I've used QXL on two occasions now. The first was great the second wasn't. The first thing I bought was a camera that was almost £200 cheaper than in the shops (see op on Olympus camera). I had no problems with the bidding or submitting credit card details and the item arrived, by courier, within about a week or so of my winning the bid.

The second time I was looking to buy a birthday present and was looking for software. It's normally around £500, and seeing something for around £20 was of course HUGELY tempting, and you never know when you'll get a bargain like that. You also know that the chances are it won't quite be what you think it is... The seller was in Spain and I even got a bi-lingual work colleague to translate the description which simply said that it was indeed software. However, when it arrived it was a manual for the software, in Spanish of course, and not much of a bargain or a gift after all!

Now, luckily for me that was a relatively inexpensive gamble, but there was no mention of 'book' anywhere in the product description or from the email from the seller in Spain. Incidentally, it wasn't a private individual selling which was why I plowed on in the first place. I took a chance just in case I was getting the bargain of a lifetime (which odds were I wouldn't!!!) but a word of caution if you want to take a more expensive gamble with what might be not quite what you were looking for.

To play safe it would probably be advisable to stick to the preferred suppliers or the big chains which use QXL to pass on surplus or cheaper goods. At least then you know that you will be getting and paying for what you assume you are. Buying from private individuals, although I'm sure 9 times out of 10 wouldn't be a problem, can mean you pay for shipping too which is more expensive for bulkier items, but you may also be buying something that's second-hand - although this should be stated i
n the description.

In general though I would say that my experience with QXL has been a reasonably positive one. Once you go through the rigmarole of setting up your account and giving your payment details (which you must do before you can bid on anything) it's a simple process when you visit the site. There are hundreds of categories, and if you have the time and the patience there are undoubtedly bargains (that is of course providing your bid makes the reserve price). If you do place a bid you can ask that if someone outbids you, you receive notification so that if you're desperate to purchase an item you can make sure you're not pipped at the post.

The navigation is simple, straightforward and easy to use and there is help available on-site should you need it. It is also a 'secure' site, so there should be few problems in that department as well.

Just a few tips really:

1.check the bid increments as your bid may increase greatly each time you do it

2.it's a reputable seller (there is a section on the site where users give 'references' on buyers and sellers so check that if you're unsure)

3.check the shipping costs, it may add to the price that you're already paying should your bid be successful

4.thoroughly check the product information - sometimes even though you think you know what you're getting it's not quite what you expect

5.shop around! there are plenty other competing auction sites, or you may get it cheaper elsewhere without having to bid, particularly if the reserve price isn't that much cheaper