I'm probably the only one confused by ebay.....

[Vshanell]

But how the heck do you order stuff from there? I've been ashamed to ask this for a long time but I just gotta know cuz I want some stuff from there. Seriously, can't I just buy what I want......do I have to bid? I don't have the time or patience for bidding wars. Can someone just explain to me?

*I will not be ashamed*

 

[anon123]

First you create an account on Ebay. It is easiest if you also create an account on Paypal, as this is how most vendors want to be paid. Paypal processes credit cards for the vendors. Some vendors will take checks or money orders. Check the listing for details.

Some things on Ebay are bid only. You enter the maximum you want to pay for something. Your bid will show up as the lowest amount that could win. For example, if someone bid $10 for something and you are willing to pay up to $20, you can bid $20 but your initial bid will only show up as $10.50, just enough to be higher than the previous bidder. If the auction ends with no one willing to pay more than $10.50 except you, you will win the item for $10.50 even though you bid $20. It's like if you sent someone to a live auction and told them "pay as little as you can to win me this item, but you can go as high as $20".

Some things are "Buy it Now". These you don't have to bid on and can just click "buy it now." Usually they are a higher cost, but not always.

When you are browsing, at the top of your search results, you can select whether you want to look at the auctions or just the buy it now options.

 

[cmesweet]

Hey!

There are 2 ways to get stuff, you can bid or you can purchase.

When you put your search in, right above it the tabs say " All items" "Auctions" and "Buy it now"

You want to pick the "BUY IT NOW"

then you pick on the item title and there will be a tab "Buy it now"

NOTE: Make sure to go all the way to the bottom (usually) to see the acceptable payments and return policy for the item.

Hope that helps.

 

[SparklingFlame]

AWWWW dont be ashamed!
I dont like to bid either. All you have to do is look for the "Buy It Now" button. If the price looks agreeable you just pay for it strait out, no bidding. Then from that point you just follow the prompts. Its not hard at all!

 

[LivingDoll]

Hey pocohontas...I've bought and sold on ebay. It depends. There are some items that you can just purchase. They have a "BuyItNow" link. Some have a "BuyItNow or Best Offer". In those cases, you can offer the seller what you want. The seller either accepts, rejects or counters your offer. Some items are straight auction (up for bid). I have found as a buyer, that it's best to put the item on watch until a few minutes before the auction is over, then bid. Remember, each time you make an offer that is countered by another seller, you are essentially jacking up the price. It's best to let the auction time run out before bidding. You can also go into Ebay Express. Everything sold there is a straight sale, not subject to auction.

It sounds intimidating but it isn't. The trickiest part is mastering how to win auctions. Be careful, it's addictive.

ETA: Please make sure you look at the Seller's feedback. Steer clear of sellers with less than 95%. If someone has less, look at their Detailed Feedback. Often times, you can deduct the type of items and service the seller provides. I my years of buying and selling, I've had very few bad experiences. If you have questions about specific auctions, you can PM me. I'll take a look and offer you some advice.

 

[BlondeByDesire]

If you haven't already done so, create an account.

Yes, you have to bid on the item unless it has a "Buy Now" offering. Also check out the seller's ratings make sure he/she are good at sending quality products and sending them in a reasonable amount of time. If they have negative feedback - stay away.

I use Ebay and I pay through Pay Pal which I feel is much more secure than using Ebay's payment system. If you don't have an Pay Pal account create one of those first - because it will take a couple of days for them to verify your info. Such, credit card info they will send two small deposits to your account and then you have to verify the amounts they deposited.

If you need further info, let me know.

 

[MizAvalon]

AWWWW dont be ashamed!
I dont like to bid either. All you have to do is look for the "Buy It Now" button. If the price looks agreeable you just pay for it strait out, no bidding. Then from that point you just follow the prompts. Its not hard at all!

This is what I do. I've never tried bidding. I got my CHI blowdryer for much less than any site that was selling it.

 

[Vshanell]

First you create an account on Ebay. It is easiest if you also create an account on Paypal, as this is how most vendors want to be paid. Paypal processes credit cards for the vendors. Some vendors will take checks or money orders. Check the listing for details.

Some things on Ebay are bid only. You enter the maximum you want to pay for something. Your bid will show up as the lowest amount that could win. For example, if someone bid $10 for something and you are willing to pay up to $20, you can bid $20 but your initial bid will only show up as $10.50, just enough to be higher than the previous bidder. If the auction ends with no one willing to pay more than $10.50 except you, you will win the item for $10.50 even though you bid $20. It's like if you sent someone to a live auction and told them "pay as little as you can to win me this item, but you can go as high as $20".

Some things are "Buy it Now". These you don't have to bid on and can just click "buy it now." Usually they are a higher cost, but not always.

When you are browsing, at the top of your search results, you can select whether you want to look at the auctions or just the buy it now options.

Wow, thanks so much for explaining that to me. I'm going to browse around under "Buy it Now" (I'm looking for shea butter right now).

The whole bidding thing seems time consuming to me. When I'm ready to order I don't want to wait. So how long does it take for the auction to end? I'm totally clueless.

 

[Vshanell]

Hey!

There are 2 ways to get stuff, you can bid or you can purchase.

When you put your search in, right above it the tabs say " All items" "Auctions" and "Buy it now"

You want to pick the "BUY IT NOW"

then you pick on the item title and there will be a tab "Buy it now"

NOTE: Make sure to go all the way to the bottom (usually) to see the acceptable payments and return policy for the item.

Hope that helps.

Yes, this helps! Thanks cmesweet.....I'm understanding more now.

 

[Vshanell]

AWWWW dont be ashamed!
I dont like to bid either. All you have to do is look for the "Buy It Now" button. If the price looks agreeable you just pay for it strait out, no bidding. Then from that point you just follow the prompts. Its not hard at all!

Thanks StillALady!

BTW........love your new do'.

 

[Vshanell]

Hey pocohontas...I've bought and sold on ebay. It depends. There are some items that you can just purchase. They have a "BuyItNow" link. Some have a "BuyItNow or Best Offer". In those cases, you can offer the seller what you want. The seller either accepts, rejects or counters your offer. Some items are straight auction (up for bid). I have found as a buyer, that it's best to put the item on watch until a few minutes before the auction is over, then bid. Remember, each time you make an offer that is countered by another seller, you are essentially jacking up the price. It's best to let the auction time run out before bidding. You can also go into Ebay Express. Everything sold there is a straight sale, not subject to auction.

It sounds intimidating but it isn't. The trickiest part is mastering how to win auctions. Be careful, it's addictive.

ETA: Please make sure you look at the Seller's feedback. Steer clear of sellers with less than 95%. If someone has less, look at their Detailed Feedback. Often times, you can deduct the type of items and service the seller provides. I my years of buying and selling, I've had very few bad experiences. If you have questions about specific auctions, you can PM me. I'll take a look and offer you some advice.

Thank you so much! You ladies are really helping me to have a positive ordering experience. I really appreciate it.

The bolded is a great tip, thanks! I was wondering how the service was. I'm kinda iffy buying from numerous sellers......which leads me to my next question.......if I buy several items from several different sellers will my shipping be jacked wayyy up? Will I get separate shipping from each different seller?

 

[SparklingFlame]

Thanks StillALady!

BTW........love your new do'.

Thanks girl!!

Right beside the current bid there is the info on when the auction will end. It will say 1 day 22hrs 32 min or something like that. I dont like waiting either. I would rather know I'm getting it immediately.

 

[SparklingFlame]

Thank you so much! You ladies are really helping me to have a positive ordering experience. I really appreciate it.

The bolded is a great tip, thanks! I was wondering how the service was. I'm kinda iffy buying from numerous sellers......which leads me to my next question.......if I buy several items from several different sellers will my shipping be jacked wayyy up? Will I get separate shipping from each different seller?

Seperate shipping from each seller.

 

[Vshanell]

If you haven't already done so, create an account.

Yes, you have to bid on the item unless it has a "Buy Now" offering. Also check out the seller's ratings make sure he/she are good at sending quality products and sending them in a reasonable amount of time. If they have negative feedback - stay away.

I use Ebay and I pay through Pay Pal which I feel is much more secure than using Ebay's payment system. If you don't have an Pay Pal account create one of those first - because it will take a couple of days for them to verify your info. Such, credit card info they will send two small deposits to your account and then you have to verify the amounts they deposited.

If you need further info, let me know.

Thank you so much Marbel. This is great info. I'm saving this page to refer back to when I make my order.

 

[Vshanell]

Seperate shipping from each seller.

Oh Lawd! This changes things a bit. I'm still going to make an order though.....just not as many items as planned. I was gonna go hog wild over there if it was just one shipping charge.
I think I'm gonna buy those flexirods

Thanks again!

 

[LivingDoll]

Oh Lawd! This changes things a bit. I'm still going to make an order though.....just not as many items as planned. I was gonna go hog wild over there if it was just one shipping charge.
I think I'm gonna buy those flexirods

Thanks again!

IA..separate shipping from each seller and sometimes separate shipping from the same seller...however in most instances sellers will combine or discount shipping if you order multiple items from them. Also, many seller include a shipping "fee" in the cost of shipping. This cost helps to offset the cost of packing materials, packing labor and gas. Be careful that you're not paying too much. If you're getting something small and light, shipping shouldn't be over $8.95 unless it's being shipped USPS Priority, UPS or FedEx.

ETA: Also, the item location affects shipping rates as well. An item being shipped to the US from India or China may cost a little more and take a little longer to arrive.

 

[SparklingFlame]

IA..separate shipping from each seller and sometimes separate shipping from the same seller...however in most instances sellers will combine or discount shipping if you order multiple items from them. Also, many seller include a shipping "fee" in the cost of shipping. This cost helps to offset the cost of packing materials, packing labor and gas. Be careful that you're not paying too much. If you're getting something small and light, shipping shouldn't be over $8.95 unless it's being shipped USPS Priority, UPS or FedEx.

ETA: Also, the item location affects shipping rates as well. An item being shipped to the US from India or China may cost a little more and take a little longer to arrive.

Usually if the product is priced high then the shipping is low and vise versa. If both are high....