Section 11.7. Help from Other eBayers

11.7. Help from Other eBayers

Sometimes, the best (and fastest ) way to get a good answer is not from the powers that be, but from other people who actually use the site. eBay makes member-to-member help possible in three ways: the Answer Center, Discussion Boards , and Chat. You can find all three through the eBay navigation bar's Community link. Chapter 10 gives you the details about how to talk with other eBayers (Section 10.1.1); this section highlights the places where you can get help fast.

Note: You must be a registered eBayer (Section 1.1) to participate in any of eBay's community discussions. You also have to sign in to the discussion boards and chat rooms to post in them (you can read posts without signing in). Look for the sign-in link at the top of any discussion board or chat page.

11.7.1. Answer Center

When you need a frank answer from expert eBayers, the Answer Center (AC in eBay lingo, Section 10.1.3) is the place to start. You find the AC by going to the navigation bar and then clicking Community Answer Center.

The Answer Center page lists topics on everything eBaybidding, searching, listing an item, how to get the most out of your My eBay page, safe trading issues, and more. Click any topic to read eBayers' questions and the AC experts' answers. (You have to have a feedback score of 10 or higher to answer questions in the AC, so questioneers know they're dealing with experienced eBayers.)

The AC limits each discussion to 10 posts, max. This restriction keeps discussions on topic instead of wandering off into conversations about someone's new puppy or Florida vacation.

Tip: You can search the AC for a specific topic or watch a particular question to see when a new answer appears. See pages 368-370 to find out how.

To ask the AC experts a question, make sure you're signed in to the AC (Section 10.1.3). Click any topic on the main Answer Center page, and then look above the list of threads for the Ask New Question link. Click it to type and submit your question.

11.7.2. Discussion Boards

eBayers don't just love to buy and sell on the site; they love to talk about eBay, too. The conversation's always going full steam on eBay's discussion boards , bulletin-board-style Web pages where one person posts a topic and then others jump in with their views (Section 10.1.1). Whatever the hour , somebody's hanging out on the discussion boards, reading posts, answering questions, and chiming in with their two cents . If you've got a question, post it on a discussion board for a fast answer.

To see all of eBay's discussion boards, go to the navigation bar and click Community Discussion Boards.

Discussion boards fall into five main categories (Section 10.1.1), but if you're looking for help, head for one of these:

• The Community Help boards . These boards, which you find on the left-hand side of the Discussion Boards page, are arranged by topic (Live Auctions, PayPal, and so on).

• The New to eBay board . Scroll down to the General Discussion Boards section and click the New to eBay link to see answers to eBay newbies' questions.

• Category Specific boards . On the right-hand side of the Discussion Boards page you find category-specific boards: everything from Animals to Vintage Clothing. If you have a question about an unusual itemfor instance, if you need help identifying the maker's mark on a piece of potteryask the knowledgeable folks who hang out on these boards.

Note: Some of eBay's discussion boards can get pretty raucous, and each thread can go on and on (and on). If you're looking for quick, accurate answers, head for the AC. Discussion boards, on the other hand, are good for lengthy or philosophical discussions, like "Who leaves feedback first?" or "Is sniping unethical?"

11.7.3. Chat

Questions posted to the Answer Center (Section 10.1.3) or a discussion board (Section 10.1.1) usually get answered pretty fastoften within an hour or so. But if your question is super-urgent, you might try asking it in one of the live chat rooms (Section 10.1.4). (To get to the live chat rooms: from the navigation bar, click Community Chat Rooms.)

The eBay Q&A chat room is your best bet for posting eBay- related questions and getting an immediate response from other eBayers. Refresh the page frequently to see the latest posts.

Note: Keep in mind that several discussions are running at once in each chat room, so a lot of the posts will have nothing to do with what you asked.