eBay Buyer Tips

eBay Buyer Tips. Tips for buying on eBay at the best bargain prices.

Check the Seller’s Feedback Rating

Next to the seller’s name will be a number contained in brackets and a percentage. This is the number of feedbacks the seller has received so far, and the percentage of feedbacks that have been positive. Click on the number, and you will be able to see a detailed listing of the feedback for that seller over the past year.

Pay attention to the negative comments, and see if there is real cause for concern in dealing with this seller. Most trustworthy sellers have positive ratings of at least 98 percent.

Use a shopping bot

Examples include Pricewatch.com and Goto.com. Use these price comparison websites to help you determine the lowest possible retail value available in the market. This will help you set a bid maximum (perhaps to the point just below the lowest possible retail value).

This way, you will be able to avoid getting caught up with emotions in the last minutes of bidding. As you watch your bids being overtaken by other bidders, it is easy to want to bid higher ‘just to win the auction’. Instead, set an absolute maximum and only bid until that point.

Learn to use the eBay search function

More eBay buyer tips: there can be many different ways to describe the same product. The same product can also end up in different sub-categories, depending on how the seller has categorized the item. Come up with at least 3 different keywords that describe your product, and search for them.

Trick: if you identify an item that has obviously been placed in the wrong category, you can rightfully assume that competition for that item will probably be low, since most other people (unlike you) will not be able to find that product. This is where you can find the real steals on eBay.

Learn the art of Sniping

Sniping simply means to wait until the last moments before you place a bid, so your opponents have no time to counter with another bid. This also takes advantage of a human characteristic: we tend to desire what others desire. By only placing your bid at the last possible moment, you help to tame the excitement for the product so you can get the very best price.

Place proxy bids

That said, snipers can easily be outdone by proxy bids. When you place a proxy bid, the system will automatically up your bid to the next increment should you be outbid. Thus, snipers who bid even at the last moment will lose to a higher proxy bid. However, you need to be first clear on exactly how much you are willing to pay for the item: at least a few dollars below retail.

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