EBay for Dummies Read Online Free Page B
Author: Marsha Collier
Tags: General, Computers, Internet, Business & Economics, Electronic Commerce, E-Commerce, Internet auctions, Auctions - Computer network resources, EBay (Firm)
experience on eBay, and when you buy from an eBay Store, you’re protected by the same fraud protection policy that covers you in an eBay auction.
Buy It Now and fixed-price sales
More and more sellers are selling items with a Buy It Now option or at a fixed price. These features enable you to buy an item as soon as you see one at a price that suits you. For more on how these sales work, check out Chapter 6.
So You Wanna Sell Stuff
If you’re a seller, creating an auction page on eBay is as simple as filling out an online form. You type the name of your item and a short description, add a crisp digital picture, set your price, and voilà — it’s auction time. (Okay, it’s a tad more involved than that, but not much). eBay charges a small fee ($0.05 (during promotions) to $4.00)for the privilege. When you list your item, millions of people (eBay has over 100 million registered users) from all over the world can take a gander at it and place bids. With a little luck, a bidding war may break out and drive the bids up high enough for you to turn a nice profit. After the auction, you deal directly with the buyer, who sends you the payment either through a payment service or through the mail. Then you ship the item. Abracadabra — you just turned your item (everyday clutter, perhaps) into cash. You can run as many auctions as you want, all at the same time. To get info on deciding what to sell, leaf through Chapter 9; to find out how to set up an auction, jump to Chapter 10; and to get the scoop on advanced selling techniques, visit Chapter 14. When you’re ready to go pro, check out the appendix.
So You Wanna Buy Stuff
If you’re a collector or you just like to shop for bargains on everyday goods, you can browse 24 hours a day through the items up for auction in eBay’s tens of thousands of categories, which range from Antiques to Writing Instruments. Find the item you want, do a little research on what you’re buying and who’s selling it, place your bid, and keep an eye on it until the auction closes. When I wrote Santa Shops on eBay (Wiley), I had a great time visiting the different categories and buying a little something here and there — it’s amazing just how varied the selection is. I even bought some parts for my pool cleaner!
Take a look at Chapter 5 for info on searching for items to bid on. When you see an item you like, you can set up a bidding strategy and let the games begin. Chapter 6 gives you bidding strategies that can make you the winner. After you win your first auction, look for expert advice about completing the transaction in Chapter 8.
You can bid as many times as you want on an item, and you can bid on as many auctions as you want. Just keep in mind that each bid is a binding contract that you are required to pay should you win.
Research for Fun and Profit
eBay’s awesome search engine allows you to browse through countless categories of items up for sale. As a buyer, you can do lots of comparison shopping on that special something you just can’t live without or just browse around until something catches your eye. If you’re a seller, the search engine allows you to keep your eye on the competition and get an idea of how hot your item is. That way, you can set a competitive price. To find out more about using search options and categories, check out Chapters 3 and 5.
The search engine also lets you find out what other people are bidding on. From there, you can read up on a seller’s feedback ratings (eBay’s ingenious honor system) to get a sense of the seller’s reputations — before you deal with them.
eBay’s Role in the Action
Throughout the auction process, eBay’s computers keep tabs on what’s going on. When the auction or sale is over, eBay takes a small percentage of the final selling price and instructs the seller and buyer to contact each other through e-mail. At this point, eBay’s job is pretty much over, and eBay steps aside.
Most of the time,
Buy It Now and fixed-price sales
More and more sellers are selling items with a Buy It Now option or at a fixed price. These features enable you to buy an item as soon as you see one at a price that suits you. For more on how these sales work, check out Chapter 6.
So You Wanna Sell Stuff
If you’re a seller, creating an auction page on eBay is as simple as filling out an online form. You type the name of your item and a short description, add a crisp digital picture, set your price, and voilà — it’s auction time. (Okay, it’s a tad more involved than that, but not much). eBay charges a small fee ($0.05 (during promotions) to $4.00)for the privilege. When you list your item, millions of people (eBay has over 100 million registered users) from all over the world can take a gander at it and place bids. With a little luck, a bidding war may break out and drive the bids up high enough for you to turn a nice profit. After the auction, you deal directly with the buyer, who sends you the payment either through a payment service or through the mail. Then you ship the item. Abracadabra — you just turned your item (everyday clutter, perhaps) into cash. You can run as many auctions as you want, all at the same time. To get info on deciding what to sell, leaf through Chapter 9; to find out how to set up an auction, jump to Chapter 10; and to get the scoop on advanced selling techniques, visit Chapter 14. When you’re ready to go pro, check out the appendix.
So You Wanna Buy Stuff
If you’re a collector or you just like to shop for bargains on everyday goods, you can browse 24 hours a day through the items up for auction in eBay’s tens of thousands of categories, which range from Antiques to Writing Instruments. Find the item you want, do a little research on what you’re buying and who’s selling it, place your bid, and keep an eye on it until the auction closes. When I wrote Santa Shops on eBay (Wiley), I had a great time visiting the different categories and buying a little something here and there — it’s amazing just how varied the selection is. I even bought some parts for my pool cleaner!
Take a look at Chapter 5 for info on searching for items to bid on. When you see an item you like, you can set up a bidding strategy and let the games begin. Chapter 6 gives you bidding strategies that can make you the winner. After you win your first auction, look for expert advice about completing the transaction in Chapter 8.
You can bid as many times as you want on an item, and you can bid on as many auctions as you want. Just keep in mind that each bid is a binding contract that you are required to pay should you win.
Research for Fun and Profit
eBay’s awesome search engine allows you to browse through countless categories of items up for sale. As a buyer, you can do lots of comparison shopping on that special something you just can’t live without or just browse around until something catches your eye. If you’re a seller, the search engine allows you to keep your eye on the competition and get an idea of how hot your item is. That way, you can set a competitive price. To find out more about using search options and categories, check out Chapters 3 and 5.
The search engine also lets you find out what other people are bidding on. From there, you can read up on a seller’s feedback ratings (eBay’s ingenious honor system) to get a sense of the seller’s reputations — before you deal with them.
eBay’s Role in the Action
Throughout the auction process, eBay’s computers keep tabs on what’s going on. When the auction or sale is over, eBay takes a small percentage of the final selling price and instructs the seller and buyer to contact each other through e-mail. At this point, eBay’s job is pretty much over, and eBay steps aside.
Most of the time,
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