Ebay Lessons

First, all the opinions I'm about to express about Ebay are my own. They are an attempt to let people know some things about Ebay both good and bad. If you choose to purchase something from Ebay based on what I say here, you do so at your own risk. Advise costs nothing and sometimes is worth just as much.

The last few days, I've been bidding on various Gimli battle axes on Ebay. I'm hoping to get a better deal on one then I can get a regular shops that sell the item. If I'm patient, I think I'll get that deal. You can find some bargains on Ebay, if you're patient, and know the rules. If you're not patient and know the rules, you can get ripped off. Because of this, I decided to post a blog post about Ebay and tell of some of my hard learned lessons so hopefully you won't have to learn the same lessons.

First lesson, make sure you've lost the bid on one item before you bid on another copy of the same item. This may seem like a no-brainer but it wasn't in my case. As I mentioned previously, this ended up being a $600 lesson. Hopefully, you have more sense than I had at the time and don't make the same mistake.

Second lesson, know that Ebay will not help you mediate with a seller if you don't contact them within 30 days of paying for the item. This was another hard lesson. I won a bid on an item and the seller said they wouldn't be able to deliver the item until after 30 days. Payment was expected immediately. If I had know the rule about Ebay's mediation, I never would've tried to purchase the item. What ended up happening in this case was I'm still owed a Herugrim sword or $94. I highly doubt I'll see either. It seems the seller was selling items she didn't have on hand. Since this lesson, I've always made sure I get what I pay for in time. If it gets close to the 30 days, I'll be contacting Ebay to cover myself.

Third lesson, avoid getting caught up in the competition to win the bid. The object of buying something on Ebay is to try to buy something you want at a better price then you can find elsewhere. If you get caught up in winning the bid, you may not end up with the bargain you were looking for. If there are a number of the particular item on Ebay, decide what is the limit you're winning to pay for the item, and stick to that price. When the bid goes over that price, stop bidding on it. The exception to this rule is if the price is only a dollar or two over your limit. In that case, you might want to see if another dollar will get you the item.

Another exception to this rule is if there aren't a lot of the item you want. If it is a limited edition or one of a kind, you are probably going to pay a premium for it if there is high demand for the item.

Fourth lesson, be prepared for the last minute bid grab. A number of times, I've thought I've won the bid on an item only to have someone snatch it away at the last minute. What more experienced buyers will do is have a last minute bid ready and when it gets within 45 seconds of the item closing out, they'll send the bid in. This tactic has worked a number of times to my great frustration. Be prepared for it and have your own last minute bid ready if you really want the item.

Fifth lesson, make sure you buy from a seller who has sold a lot of stuff and has a high satisfaction rating. You're less likely to get ripped off from such a seller. This isn't to say you shouldn't buy from someone who is selling for the first time (I'll be doing that myself soon) but be careful with such newbies. They don't have a proven track record.

That's all the advice (for what it's worth) that I have on Ebay. I can say without a doubt that thanks to Ebay, I've saved some serious money on things I've wanted to buy. I think it is a really nice place to buy stuff but, you have to be careful there. Learn the rules on how it works. Knowing those rules could save you some grief and some serious cash.