Ebay Tips?

[Dark Rage]

Hey, I've been browsing around www.Ebay.ca lately, and I was wondering if anyone had any particular tips when it comes to choosing a reliable seller.

Unfortunately, most of the lots I see either don't offer insurance, tracking, or both.

What can happen to me in a worst case scenario if I win a bid for something that never arrives to me (but paid through Paypal)? Is there anyway I can protect myself to reduce/eliminite my losses?

Thanks.

[kidkid]

Like u just said....use pay pal... I don't have any problems so far except late shippment. Check their feedback before u buy from them. Usually I get my items from the US...Canada doesnt have much sellers.

[Paradigm-Shift Prime]

buying off Canadian sellers eliminates shipping (and customs/duty) concerns, but as stated, there is not an unlimited choice of tf stuff available.

[Dark Rage]

Originally Posted by Paradigm-Shift Prime

buying off Canadian sellers eliminates shipping (and customs/duty) concerns, but as stated, there is not an unlimited choice of tf stuff available.

To be more precise, the supply of Canadian sellers is next to nilch (compared to US sellers). Damn, that is so depressing.

[ChrisW]

1. Be patient!

Unless you're bidding on something exceptionally rare, you will usually find another auction for whatever it is you are bidding on within a month or so.

2. Search wisely.

eBay searches use exact matching, so if a seller lists an item with a spelling variation or mistake, that item won't show up in your search results. When searching for Star Trek Micro Machines, I use something like this:

(star trek,startrek) (micro machines,micromachines,micro machine,micromachine)

And even that will miss items. On the other hand, something like the following tends to return too many results:

(star trek,startrek) micro*

Items with lesser-used spelling variations tend to be viewed less and have fewer bids, and thus sell for lower prices.

3. Snipe!

Bidding early tends to just drive the price up. Avoid this by bidding at the last possible second. Make sure you are logged in before sniping. Also account for the fact that others will try to snipe as well. When multiple people snipe simultaneously, the eBay server may take a bit longer to process your request and you could miss the auction deadline. I tend to snipe with 5 to 10 seconds left. Also make sure you refresh the page semi-frequently so that you catch any others who may be bidding late.

4. Knowledge first, bidding second.

Before you bid, you should know:

• How much do shipping and insurance cost?
• Does the seller ship to Canada?
• Are you likely to pay customs fees?
• Can you pick up the item in person and save on shipping?
• Can you save on shipping by buying multiple items from this seller?
• What sort of reputation does the seller have?
• What condition is the item in?
• Are they using stock photos to advertise the item or did they take their own photos?
• How much does this item tend to cost on eBay?
• Are you better off trying to buy this item locally?

5. Don't get caught up in eBay fever.

Discovering that you are outbid can easily lead to a second slightly more expensive bid, which can lead to you spending more than you want to. Know your limit and bid within it.

[jourdo]

My tips for eBay:

1. Always check the feedback first. This is not a 100% guarantee, but a good indicator. If they have negatives, look for WHEN they got the negatives and on those ones I will check the feedback they left for that person to see boths sides of the story.

2. Ask questions. Mostly this applies to shipping, as it seems it is really difficult for many US sellers to post actual shipping costs to Canada. I don't understand this, but maybe they are just lazy. If they do not get back to you, avoid bidding on it. I got nailed on sihpping once when I didn't wait for the response.

3. Be patient. There are always other autions. Unless it is a must have item, don't go nuts and get into a bidding war on something... especially if you are bidding against jourdo2k3... I hear he is a nice guy and probably deserves that item.

4. Pick your max bid and stick to it. There is always the temptation to bid that $1 more than you wanted to. I try to avoid this whenever possible... which brings us to...

5. SNIPE!!! Some may disagree with this, but to me there is no difference in placing your bid on the first day vs the last 5 seconds. I still only bid what I wanted to originally. If someone wants to outbid you, then they will have set their max bid higher than your bid. I just got bitter about being sniped on many auctions, that I decided a turn to the darkside was in order. I use Auction Sentry and it works fairly well.

6. Check the mixed lots. Sometimes you can find some hidden gems in these lots. You just have to be patient.

7. http://fatfingers.com/ This site looks for the common type-o's of items. Again, a good bargain hunting tool for those who just don't take the time to read over their auctions before submitting them.

8. Use Paypal, and only Paypal. It is the only way to protect yourself.

9. Be willing to pay for insurance/tracking. Again, a way of protecting yourself.

Unfortunately, you are right. The US tends to have a better selection of items overall. If you are willing to wait it out, eventually you will find what you are looking for north of the border. Also, I'd recommend posting what you are looking for here, as you would likely get a better deal on a place like this vs eBay.

[darthrage]

people actually list stuff on the dot CA site??? That place is usually quite dead

[RedOktobre]

Well said ChrisW!

I couldn't have worded any better!

P.S. I'm still waiting for my Cybertron Crosswise which I bought from eBay for $ 15.60 Canadian (including shipping).

P.S.S. I waited a freakin long time to buy this from eBay!

[Dark Rage]

Thanks guys, the tips are awesome, I didn't know how much Ebay sniping actually evolved, it's quite awesome.

I just sniped myself a Beast Wars Ravage, but I did it in the last couple of minutes, not a true sniper, who does it in around the last 15 seconds.

Yeah the Canadian ebay site seems pretty bare in selection, maybe it depends on the time of the year or simply random?

I've also been seeing some stores selling the SDCC Alternators Rodimus in advance and ahead of time (Sort of a hold method). Is this allowed or legal? Very strange.

[jourdo]

Originally Posted by dark_rage

who does it in around the last 15 seconds.

5 seconds here!