Why We Love Ebay
As both Buyers and Sellers on Ebay, we would like to share a few thoughts about the site.
Ebay is the largest, most recognized and trusted online auction site on the Internet and probably the worlds largest marketplace.
For example, suppose you went to the largest retailer in your town. Lets assume you were shopping for new designer jeans. How many selections would you have to choose from? 50? 100? 200? A search on Ebay for "jeans" brings nearly 350,000 auctions!!!!
Every major manufacturer, importer and retailer of designer jeans is represented! Imagine going to your local store and being able to choose from 110,000 pairs of jeans. Where would you start? You would never get to see them all.
Ebay remedies this by giving you options to narrow down your search. Designer? Style?Just type what you desire and then they appear! It's just that easy. Want "size 29 True Religion jeans?" type it in...there it is! 131 items to choose from. If a certain Brand Name has caught your eye...Affliction? 1800 to choose from at this time. What could be better?
Bid, or buy it now, and it arrives at your doorstep a few days later.
Of course, just as in brick and mortar stores, you need to use caution on Ebay or for any other online purchases you may make.
Firstly, try to get to know the seller. Just as you wouldn't want to patronize a shoddy run-down store, pay attention to the quality of the listing. Does it look professional? Well thought out? How long has the merchant been on Ebay? Are the terms, shipping costs, return policy, shipping times, listed plainly and easily understood? Always, ALWAYS, take a moment to look at the sellers feedback. Is it mostly positive?
Problems can arise in business, so if the buyer had a problem, it's important to know if the seller resolved it. The seller has a chance to respond to complaints. Were the responses professional? Did they try to help or just make excuses?
Bear in mind that not all buyers are rational and some make ridiculous demands. Some buyers will use feedback to"blackmail" sellers that are legitimate and want to do the right thing by threatening to write negative feedback.
Look at the sellers feedback to see if the responses came from buyers or sellers. If they are all from sellers, then where are his satisfied customers? Did he just make a few small purchases in order to obtain a good feedback?
Be especially careful about buying from other countries. Check their feedback more closely.
Last but not least, remember the old adage...IF IT LOOKS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE...IT PROBABLY IS...
There are many great deals to be found online, but the buyer needs to use the same caution that they would use when making any purchase.
When it comes to paying for your purchase, we and most merchants, prefer Paypal. It gives the buyer a "buffer zone" allowing you to keep your personal credit card, bank account numbers isolated from the seller. You can pay for your purchase through Paypal with your credit card, giving you the protection of the cards consumer protection features. There is no cost to the buyer to use Paypal.
So relax in the comfort of your home, browse through the auctions and find yourself that perfect pair of jeans. When your purchase arrives it's like getting a "present", another perk to online shopping.
