Buying merchandise through eBay is a unique experience. This section gives you advice about how to best use eBay as a buyer. If you're a seller, read Tips for Sellers. Tips in these sections come from user suggestions after running millions of eBay auctions.

Know The Item You Bid On

What you see is what you get on eBay. Therefore, if a description of an item is unclear, be sure to clarify the item description with the seller before you bid.

 

Protect From Fraud

Most of the items for sale on eBay are offered by private individuals. As such, these sellers are unregulated which makes protecting yourself from fraud extremely important. Please check out sellers by reviewing their eBay feedback and local consumer agencies to find more information about them or their company.

 

If you see a number in parentheses next to a seller's UserID, that number is the seller's feedback rating. This rating is a summary of the comments that other users have made about this user. You can click on that number to take you to the actual comments, people have left about this user. It is a good idea to get to know a person's reputation, especially before you send money.

 

Remember, eBay is only a venue and we do not represent the ability of a seller to complete the transaction or the quality of the items. Therefore, if you feel at all unsure about a transaction, ask the seller to escrow the item and payment. You should negotiate these terms with the seller before placing your bid. Further, credit card payments may insulate you from fraudulent transactions for items over £30.00, so this may be a preferred payment method.

 

Be Courteous To Other Users

A little bit of courtesy goes a long way, especially via email. Simply taking the time to write in complete sentences, with a salutation and closing, can make a big difference in how you are viewed via email. Be sure to treat everyone with the courtesy that you expect to receive.

 

Bid Only Once!

Bidding only once is the best way to be sure you are not outbid. Remember that eBay uses a proxy bidding system, which means that eBay keeps your maximum bid secret. When you specify your maximum bid, eBay records that amount, but bids only enough to outbid the previous high bidder. If someone outbids your current bid, eBay immediately increases your bid only enough to outbid the new bid.

This continues until someone exceeds your maximum bid. The best reason to use this method of bidding is that you'll never be outbid at the last minute by someone, and not have enough time to place a new bid before the auction ends. If your preset maximum is outbid by someone, you probably didn't want to spend the money anyway, so you won't suffer the disappointment of having the auction close before you can get back to increase your bid. (See an example).

Note: The proxy system is not available on Dutch Auctions.

Make Note Of Auction Details

Copy the UserID of the seller, email address of the seller, the auction number, the item description, and the time, date, and price you bid on the item. That way, you can contact the seller right away to begin completing the transaction if you are the high bidder. If you return to the site of the item right after closing, you will see the official results. The email notice about the end of the auction is not sent until the following morning, so you don't have to wait if you return to the item's page.

 

Contact The Seller

If you are the high bidder in an auction, be sure to contact the seller within three days after the auction ends.Many people do not read their email every day, so you should not assume someone is ignoring you just because you have not heard from them in a while. Pick up the phone and give them a call. A quick call is a great way to resolve misunderstandings.

 

General Bidding Tips

• Don't bid on multiple identical items: you can't pick which one you pay for. Each bid you place enters you in a binding contract.
• If you are outbid on one item, wait until that auction has ended before placing a bid on an identical item. If the bidder who outbid you retracts his/her bid or becomes unregistered before the auction ends, your bid may be reinstated as the high bidder. If you have also bid on another identical item, you may end up being obligated to purchase both items.
• The only acceptable reasons for retracting your bid are: you entered a wrong bid amount; the item description changed substantially after you bid; or you cannot authenticate the seller's identity. Otherwise, your bid is a binding contract and you should follow through with your purchase.
• If you do need to retract a bid, emailing the seller to explain is the polite thing to do.
• Important notes on Retractions:
  • Retracted bids are recorded in your ID card on your feedback page. If you abuse the retraction function, you will be warned or suspended by eBay.

Retractions are not permitted within the last 12 hours of an auction, except for bids placed within the last 12 hours and retracted within 1 hour of the bid being placed. Only your last bid is removed in this case.