Could someone please explain how e-bay works?

B

BAM

Cathlete
Yes, I have never ordered from e-bay nor have I looked at it. I am quite computer challenged and avoid doing anything technical beyond my limited comprehension.:+ I'm considering buying some skincare products and looked at e-bay and they were quite inexpensive. I guess you have to bid on them? What if I just want to buy an item? How do I know the products are brand new and sealed? How can they sell items at such a reduced price? Is it difficult to sign up? O.K., so you can see I need MAJOR help with this. Any information you can provide would be MOST helpful and appreciated!

Thank you.
Technical misfit, Bam
 
BAM,
Some sellers will offer you the opportunity to buy the product at a set price without having to bid. Read the product description, the seller profile/ratings, and email the seller with any questions before you bid to determine whether or not to trust that person. eBay is a risk, for sure. I have had good experiences with selling and buying, but of course, there are unscrupulous folks out there. If any price seems too good to be true, then you've gotta exercise caution. It's easy to sign up and there are tutorials for newcomers to walk you through the process. You really do need to read through that information and the terms of agreement before you begin bidding.

[font face="heather" font color=black size=+2]~Cathy[/font]
[font face="comic sans ms"]When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces, I just know they're about to jab me with something. http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/cartoon/homersimpson.gif
 
I've used eBay on and off over the years. Here's a couple things I learned:

Some people put items out there at a ridiculously low price but then they soak you with shipping costs. Make sure you read the listing carefully to understand what your final cost will be.

Signing up is free and easy. The people selling the goods are the ones being charged for putting their listing eBay so you don't have to worry about that.

If you place a bid and win, you should always follow the instructions for payment. If you win the item and then don't pay, the seller can put a negative 'mark' against your eBay ID (your feedback score is your 'reputation'). You can give him a bad mark too if he sends you a defective product and doesn't try to rectify it. If a transaction is good and everyone's happy, then you put a positive 'mark' on each others eBay id. That's why you should look at a seller's rating before you bid. As a seller, he's looking at your rating too. I always wait until I have the product in hand before putting any comments, positive or negative, on a seller's id.

No flames please but I'm also wary of buying something from anyone who is overseas, just because of shipping time/costs and the number of knockoffs of name brands that seem to come from other countries, especially the far east. That's just my preference, I'm sure there are many legitimate sellers from other countries!

Before you bid if you have any questions at all, email the seller to get more information.

ETA: I forgot to mention payment method. Make sure you understand how the seller wants to get paid. You might have to set up a Paypal account to pay him if he doesn't take checks or money orders.
 
You've gotten some good advice so far. I have had mostly good experiences on ebay. One thing I always try to keep in mind is that I would never spend more on ebay than I would be willing to lose. In other words, I never bid on an item that is more than $100 or so. Just in case it doesn't work out, I don't want to be out an arm and a leg.

Definitely read the item descriptions very carefully, including return policies and whether an item is new or used, check on the shipping/handling costs, look at the seller's feedback (not just the score), ask the seller questions before you bid, and try not to get caught up in the "excitement" of bidding...don't get so stuck on an item that you end up paying more than you can get it elsewhere.

Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone for your help! :) What I don't understand is how they get away with selling things so much cheaper than the advertised price. i.e. The product I want to buy is on an infomercial for $59.95. I saw it on e-bay for as low as $6 or $8 up to $20 or so. Should I be safe and just buy it from the infomercial? This is where my frustration starts to kick in. I certainly want a good deal but I also want a quality product.

Bam
 
Bam,
Sometimes the starting price is low because if it's a coveted item, the seller knows (or trusts) that enough people are going to bid on it that it'll go for a reasonable price. I am suspicious when a seller sells a whole bunch of same item "new."

[font face="heather" font color=black size=+2]~Cathy[/font]
[font face="comic sans ms"]When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces, I just know they're about to jab me with something. http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/cartoon/homersimpson.gif
 
Another thing to keep in mind is too look carefully at the size of the product. I once ordered some perfume thinking it was a good deal but when it arrived it was a really tiny sample. I should have known because the listing did say the size but of course it looked bigger in the picture (or maybe there wasn't a picture). I just didn't realize how small it was! So if it's a skincare product you're interested in, check the sizes and then if you can't picture how big that is, look at your other products around the house to get an idea of the amount you'll get. Hope that helps!

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
 
Bam, I'm not 100% sure about this, but I've read many times that cosmetics that are sold on ebay have to be new. You should definitely check if that is true. Of course even if it's true you have to check out a seller's feedback before making a purchase. As in every place, some people just don't follow the rules and are in it just to scam others.

Sometimes sellers buy the products in bulk and put them in smaller containers so they can sell them on ebay. I remember that biggest seller of Bare Escentuals on Ebay (I think it was colorful sprinkles) was shut down by the company for doing this. Other sellers just buy products by the hundreds and sell them cheaper on Ebay since they get a better price by buying so many of them.

When it comes to beauty products I probably would never buy them on Ebay. I've only bought books from Ebay and half.com (which belongs to Ebay). I just don't trust sellers when it comes to other things like electronics, fashion items, and other categories. I'm sure there are many that are legitimate, but even if that is true, I like to have return policies and warranties in case I don't like something or if something goes wrong with an item after I had it for awhile.

Remember that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. I think the "if it sounds too good...." theory is probably one I should heed. I really would love to save the money instead of paying full price but perhaps I should play it safe. The product I was interested in buying was from Leigh Valentine. She does the infomercial with Kevin Trudeau (I know he's controversial) for skincare and it looks (like they all do:p ) interesting. Has anyone by any chance tried this? They all come with a money back guarantee minus the shipping charges.

Bam
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top