by Tanglerat » Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:01 am
Yeah, I've bought several reels, hooks, and a joblot of 1000 jellyworms from ebay. No worries on any of the transactions.
Points to note in addition to JGF's tip on looking at feedback:
Know how much the item costs new, and factor in p&p costs for ebay, to see if it's worth your bid price.
Check p&p costs before you bid. Ever since PalPal banned sellers from surcharging buyers for using PalPal, some chancers are charging excessive amounts for p&p.
Since June, sellers aren't allowed to surcharge buyers for using PayPal. Some of them are still doing this, up to 5% or more. If you don't want to pay this, and to avoid the hassle of squabbling after the auction, ask the seller about it before you bid. Some of them don't realise they aren't allowed to surcharge any more and will drop it when pointed out to them.
Decide the maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item and stick to it. Don't get sucked into a bidding war in the heat of the moment.
Bid once, bid your maximum, bid late is a good strategy.
Check out the discussion groups and forums to see common mistakes and problems folks make/run into.
Beware scammers. They're about. NEVER EVER NEVER click on a link in an email purporting to come from ebay telling you about problems with your account. (Tip: Spot them by their addressing you impersonally as "Dear Customer" or some such generality. Genuine ebay email always address you by your name.) These scammers are after your account details so they can hijack it and con people.
Ebay's good fun, just keep your wits about you.
Edited for typos! :D