers and it tends to get you better feedback comments in return.
4. Use PayPal Sellers want to be paid quickly and everyone is concerned about fraud. There is no faster or safer way to complete an eBay transaction than PayPal (owned by eBay). PayPal is now used by over 100 Million users around the world and now processes more debit and credit card payments than Citibank. Over 80% of registered eBay users accept PayPal and eBay has fully integrated PayPal into their systems. Take the time to become a verified seller and always give your verified shipping address. This gets you the fraud protection. Go to www.paypal.com .Did you know you can also use PayPal as a savings account? According to Money Magazine, PayPal now pays the highest rate on ordinary savings accounts. When I wrote this PayPal was paying 4.8% while my bank, Wells Fargo, was only paying 3.3%.
5. Avoid Fraud on Large Purchases Given the millions of transactions that occur each month, fraud is actually rare on eBay but it does exist. The most common type of fraud on eBay is a seller that offers an expensive item for sale at an unbelievably good price. When you win the item the seller asks to be paid in cash, cashiers check or money order. You send the money and then the seller disappears. Demanding a cashier’s check or a money order only is a red flag. Never bid on a large purchase if the seller will not take PayPal or a credit card. Always check the seller's feedback and how long they have been registered on eBay. Most fraudsters set up an eBay account, run a few quick expensive auctions, get the money and either disappears or are kicked off of eBay as soon as they are discovered. Be especially careful if the seller is located outside the U.S.
5. Avoid Fraud on Large Purchases Given the millions of transactions that occur each month, fraud is actually rare on eBay but it does exist. The most common type of fraud on eBay is a seller that offers an expensive item for sale at an unbelievably good price. When you win the item the seller asks to be paid in cash, cashiers check or money order. You send the money and then the seller disappears. Demanding a cashier’s check or a money order only is a red flag. Never bid on a large purchase if the seller will not take PayPal or a credit card. Always check the seller's feedback and how long they have been registered on eBay. Most fraudsters set up an eBay account, run a few quick expensive auctions, get the money and either disappears or are kicked off of eBay as soon as they are discovered. Be especially careful if the seller is located outside the U.S.
6. Pay sellers quickly Paying quickly will help you build feedback faster and you will get your item sooner.
7. Be honest – admit your mistakes If you forgot about the auction and are late getting a payment off or you forgot to ship something you sold – be up front and honest. Apologize and admit your mistake. People can be very forgiving if they believe you. They can be unforgiving if they think they are being B.S.’ed.
8. Create an About Me page on eBay. EBay allows you to create a page to describe you and your family or even include your pets. You can put a photo on the page, talk about your hobbies, your family – basically anything you like. The About Me page is where a person can get a sense of who you are and if they would like to do business with you. If you have a web site, this is the one place on eBay where it is allowed to direct buyers to your web site.
9. Master the power of searching. According to eBay, about 65% of bidders find their item by searching. Including the exact name of the product you are selling is key to bidders finding your auction. Some sellers place a tilde (~) or a star * next to their auction title to help get attention. Place a space between a tilde (or *) and a word, or the word will not come up in a search. For example: *Nikon* would not result in any items found, because eBay’s search engine sees the * as part of the word. According to Power Seller News, some of the most searched words on eBay are: DVD, Art, BMW, Gucci, Longaberger, Louis Vuitton, Laptop, Playstation 2 and Paintball. Use eBay’s powerful search engine to find items and to see what items are selling and how much they are selling for.
10. Be sure to thank people Send an email to your seller when the item arrives. Thank them and let them know you posted feedback and are happy with the transaction.
Beauty and the Beast toys (Category: Toys & Hobbies )
MCDONALDS TOY BEAST
 | US $1.48 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 11:21:36 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Set of 4 McDonalds 1998 Beauty and the Beast toys
 | US $1.48 (1 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 11:25:45 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney Beauty & The Beast Plush Clock & Candle
 | US $6.50 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 12:28:04 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
MCDONALDS TOY BEAUTY AND THE BEAST BEAUTY
 | US $1.48 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 12:32:36 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney Princess Dolls and Dresses Lot*** 150+ Pieces***
 | US $15.50 (9 Bids) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 13:13:30 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
New Disney Princess Beauty and the Beast BELLE Soft Toy
 | US $7.47 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 15:55:38 PST Buy It Now for only: US $11.96 Bid now | Buy it now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
ViewMaster Viewer & 28 Assorted Reels Blues Clues LILO
 | US $10.51 (4 Bids) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 16:17:16 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
1PCS Tinker bell Mermaid Snow white Cinderella Cube New
 | US $1.26 (7 Bids) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:13:00 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney/Pixar Collectibles SHREK LION KING CARS SULLY
 | US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:24:04 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
McDonald's Beauty and the Beast GASTON #5 (2002) NIP
 | US $0.99 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:39:23 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
DISNEY - BEAUTY & THE BEAST FIGURE SET - *LQQK*
 | US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:45:31 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney Beauty and the Beast Tea Cup "Chip" Pull Toy
 | US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 20:47:35 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
BEAUTY & THE BEAST COLLECTION FIGURE FILM TV GAMES RARE
 | US $1.48 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 2:30:27 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
17 DISNEY CHARACTERS FIGURES - INCREDIBLES ARIEL MORE
 | US $3.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 5:48:31 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
McDonalds Happy Meal Boxes x 6
 | US $1.48 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 5:57:28 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Beauty And The Beast Classics Childrens Book Parragon
 | US $1.48 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 7:33:52 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
NIP - Beauty & the Beast Happy Meal Toys + BONUS
 | US $3.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 9:25:57 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
McDonald's Toys - Beauty and The Beast
 | US $1.25 (2 Bids) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 11:37:03 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Plastic Beauty and The Beast Toys/Dolls/Figures - Cute!
 | US $2.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 11:53:58 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney Beauty & Beast Toy Figure Lot Cake Topper Wand +
 | US $2.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 12:33:36 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
MCDONALDS DISNEY BEAUTY&THE BEAST HAPPY MEAL TOYS LOT 5
 | US $9.98 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 13:12:42 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
BEAUTY & THE BEAST ACTION TOYS full set Mcdonalds 2002
 | US $7.47 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 13:23:04 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
MRS. POTTS & CHIP PLUSH TOY - DISNEY BEAUTY & THE BEAST
 | US $2.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 16:17:28 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Kid Clips Music LOT Peter Pan Belle Pooh Ariel Lion Kng
 | US $20.77 (9 Bids) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 16:29:35 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney Kid Clips Radio + Beauty and the Beast Clip
 | US $4.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 17:22:54 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
disney beauty and the beast play house toy collectible
 | US $7.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 19:31:47 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
BEAUTY & the BEAST ... HUGE LOT of DISNEY FIGURINES 22!
 | US $22.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 0:21:35 PST Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Lot of 9 Beauty and the Beast Toys, Mrs. Pots Finger
 | US $7.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 8:37:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $10.00 Bid now | Buy it now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
BARBIE INTERACTIVE TALKING STORYBOOK CINDERELLA 3 BOOKS
 | US $1.48 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 9:35:15 PDT Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
44 McDonald's Happy Meal Toys New In Package 1999-2008
 | US $3.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 11:39:44 PDT Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney BELLE 12" doll beauty and the Beast collectable
 | US $15.72 (5 Bids) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 11:57:39 PDT Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Large Disney Plush Beauty and the Beast Mattel 1992
 | US $18.99 End Date: Thursday Apr-08-2010 9:28:22 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $18.99 Buy it now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
Disney Beauty and the Beast Movie toy figure playset
 | US $4.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 12:31:59 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $7.99 Bid now | Buy it now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
STORY READER Disney's Toy Story 2 in SPANISH
 | US $4.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 16:57:24 PDT Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |
disneys beauty and the beast happy meal toys
 | US $10.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 17:35:19 PDT Bid now | VIEW FULL DETAILS |