‎‌How to Find Great Deals at eBay

Everyone loves a great deal! Many people spend  quite a bit of time searching for good deals on the  items that they want and need – and when they find  those deals, they experience a certain amount of  satisfaction. These people typically haunt garage  sales, stores that are holding sales, wholesale  warehouses, flea markets, and especially online  and offline auctions. With the incredible number of  auctions that are constantly going on at eBay, it  can be difficult to find the items you want, at the  price you want to pay. But it isn’t impossible to find  great deals!

There are steps you can take to ensure that you are  getting a great deal on the items you purchase  through eBay. In fact, these same steps will also  help to protect you against fraud. Participating in  online auctions is a great deal of fun, but you must use caution as well. This caution entails doing your  research before you place any bids.

Start with the auction in question. Make sure that  you read every word of the description and the  auction details. You can never have too much  information – especially if that information is  about an individual that you may be doing business  with. Pay special attention to what the description  and auction details do not say. For instance, is a  guarantee mentioned? Is the item new? Is it  authentic? Is there proof of authenticity? Look for  auctions that provide the right information – and  the right amount of information. Avoid those that  do not.

Who will pay the shipping and handling costs? Often, the buyer pays these costs, and sometimes, the  seller tries to charge more than the actual shipping  and handling costs are. Beware of high shipping  costs, especially for items that will be auctioned  off at a very low price. Also note when the item is  supposed to ship after the bidding has ended.  Depending on what you are trying to purchase the  item for, it may not arrive in time.

Don’t make the mistake of bidding on an item simply  because it is a ‘good deal.’ It is only a good deal for  you if the item is something that you really want or  need. Many people simply bid for the sake of  bidding – or winning – without having any real need  or desire for the item in question. Before bidding on  items that you do want or need, check prices  around the Internet and the prices available from  offline sources as well. Just because it is on eBay  does not guarantee that it is the cheapest price  available!

Finally, learn more about the seller. Can you trust  them? What is their rating? Read their feedback  page! Failure to learn more about the seller can be costly. Not everyone is as honest as you are – and  the seller may be trying to take advantage of people  that simply don’t know enough to find out more  about them. Sometimes scammers make their  auctions sound like really great deals. Beware of  prices that seem extremely low!