might bid on ebay for first time, anything I should know?

[imported_Mike]

Im about to bid for the first time on ebay. The guy put no reserve, but ive heard people that do that just sign up fake accounts to raise the $$. This guy has 36 positive feedback & lives like 30mins away...so I would just go pick it up. Maybe this is premature since the auction doesn't end for another 4 hours( 2 am :| ) and from what I understand, you dont want to bid until the last few moments, yet there are 26 bids already. Im the ebay buying noob, any suggestions/comments welcome, thanks.

 

[bootymac]

SNIPE!

 

[Imported]

Make sure you can pick up if it's not stated in the auction. I've had people 30 minutes away refuse to allow me to pick up an item I was interested in.

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: bootymac
SNIPE!

It'll happen and it sucks. I was bidding on something with $10 increments and it jumped up $200 and I ended up loosing it

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: Imported
Make sure you can pick up if it's not stated in the auction. I've had people 30 minutes away refuse to allow me to pick up an item I was interested in.

I wont let people pick stuff up. Screwed around trying to meet one guy for 2 weeks, after about 30 phone calls and all kinds of BS, he finally shows up and brings a personal check.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: amdskip

Originally posted by: bootymac
SNIPE!

It'll happen and it sucks. I was bidding on something with $10 increments and it jumped up $200 and I ended up loosing it

Ive seen other threads about how people sniped(iirc you use a program that bids for you right before it ends? ) I hope that doesnt happen, b/c I don't know how to do all that crap.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Sluggo

Originally posted by: Imported
Make sure you can pick up if it's not stated in the auction. I've had people 30 minutes away refuse to allow me to pick up an item I was interested in.

I wont let people pick stuff up. Screwed around trying to meet one guy for 2 weeks, after about 30 phone calls and all kinds of BS, he finally shows up and brings a personal check.

I wouldn't do that, but I can understand that from a sellers point of view as he doesnt know me...just emailed him asking if picking up would be ok. Even if its not, shouldn't be more than $5 to ship...no biggie.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: amdskip

Originally posted by: bootymac
SNIPE!

It'll happen and it sucks. I was bidding on something with $10 increments and it jumped up $200 and I ended up loosing it

Ive seen other threads about how people sniped(iirc you use a program that bids for you right before it ends? ) I hope that doesnt happen, b/c I don't know how to do all that crap.

Auction Stealer, ebay sniping for free! Or you can just snipe manually...

As the others have stated, make sure you can actually go pickup the item yourself... cuz 36 positive feedbacks don't sound like a whole lot...

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: amdskip

Originally posted by: bootymac
SNIPE!

It'll happen and it sucks. I was bidding on something with $10 increments and it jumped up $200 and I ended up loosing it

Ive seen other threads about how people sniped(iirc you use a program that bids for you right before it ends? ) I hope that doesnt happen, b/c I don't know how to do all that crap.

Auction Stealer, ebay sniping for free! Or you can just snipe manually...

As the others have stated, make sure you can actually go pickup the item yourself... cuz 36 positive feedbacks don't sound like a whole lot...

especially when 9 in a row are from 1 guy. :| wtf is up with that.

 

[Jeff7181]

One thing every new eBayer should understand that some don't seem to... your bid is binding... if you win, you MUST pay the final amount... there's no negotiating, and bidding on an item does not simply ad it to your wish list, it is a contract.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
One thing every new eBayer should understand that some don't seem to... your bid is binding... if you win, you MUST pay the final amount... there's no negotiating, and bidding on an item does not simply ad it to your wish list, it is a contract.

ya, I understand all that. Thats why im not sure about using the sniper. I have a max $$ I will pay, but I would be pretty angry if I found out I could have bid a lower amount & still won.

 

[Imdmn04]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Sluggo

Originally posted by: Imported
Make sure you can pick up if it's not stated in the auction. I've had people 30 minutes away refuse to allow me to pick up an item I was interested in.

I wont let people pick stuff up. Screwed around trying to meet one guy for 2 weeks, after about 30 phone calls and all kinds of BS, he finally shows up and brings a personal check.

I wouldn't do that, but I can understand that from a sellers point of view as he doesnt know me...just emailed him asking if picking up would be ok. Even if its not, shouldn't be more than $5 to ship...no biggie.

dont just assume it should be $5 to ship, many times seller charge extra to pad ebay and paypal fee, always assume (the real shipping cost)*200%, anything below this is normal, anything over this amount then the seller is being unreasonable.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
One thing every new eBayer should understand that some don't seem to... your bid is binding... if you win, you MUST pay the final amount... there's no negotiating, and bidding on an item does not simply ad it to your wish list, it is a contract.

ya, I understand all that. Thats why im not sure about using the sniper. I have a max $$ I will pay, but I would be pretty angry if I found out I could have bid a lower amount & still won.

If it's something you'd like, and could probably find elsewhere, or from a different seller, I'd wait... I was bidding on a photo and I bid $7... eventually it got bid up to over $20... and the seller sent me a 2nd chance offer... I guess he had multiple prints of it... but since $7 was my maximum bid, that's all I had to pay even though the auction ended at $20+

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: bootymac
SNIPE!

best ebay advice.

 

[vegetation]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
One thing every new eBayer should understand that some don't seem to... your bid is binding... if you win, you MUST pay the final amount... there's no negotiating, and bidding on an item does not simply ad it to your wish list, it is a contract.

 

[imported_Mike]

well, didn't bid. was a sealed 10gig ipod...went up to $265.