How to Use eBay- Mistakes to Avoid

Read the item Description very Carefully. Before you bid on an item, read the item description very carefully. Take notes. My i Buy tracking sheets have places for all the important information and will force you to pay attention. For example, I didn’t notice that the Fisher Price dollhouse I was buying for my daughter wasn’t mint in box. It looked like it in the photo, but when it arrived, it clearly wasn’t. I went back to the seller’s description and there it was as plain as day—”Like Mint in Box.”

Pay Attention to the Seller’s Terms. Another very important thing to take notes about is the Seller’s terms. Write down what payments they accept, how they ship, where they ship and what the shipping charges are before you make a decision to purchase. Some sellers only accept cashiers checks and money orders. As a busy single mommy, I won’t bid on items from sellers like this. It is just too hard for me to get to the bank and I would much rather buy the same item or a similar item from someone who accepts Paypal, personal checks and credit cards. To protect yourself when paying, please use a credit card or a credit card through Paypal. This way if there is a problem you are protected two ways, you have the Paypal guarantee and your credit card company will also investigate. Paying with checks can be risky as the only recourse you will have if a problem arises is through eBay and with the U.S. Government. It is considered a federal offense to use the mails for illegal activity.

Take note of the shipping/handling/insurance charges. A lot of sellers will say actual shipping. But what does that really mean?  I have found that it is in your best interest as a buyer to ask what the shipping charges are before you bid. I didn’t do this once when I was buying an antique vase. I have collected German Marmorzellan vases since I was 13 years old. My Grandmother bought me my first one for $13 at an antiques show in Seattle. I searched and searched over the years for more, but never found any until eBay. I now have about 15 in my collection and they are so beautiful and special to me because my Grandmother started me on the collection.  The seller, who was selling a Marmorzellan vase I had bought, emailed me and said that actual shipping charges were $15.00. I emailed back and said “You have got to be kidding! I ship vases similar to this all the time and the actual UPS charges are about $6.” The seller responded that they used a Pack-n-Mail service to ship it and they charged them $15.00. I paid the $15.00 but was not happy about it and now I always check shipping charges before bidding. I email sellers that say “actual” ahead of time and clarify what “actual” really means.

Check out the Seller’s Feedback Rating. Always make sure you are dealing with a reputable seller before bidding.  eBay power sellers are a good choice. We have been selling on eBay as a power seller since 1999.  An eBay power seller has to sell a certain dollar amount per month and have a 98% positive feedback rating. They also have to have been selling on eBay for at least three months.

If the seller is not a power seller, you can do your own research by clicking on the feedback rating next to the seller’s id to read comments about them. You will want to buy from a seller who has good, positive comments and not too many negative or neutral ones.  We have over 10,000 positive comments and only 16 negatives. That yields 99.8% positive and this number is shown when you click on the feedback number and are taken to the feedback page. We work very hard to keep our customers happy, but sometimes, no matter what you do, people leave neutral/negative comments.

Tagged as: buying on ebay, ebay sales, ebay success, ebay tips, how to use ebay, tips for ebay