E-bay Buyers Tips

[Lol-x]

Over the years, you pick up some experience on bidding on e-bay.

Tip 1: If you really want an item, ask the seller if he/she has a 'buy it now price'. There is nothing worse than waiting until the end of an auction and find that the auction has been closed because the seller has sold the item before the end.

Tip2: Never bid on an item until the last 5 seconds of an auction. There are automated web-sites that will put in a bid for you.

Tip3: If your seller is in any way questionable, get his 'contact details' off e-bay and telephone him/her. Cross check his/her name and address on www.whitepages.com to see that he/she is a registered listing.

Just a few to get things going

[B Square]

Thanks Steve. Do you have any additional info on automated web sites that you could share?

Boyd

[Lol-x]

My favorite and very reliable automated web-site is:

Phantom Bidder - Ebay Bidding Service

[Alcan]

http://auctionsniper.com/ is also worth looking at. They usually recommend 7 seconds prior to auction closing.

A few simple eBay observations:

1. Know the product. Research it, know what fair market value is and what would be a reasonable price to pay for it.

2. Determine that the product shown is authentic. See #1.

3. Research the seller. Look at his/her recent sales listings. Are they consistent with prior listings?

4. Look at the seller's prior purchases. A "guaranteed" Rolex Super Duper might lose some of its shine if you see that the seller recently purchased a Rolex box and peripheral bits for the same model.

5. Look harder at the seller, but keep an open mind. A few negatives for a high volume seller are to be expected, you can't please all the people.........

6. When was the last activity on the account? If nothing in the prior 6 months then suspect a hijacked account, especially from a newer seller.


These are a few of the things I consider when looking at an eBay purchase.

There are many legitimate sellers there, some who are speculating on the resale price of an item, some who have legitimately fallen on hard times and need to liquidate assets, and more than a few of whom are pawn/loan shops looking to dispose of goods with expired tickets. I've bought several Rolex watches from the last catagory.

On the other hand, by its very nature the internet lends itself to crime, and eBay is rife with these criminals. It isn't a place for neophytes to play.

[criggs19]

Lol-x, are you saying it's okay to end the aution early if someone offers to buy your watch before the auction ends? I am selling a President on e-bay right now and I have had some offers from good buyers. I thought it was not good to end the auction early. What do you guys think?

CR

[toph]

Originally Posted by criggs19

Lol-x, are you saying it's okay to end the aution early if someone offers to buy your watch before the auction ends? I am selling a President on e-bay right now and I have had some offers from good buyers. I thought it was not good to end the auction early. What do you guys think?

CR

I did this two weeks ago with my Milgauss. Put it on Ebay, 24 hours later a guy emails me with an offer to by it now not on ebay to save me fees and him money, and his phone number. I called him , Had a nice chat and we Arranged a price etc and he sent me the cash the next day and then i shipped the watch to him. Wouldn't always recommend that but we worked out a good deal and obviously we knew that we were both honest guys.

Tell them once you have payment that you can end the austion early for them. Why not?

[criggs19]

Thanks for the info Toph, I guess I'll have to consider it.

CR

[Numismatist]

I believe ending an auction early is a violation of your eBay membership. Not that I really care, but I believe I've seen that embedded in all the #$@ you have to read.

[toph]

Originally Posted by Numismatist

I believe ending an auction early is a violation of your eBay membership. Not that I really care, but I believe I've seen that embedded in all the #$@ you have to read.

you can end it early for several reasons I.E the item is no longer for sale.

Ebay does not ask why - I just gave that reason as it was no longer for sale because i sold it to someone else outside of Ebay

[mfer]

Originally Posted by toph

you can end it early for several reasons I.E the item is no longer for sale.

Ebay does not ask why - I just gave that reason as it was no longer for sale because i sold it to someone else outside of Ebay

But, by doing this you are outside of the protection of ebay (what little there is I know).

[erolex]

Best advice is: DONT BUY ON EBAY !!

[Bisquitlips]

I have used eBay for over 10 years with no problems.

Yes, you can end an auction early. It's the reason that can be a violation of eBay membership rules. However, IMO what you do is really up to you as a seller. You have paid them a fee for listing it. Sometimes a very hefty fee. And if it sells through the auction you will pay them a percentage also.

As for eBay's "protection", it is only good until you need it. I would not depend on eBay's "insurance" on transactions. Just be careful and use sound practices when buying and selling. Common sense goes a long way and remember if a deal sounds too good to be true, it most surely is.

[toph]

Ebay dont offer protection to a seller anyway, Unless you use paypal. Even then it is a farce.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by toph

Ebay dont offer protection to a seller anyway, Unless you use paypal. Even then it is a farce.

Yeah Toph. Good catch. That's what I meant. PayPal is owned by eBay and I have also used it almost exclusively over the years to transact on eBay auctions.

But is is a not a regulated financial institution and it is not subject to oversight. Meaning that they can do exactly what they want to do without much recourse. I never leave money in my PayPal account. I have heard of people having issues, but have never had any myself.

[toph]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

Yeah Toph. Good catch. That's what I meant. PayPal is owned by eBay and I have also used it almost exclusively over the years to transact on eBay auctions.

But is is a not a regulated financial institution and it is not subject to oversight. Meaning that they can do exactly what they want to do without much recourse. I never leave money in my PayPal account. I have heard of people having issues, but have never had any myself.

I have dealt alot on ebay and any watches I have sold over £1000 i have not accepted paypal for numerous reasons. Bank wire or even cash a few weeks ago. Ebay is good for advertising your product, but if someone offers me cash or bank wire etc (if they have good feedback) I will speak to them on the phone etc and will usually make a deal. (If we both feel comfortable that is ) Paypal is a disgrace-

www.paypalsucks.com

[stevemulholland3]

I feel the same way,I try and deal off of the ebay site whenever possible.
If I see an item I want I contact the seller and ask if we can come to an agreement on price and payment options,and honestly 8 out of ten times I can deal outside of ebay at considerable savings.
I dont sell there anymore because of fees and way to many scammers.I have run some of the numbers and even if I sold things for more money on ebay almost all the time it would wind up equaling out to the exact amount I could have sold it for on one of the forums..after ebay fees,paypal fees,buying fees-selling fees-breathing fees-looking fees--lol.

[Lol-x]

All as I was saying is if you are a buyer, and there is a really great item, that is difficult to find, you might be disappointed if the seller withdraws it from sale because some other potential buyer has approached the seller and asked "Do you have a buy it now price?"

You are not actually asking to buy, but asking if the guy is mindful of selling it before the end of the auction. There is a difference.

If the seller says, "No" then you know you can most likely wait and bid safely at the end of the auction, and there is nothing lost.

If the seller says, "Yes $xxx" then you have not lost the opportunity to buy what might otherwise be a vary rare chance to get an item e.g. a vintage watch or watch part

The caveat on this is as always ensure that the seller and the deal are otherwise sound and take appropriate precautions.

[onkyo]

I had a bad experience buying 'outside' of ebay for a Zenith movt SS Daytona. It arrived significantly different than advertised and I wanted a refund. The seller was slow to refund because he knew I had no recourse. If I could have left negative feedback I know he would have refunded me much quicker. Eventually he did refund me but I lost a few hundred $$ shipping back and forth. As a buyer, I stay within ebay.

[FLtime]

I've been selling on Ebay for about 9 years now and I really don't like it when a buyer asks me to end an auction early. The majority of the time, they want me to end it early because they know that it will end for more than they are willing to pay, so they try to get it for a low price before the bidding ends. Most of the time, when asked, I post, "we are letting this auction run till the end, no early endings. If I want a specific price, I will do a buy it now or if I'm willing to take offers I will list a make an offer option.
Also, the idea of doing the sale outside of Ebay, after listing the item on Ebay, is breaking the rules you agree to when you become a seller or buyer. It is using the system, by getting free advertisement. The beauty of Ebay is that the whole world can see what you are selling without you having a store front and paying overhead. So, you suck it up and pay there fees and you get worldwide exposure. You are cheating Ebay when you request an outside sale. Also, if Ebay gets wind of it, you can be banned as a seller, or buyer, from future Ebay use. I've realized over time with having experience with buying poor products or not getting paid, that it is worth staying within the rules, and having the protection of Ebay. And even though you say they are no protection, they have teqams of people that investigate fraud all day long and pursue it to the end. Once someone tried to hijack my account and began selling a ton of things and funneling the money into their own bank. Ebay caught on even before I did. They had it straightened out before the day was over, and my account was back on track the same day.

[stevemulholland3]

Originally Posted by FLtime

I've been selling on Ebay for about 9 years now and I really don't like it when a buyer asks me to end an auction early. The majority of the time, they want me to end it early because they know that it will end for more than they are willing to pay, so they try to get it for a low price before the bidding ends. Most of the time, when asked, I post, "we are letting this auction run till the end, no early endings. If I want a specific price, I will do a buy it now or if I'm willing to take offers I will list a make an offer option.
Also, the idea of doing the sale outside of Ebay, after listing the item on Ebay, is breaking the rules you agree to when you become a seller or buyer. It is using the system, by getting free advertisement. The beauty of Ebay is that the whole world can see what you are selling without you having a store front and paying overhead. So, you suck it up and pay there fees and you get worldwide exposure. You are cheating Ebay when you request an outside sale. Also, if Ebay gets wind of it, you can be banned as a seller, or buyer, from future Ebay use. I've realized over time with having experience with buying poor products or not getting paid, that it is worth staying within the rules, and having the protection of Ebay. And even though you say they are no protection, they have teqams of people that investigate fraud all day long and pursue it to the end. Once someone tried to hijack my account and began selling a ton of things and funneling the money into their own bank. Ebay caught on even before I did. They had it straightened out before the day was over, and my account was back on track the same day.

what? are you kidding me...cheating ebay..thats the funniest thing I have heard all week!!crap I cant even express my original point because I am still laughing..oh brother..
read the fine print..it is not against any of ebay policies for ending your auction to sell it to someone...they would not give you the option if it where..use your common sense

[FLtime]

No, I didn't mean that ending an auction early is cheating Ebay. Selling outside of the site is if you have agreed to Ebay policies.

[moby33]

Originally Posted by erolex

Best advice is: DONT BUY ON EBAY !!

I disagree on many levels...bought plenty of high end items (including watches) and never had a problem (also been a seller w/ no problems either).

The best advice I can give when buying something of significant value is to talk w/ the seller directly via phone. Over the years, 100% of the time if the 'seller' is unwilling to give a phone number and talk, then it has turned out to be a scam.

[gingi310]

Originally Posted by stevemulholland3

what? are you kidding me...cheating ebay..thats the funniest thing I have heard all week!!crap I cant even express my original point because I am still laughing..oh brother..
read the fine print..it is not against any of ebay policies for ending your auction to sell it to someone...they would not give you the option if it where..use your common sense

Before you accuse someone of not using common sense, you might want to use some of your own and read the eBay policy that you purport to understand: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...ebay-sale.html

To wit, the following is against eBay policy: "Canceling a listing to sell to a buyer who became aware of the item through eBay". Thus the only time you can end an auction early to sell an item without voilating eBay's policies is if the buyer learned of your item for sale elsewhere.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

• Listing cancellation;
• Limits on account privileges;
• Account suspension;
• Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings; and
• Loss of PowerSeller status.

I am no shill for eBay but I certainly understand why they have this policy; without it, they would be, as FLtime indicated, providing free advertising. That is common sense.

-ging

[stevemulholland3]

of course they say this,they want to drain as much money from you as possible.
also read the fine print that comes after the list of purported rules and regulations..