TECH SUPPORT: eBay–The answer to this guy’s financial woes and maybe yours
eBay: The answer to this guy’s financial woes and maybe yours
Personally, I live and die with eBay. When I need some cash, there is always something I can sell. I’ve sold all sorts of old stuff. My original Nintendo from 1984 sold for $50.00. I’ve sold computer parts, books and CD players. You can literally sell just about anything. You can usually save some cash and find almost anything, from the old school ’84 Air Jordan’s to a 2003 Mercedes-Benz: SL-Class MG SL-55, for those of you with an extra 130 grand.
To use eBay, you have to register for a new account to buy or sell, but it’s pretty easy. They ask for your name, address, phone, credit card and bank information (to verify identity) and all the other standard information.
When you are selling something on eBay you have two options. One option is using it like a normal auction. The winner is the highest bidder. The seller can choose three, five, seven or 10 days for the auction. When time is up, the highest bidder wins. The other option is called “Buy it Now”. This will allow a bidder to purchase the item for a price you set before the auction starts. If buyers would like they can still bid and avoid the “Buy it Now” option.
When you are listing an item, you are charged, it is called the insertion fee. I usually never pay more than 30 cents. It depends on how many of the little options you choose. For example, I think having your auction title in bold will cost an extra $2.00. You are also going to want to throw a few pictures up on your auction. The first picture is free and they charge 15 cents per picture after that. People like to see what they are going to get, so I say the more pictures the better. If your auction doesn’t sell at all, you are allowed to re-list your auction without paying another insertion fee until it does sell. Also, when your auction sells, eBay charges you a percent of the final cost. I think it starts at 5.25 percent and decreases the higher your auctions goes.
When you are setting up your auction, eBay is going to ask you for an auction title. This is probably the most important thing to get your auction exposure. When a person searches for an item, the search looks at the title of the auction. So if you misspell a key word like “Sony” or “Dell”, the average user won’t be able to find your auction. I like to throw as many “buzz” words in my titles as possible. The more words I have, the better chances I have of someone stumbling on my auction and bidding.
On the other side of the coin is using eBay as a bidder. A lot of people worry about buying things from eBay. Honestly, I think you really have nothing to worry about, as long as you are cautious and bid carefully. There are a few things you should look for when you are bidding.
The first and most important thing is user feedback. At the top of the auction page, next to the seller’s user name, is a number in parentheses. This is the sellers credit. The higher the number, the better. After each transaction the buyer and the seller get to leave positive, neutral or negative feedback. I always click on the number and read what other users have to say about the seller.
Another thing I do is always read the auction description carefully. If there is something fishy in there, I e-mail the seller and make sure the auction is exactly what I think it is. Better to be safe than sorry. When you bid is also very important. I usually bid about two minutes before the auction is over. The reason is because other bidders will have less time to out bid you.
And the last tip for you users trying to win an auction is to misspell your search. For example search for “Laptp” instead of “Laptop”. These auctions have had a lot less people discover them, and you might have a good chance at getting something really cheap. If the seller can’t spell, it’s not our fault.
Zack Ali is majoring in computer science. Comments can be sent to helpdesk@cc.usu.edu.