When you want to buy or sell something on the Internet, go to eBay, the World's Online Marketplace. eBay members can sell things on the Internet through Auctions, which involve bidding, and the Fixed Price Format, in which the price of each item is set. Between the two, eBay Auction is the more common way to sell.
Selling on eBay
Anyone who wants to sell on eBay must first become a member and then set up a seller's account. This is true whether the item is being sold through an eBay auction or a fixed price. To make a seller account, you need a credit card number or to have your ID verified. The next thing you need is a picture of the thing you want to sell. This is necessary because most people want to know what an item looks like before they buy it.
The next step is to list your item by clicking the button that says "Sell Your Item." After clicking the button, be sure to give all the necessary information, such as the item category, title, item description, price, payment method, shipping costs, return policy, and payment methods. You can list your item in more than one relevant category to give it a better chance of being seen by more potential buyers. Another good strategy would be to have a title that is very specific and that potential buyers would most likely type as their search string.
You can keep track of all your listings by going to My eBay, which keeps track of all the items you've sold and are still selling, as well as all the bids made on them and all the items you've bid on and are still bidding on. There is also a "Favorites" page and a "Your Accounts" page in "My eBay." Once the item is sold, eBay will send an email to both the buyer and the seller to let them know. Make sure you talk to your buyer well and let them know that the item will be shipped as soon as you get the money.
If you want to sell something on eBay Auction, you need to set three prices before you put the item up for sale. The starting price comes first. The Starting Price is just the price at which you want bidding to begin. It is also usually the lowest price you are willing to take for the item. The Reserve Price comes next. Set the Reserve Price if your starting price is less than the amount you are willing to accept as payment. If you set a reserve price, your item won't sell if the highest bid is still less than the reserve price when the bidding is over. Buyers don't know about this price.
The Buy It Now Price comes last. The Buy It Now Price is the amount a buyer must pay to get the item you are selling without having to bid. The Buy It Now Price and the Reserve Price are both optional. The reserve price can be helpful because it keeps you from having to sell your item for too little, but it can also be bad because it might make people not want to bid. The Buy It Now Price, on the other hand, is good for people who really want to buy the item you're selling because they don't have to worry about being outbid if they buy it right away. It's also good for you as the seller because you don't have to wait for the bidding period to end before the deal can be made. But it can be bad if there is a lot of interest in the item you are selling, since having a "Buy It Now" price will limit the amount bid, even though some buyers might be willing to bid more than that set price.
The following fees are charged to sellers on eBay. The Insertion Fee, the Fees for Extra Options, and the Fee for the Final Value. The Insertion Fee is a fee that can't be refunded and is charged for each item that is listed on eBay Auction. Insertion Fee can be anywhere between $0.30 and $4.80. If you choose extra features like the "Buy It Now" button or want your item to be a "Featured Item," you will have to pay extra fees. The Final Value fee is based on how much your item sold for at the end of an eBay Auction that went well.
Bidding on an auction on eBay
To bid on something on eBay Auction, click on the thing you want to buy to get to the page for that thing. Then, you can place a bid by clicking on the Place Bid Button on the right side of the picture. If there isn't such a button, it means that the item can only be bought at the set price and isn't up for auction. When you place a bid, you will only see the starting price. You won't be able to see how much other people have bid. Enter the most you're willing to spend on the item you want to buy, then click the Place Bid button. eBay Auction will automatically compare your bid to others and won't bid the maximum amount you set. Instead it will bid only what is needed to outbid the last bid. This will be done automatically by eBay Auction until it reaches the highest amount you set or you win the bid. If another buyer outbids you, eBay Auction will let you know so you can enter a higher amount or at least know that you've been outbid.
Check to see if the reserve price has been met if you are bidding in a Reserve Price Auction. If your maximum amount has been reached but the reserve price hasn't been met yet, you know for sure that you need to raise your bid because the item won't be sold until the reserve price is met.
If you are nervous about bidding on an expensive item, remember that eBay has ways to protect both buyers and sellers from fraud. If it's your first time and you're nervous, try bidding on cheaper things before moving on to more expensive ones. On eBay, you can find things that cost less than $1.00.
