Now I'm getting daring (amazon.co.uk Auctions)

Member Name: whitby

Product:	amazon.co.uk Auctions
Date:	11/11/01 (225 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: User friendly, customer reviews of retailer, Books are very cheap

Disadvantages: Could be risky if vendor does not send the books

Being new to Dooyoo, I'm not sure this is in the right category but Amazon did not appear in the >Shopping >Auctions category. This opinion is about the Auctions at Amazon and I'm sorry if it is wrongly placed.


Those that know me will recall that I am an avid Robin Cook fan (Medical Thrillers), and normally I buy his books from a bookshop. However as it can be quite expensive I thought I'd try out the auctions at amazon.co.uk.

I firstly registered with amazon so that I would receive emails from them telling me about new releases etc. Then I clicked onto the auctions box. There are lots of other categories of auction as well as books and these include:
Art & Antiques Home & Garden
Clothing & Accessories Jewellery, Gems & Watches
Coins & Stamps Music
Collectables Office & Business
Computers & Software Other goods and services
Electronics & Photography Science Fiction
Family & LIfestyles Sport and Leisure
Films & Video Toys and Games
Food & Beverages Travel

As I knew exactly which author I was looking for I was then able to search the author, and set the search so that I would get items located in the UK. This then brings up a list of all Robin Cook books available for Auction in the UK. These books are second hand book and the condition is stated (but only as an opinion).
At the time I chose two books - Brain and Mutation which were both available for auction. I knew I would have to pay postage and packing from reading the instructions from amazon. I also knew that the retail price of the books would be about £5.99 for a paperback copy.

When the search brings the results it provides the following information:
1) Title and Author.
2) Current bid and the number of bids made.
3) Time left to bid.

If you double click onto the title of the book, you then get further information such as the current bid, the cost of postage and packing and detail
s of who is selling the item.

This is the information which I found to be most useful as I could work out if my bid and the postage exceeded more than what I'd pay in the shop, I also could see previous bidders opinions of the seller - to see the likelihood of being ripped off.

I read comments on my seller, some of which were a bit iffy and some which were complimentary and then decided that for the first time in my life I would be daring and go for it - I'd place a bid.

I bit £1 per item, postage and packing was £2.50 so I'd be getting each book at about £2.49 cheaper. The books are second hand though so this should be born in mind.

As the bids closed about a week later, I then had to wait. Amazon will then mail you daily to let you know the progress of your bid which is allocated a reference number. Maybe I'm a little sad but I found all of this really exciting!

Anyway my bid was accepted and I then got an email from Amazon and my supplier advising the way forward. As I was buying both books from the same seller I got a 10% discount on the postage. I then set up the dealers bank account onto my online banking account and paid him. WIthin two weeks I had my books.

Yes they were obviously second hand, but I'm happy enough and the main thing is the fun I had from a new experience.

My mum has lots of books in a much better quality than the ones I bought, so now I am thinking of setting up an amazon sellers account - but I guess that would be another opinion!.

Altogether I am really pleased with the way it worked out. I felt I should try the auction because it was backed with the amazon name although I must stress it states clearly that all deals are between the buyer/seller.

I would definitely use it again, and as I said I got a bit if a buzz from the daily alert e mail telling me if I was still the highest bidder. I could imagine that it would be very easy to
get carried away.
I have also put some feedback on the dealers link to let him know how pleased I was.

Pretty good going - will it be as addictive as Dooyoo?

Summary: