Kaki Shopping

Shopping on eBay

And no…I don’t mean physically shopping on a street named eBay of course!

While I have been an eBay member for a very long time, I had not ventured into eBay shopping until recently. I was of course tempted by certain eBay sellers offering their items for a really low price, and also the lure of something known as FREE SHIPPING. Most of the sellers do not offer free shipping of course, but I like to look for those that do.

Here are a few tips and pointers I used while I did my eBay shopping, all from the comfort of my computer chair at home.

Shopping on eBay is something not to be taken lightly, because first of all, we need to verify that the seller is a trustworthy one. We wouldn’t want that person to run away with our hard-earned cash now, would we? All eBay sellers have something called a feedback rating, where you can read all about other buyers’ experience with the said seller. You will then be able to gauge if the seller is prompt in delivery of goods, or if the items are in good condition, for example.
Next, we need to ensure the price we pay is worth it. For example, make sure the item is the exact model you want and if you are looking for a new item, make sure it is not a secondhand one.
Most of the eBay sellers I contacted responded rather promptly the first time, but some of them, unfortunately, stopped corresponding once I asked a few more questions. I most certainly didn’t want to deal with sellers like that!
Almost all eBay sellers prefer payment made via PayPal, so it would definitely help if you have a PayPal account handy.
eBay has a feature called a Watch list, where you can mark selected items for *watching*. This way, you will be able to keep track of the items you had in mind, make comparisons, and be informed if the seller relists or changes the price of the item. A very handy tool, I would say, when there are tons of stuff up for sale on eBay.

Well, I am happy to say that I am very pleased with my maiden purchase on eBay, albeit I discovered that the price of that exact same item was further discounted on Amazon a couple of days after I bought it. SIGH. C’est la vie!

I am intrigued by the bidding process on eBay, and although I have not tried that out yet, I just might, one of these days!