The best auction site in the world, but beware of the downside! (ebay.co.uk)

Member Name: hazzeryoda

Product:	ebay.co.uk
Date:	18/10/01 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Helful, Comprehensive, Good chances of finding real bargains!

Disadvantages: small fees for every step of the selling, Could be out bid at the last minute!, Make sure the seller has a good rating and a good item description

I've tried a few auction sites in my time such as Yahoo or Amazon, but nothing compares to the selling power that is eBay.co.uk. When I first logged on I was struck by the clean, minimal look of the site which immediately gave me the impression that it was badly maintained and bug-ridden, but I learnt that you shouldn't be influenced by first impressions!

I had a few old things I wanted to sell; a vintage camera, a few videos and a couple of games and I was surprised at just how comprehensive the selling process was.

Firstly, you have selling options where you can show the bidder/browser exactly how you'd like to be paid, whether postage is involved etc. Pictures can be added to your item description, and HTML (internet website languange) can be used to give the item page a professional feel.

Don't feel overwhlemed by the sheer amount of options and functions you can use if your are a newcomer to auctions as there are comprehensive help guides, answers and tutorials on hand.

The sheer size of the international eBay community brings about one of the sites greates virtues. Choice. Chances are, if you are looking for something, one or more of them will be listed on eBay, wherever it is in the world. This also means that your are higly likely to find a great bargain!

Beware, though as a certain amount of caution must be used in order to make sure you are securing a real deal. Make sure the seller has included enough information in the description for you to see what condition it is in and what the exact cost including shipping will be.
Another great function - the feedback - comes into play here, as after each transaction, the two parties are invited to leave feedback on their buying/selling experience with each other awarding you with a score that increases with praise and decreases with complaints.

When you sign up to eBay, you should realise that you will encounter some charges if you choos
e to sell using eBay. For a less expensive item ~£20 or less, 15p is charged for listing, as well as other small charges for functions such as gallery listing or professional layouts. There is also an end auction fee. These charges may not seem like much, but if you are a reasonably regualr seller, then they really do mount up and you can find yourself writing a monthly cheque in double figures. But this may well be worth it if it the easiest way for yout to sell your wares.

All in all a comprehensive and friendly way to shop and sell for all ages!

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