Best eBay Tips for Beginners
Here are some of the top tips for beginners to eBay:
eBay has been going for over a decade now and it is one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Would you believe that it has close to 200 million users? eBay is a great place for selling and buying all sorts of things, but it’s not always easy when you start out. Take a look below for our top tips for buyers, and our top tips for sellers.
Top Tips for Buyers
- Don’t bid too early! If you prematurely, it will only make things more expensive if someone else bids.
- Use an Auction Sniper.
- Buy it Now can be more expensive.
- Watch out for hidden shipping charges.
- Check peoples feedback before you bid. If they have negative feedback, don’t bid.
- Retracting bids on eBay is not easy, so only bid when you want to buy.
- Before buying a product, check how much it is worth, so you don’t end up paying more. EBay has bargains, but it’s not always cheap!
- Watch out for scams and fraudsters. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- Get a PayPal account. It makes paying for auctions so much easier.
- Don’t get addicted! Set a budget and stick to it, the last minutes of bidding can be the most expensive ones as it’s easier to get caught up in a bidding frenzy.
Top Tips for Sellers
- Market research will help you establish whether or not selling on eBay is profitable. Look at past completed auctions for a good reference.
- Use Turbolister to help you list items on eBay. It’s so much easier than using the web interface.
- eBay auction fees are not cheap. Don’t add extra categories and extra features such as buy it now and featured status unless you’re selling something of high value.
- Sometimes adding a reserve price to your auction can cost you. If you’re not selling something expensive, try to avoid using it.
- You can get loads of free auction templates on the internet which is a great way to spruce up your listings.
- When your auctions close, send buyers an e-mail to let them know you’re alive and also how long it will be till they get their items.
- Don’t charge over the odds for shipping. Many eBayers do this and it’s the pet hate of many buyers. If you’re honest about shipping, buyers will love you for it.
- Package your items well so that they will not be damaged in the post. Get insurance to ensure that if they are damaged, you can claim it back and refund the customer.
- Always get proof of sending and proof of delivery. It makes shipping a little bit more expensive, but it will help you endlessly in the case of a dispute.
- Don’t forget to pay your eBay fees! They are normally charged monthly, and if you forget eBay will close your account until you’ve cleared the bill.