Going once...Going twice...Sold to anyone who likes a bargain (ebay.co.uk)

Member Name: kittens09

Product:	ebay.co.uk
Date:	20/10/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Variety of items and great deals

Disadvantages: Fake designer items and ticket touts

Ebay..where do I start?! I'm going to split the review into two to give my experience of both selling and buying on ebay.

**Buying**

I find ebay best for when you know exactly what you want but you're not exactly sure where to find it. Ebay has become an answer to this problem. Whether its fancy dress costumes, a pair of shoes that's sold out in store or a set of collectable frogs, this site pretty much has any item you'd ever wish to buy at some point in time.

Searching for items I've found to be quite easy. Also when typing in the search box the autocomplete function helps you to pin point what you're looking for. There is also the option of browsing through the categories but this is better for when you are not looking for something specific but are just seeing what's up for grabs at the time.

I've experienced both buying through auction style sales and through 'buy it now' which is when a price is set for an item. By it now is by far my favourite way of buying items on ebay. I remember and experience I had trying to bid on an auction for a pair of Abercrombie pyjama bottoms. As the close of the auction approached I found myself drawn into a 'competition' of bids with someone else. I ended up paying more than I would have in the shop because my competitive streak got the better of me and I wanted to win so badly. Forgetting that it was actual money I would have to hand over! Ooops! This is why I don't like the auctions.

However, buy it now prices usually seem to be cheaper than shop prices would be. Unless you're buying concert tickets but thats another story....

I have always paid for items through Paypal which is just incredibly simple. Paying immediately is the best way and means that the sellers will usually dispatch your item asap. I haven't had any bad experiences with ebay sellers so far but obviously I know that some people have. I usually try and buy from sellers with decent feedback which is quite advisable i think.

Delivery times for me seem to have varied but often I have received items within a week of ordering. This appears to be the norm but this is obviously when Royal Mail staff actually decide to go to work so can vary.

I love the myebay screen that allows you to watch items and see whats happening with the bidding etc. Its a great overview of everything all at once and makes the whole experience a lot easier. You can also see who to leave feedback for and what status each item is at. Really great feature.

**Selling**

Selling in ebay is a whole different experience. It costs money to advertise an item and this can vary depending on what the item is. There is also a fee taken from the final selling price, which again varies by category. So selling items on ebay is not always the millionnaire making scheme some people make it out to be. You have to really think about whether items are worth the time and money spend on selling them on ebay. Saying that ebay often have free listing days which they advertise through email. These are really worth looking out for and I would recommend waiting for them if you are unsure of paying some of the fees.

Listing an item is quite simple but I've found it gets a lot easier with practice. I would recommend always posting a photo with your item at least to get at least one person to have a look at it. I've found that some items sell and some don't. You can't really predict these things and sometimes you just have to take a chance.

Buyers I've sold to so far have all paid with paypal, making it really easy for me as a seller. Getting payment immediately takes the worry out of the selling and you know that you can dispatch the item without having to worry about it going to a genuine person. Again, I know that some have had bad experiences but i'm just going on my own. So far I've sold about 20 varied items and I've not encountered a bad seller. Some sellers will only sell to people with a decent feedback level so I recommend this if you are worried at all.

**Overall Opinion**

I really recommend ebay when you are looking to buy unique items or looking for great deals on items that are expensive elsewhere. Yes there are some dodgy people out there but really you just have to know what to look out for and be a bit cautious about who you buy from or sell to. The more you use ebay the easier it becomes. I recommend browsing for a while or watching a few auction items before breaking your ebay virginity; but definately give it a try!

Summary: Go for a browse and you'll be hooked!