This is a great question that many people who are new to eBay and Paypal often ask. Here is the question below:
I have never bought anything off of ebay, but I really want to. I am just kind of skeptical about it and was wondering if you have had positive experiences than negative. Explain your situation. Thanks!
1. Read the listing with a magnifying glass! That is right. Sellers may try to put loads of text in there and then at the bottom say, “By the way this is broken.” (Extreme example). But the point is know fully what the item is, the condition, and ask any questions before buying.
2. Check feedback! Make sure they have been on eBay a while, and make sure they have good feedback. Read their shipping policy, etc. to make sure that you want to do business with the seller.
3. Use a CREDIT CARD when paying through paypal ONLY! Here is why: When you check out, paypal gives you the option to deduct the money from your paypal account, or select another funding source (checking account/credit card, etc.). Select your credit card. That way, if the buyer turned out to be a scammer and never send the merchandise, you can call your credit card company and file a fraud charge and chargeback the amount. Of course, only do that if you really got scammed.
4. Make sure your address is up-to-date with paypal/ebay before buying. Sometimes people move and the items get shipped to their old address because they forgot to change it.
5. If you have a problem, be nice and contact the seller and explain. Some sellers have “all sales are final” listings and don’t take returns. Others may have a return policy. Again, research what you are going to buy so you know what you get, the seller’s policy, and all of that.
Follow those tips, and you should have a pretty good experience overall. You can find some good bargains many times.
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Posted under Making Money, eBay
This post was written by Ben on April 29, 2009
