BIDDING FOR ITEMS ON EBAY

Some of the best bargains on the Web come from other consumers selling items via online auction at eBay (www.ebay.com). An eBay auction is a web-based version of a traditional auction. You find an item you'd like to own and then place a bid on the item. Other users also place bids, and at the end of the auction the highest bidder wins.

Go to www.ebay.com.

Enter keywords describing the item you're looking for.

Click the Search button.

When the search results page appears, click the link for the item you're interested in.

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Learn More About eBay

Learn more about eBay in my companion book, Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay, Third Edition (Que, 2005).

Read the description of the item and check out the seller's feedback rating.

Scroll down to the Ready to Bid? section and enter the maximum amount you're willing to pay.

Click the Place Bid button.

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Place Your Best Bid

Always bid the highest amount you're willing to pay. EBay's proxy software enters only the minimum bid necessary, without revealing your maximum bid amount.

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Check the Feedback

Check the feedback rating of the seller, and avoid those sellers with low or negative feedback. Click the feedback number to read individual comments from other users.

When the Review and Confirm Bid page appears, click the Confirm Bid button.

Your bid is officially entered and the Bid Confirmation page is displayed, which shows your bid status.

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Outbid? Bid Again!

If you get outbid during the course of the auction, eBay sends you an immediate email informing you of this. You can then return to the item listing bid and make a new, higher bid or not.

If you're the high bidder at the end of the auction period, you win! When you receive the end-of-auction notification email from eBay, click the Pay Now button.

You're now taken to a Review Your Purchase page on the eBay site.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select a payment method.

Click the Continue button; then follow the onscreen instructions to make your payment and complete your purchase.

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Win by Sniping

Experienced buyers don't place their bids until the final seconds of an auction a process called sniping. When you place a high bid at the last second, other bidders don't have a chance to respond, which increases your odds of winning.

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Pay with Plastic

If the seller accepts PayPal payments, you can pay for your auction purchase with a credit card. If not, you'll have to send a check or money order via mail.