How To Use eBay (Basics)

http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/getting-started.html

^ There you go. Follow that and you're good.


......................................................What? You are still here? Fine, I guess I'll teach you what I know.

Obviously as with anything there are steps and you need to get set up and know the basics before you really start buying/selling. This guide can help you use eBay whether you want to use it to sell all of your personal items or ones you have picked up from garage sales, friends, online, etc. Or you can use it to buy a bunch of things you find interesting/want and get them for way lower than retail. Or you can buy/sell and try to make a profit.

First off, you need to get started with an account.  http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/getting-started.html  <--------Now you actually want to go to this link.


1. Register - Click it on the home page of eBay or on the link provided above. Choose a username and password, enter your email and information and voila! There's your new eBay account. Remember it.

2. IMPORTANT! Don't get scammed with fake emails!- eBay is an excellent and very reliable site. Your information IS and WILL BE protected. eBay will NEVER ask for your password or if you find something fishy, report it. Follow the steps below to remain safe on eBay

"Learn about trust and safety on eBay

• Beware of spoof (fake)emails that claim to be sent by eBay. They ask you to reply with personal information, such as your credit card number, social security number, or account password. Learn how to spot a spoof email and what to do about it.
• Before you buy an item, review the feedback that other members have left for a seller. Learning about a seller's trading history helps you decide whether they are someone you feel secure trading with.
• To help create a safe and fair trading environment, we have rules and policies for all members.
• To help keep you safe when buying and selling, we also offer protection programs for buyers and sellers.
• If you ever need to resolve a dispute you can use our Resolution Center."
  

   

3. Start Learning - It's not going to come naturally but eBay is literally made for a 4th grader to be able to work it.  So anyone above the age of 10 should know how to use this. If you are under 18 please get parental permission.  Just figure out how to buy/sell, how to list items, how to bid, how to navigate the pages, find out what the site offers and the best deals. Please do NOT bid on the first item you see that you THINK is an awesome price.  Please read the description.  eBay DOES sell broken items and it is allowed because many people use them for parts but it is required to be described under the listing. Just read the listing, figure out exactly what is being sold and if it is for the right price for you or not. Do your research and it will be fine. Reading this article is the first big step in the right direction.

If you want to learn more about how exactly to buy/sell, place a bid, list items, etc. Go to these links:
How to Buy: http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/questions/buy-item.html
How to List an Item for Sale: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/questions/list-item.html

Those are the basics. In a later blog I will give personal techniques and tips on how to expertly use eBay, make the most profit off of a listing, snipe an item, and more.

4. eBay Uses REAL Money! - Yes, I find this a little ridiculous I have to post this but if I don't I will get a comment, "THEY ASKED FOR MY CREDIT CARD INFO OMG WHAT DO I DO???" Well no duh. You buy something, you pay for it. That's how it works in the real world.
But have no fear! PayPal is here!.....Yea, use PayPal. In a later blog I will explain how to use PayPal and set up an account but again, it's relatively easy and anyone could figure it out so for those that aren't super lazy, go take a whack at it and set up an account. It's the best way to pay, fastest way to pay, and easiest way to pay. You don't even have to transfer money anywhere, just link it to your bank account, credit card, or debit card.
Let me repeat that eBay and PayPal are completely safe, millions of people use it worldwide and as long as you keep your information safe you will be completely fine. It's just as safe as carrying around a credit card.

So yes if you want to buy or sell something, you should join PayPal. eBay and PayPal are completely free to sign up and everything. If you signed up and never did anything again you would never pay a cent. There are fees taken from your profit if you sell something on eBay and fees to transact it through PayPal. It's normally only a few bucks for every $100 so it's not bad at all for using their services, and again, its only if you sell something.

How to Pay: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/pay-on-ebay.html
Go here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/receivingpayment.html and view the top questions on RECEIVING payment.

5. Selling (Buy It Now vs Auction) - When selling, you can list a Buy It Now price which means the user HAS to buy it for that price there is no debating. That way it will either go unsold or sell for the price you want. You can just list it as a Buy It Now, or you can just list it as an auction, or have both. An auction you can set a $100 item for .01 cent and let the buyers fight it out to who gets the item.  This will instill competition and you may get a MUCH better price than you could have for a Buy It Now or you may end up getting less than you could have. That's the risk. But as a buyer, the Buy It Now lets you buy it right away no time on waiting for an auction to end and no chance of being outbid, but an auction allows you to get the same item for a much lower price. Just do your research on the cost of the item and as a buyer, try to get it lower or the same average cost, and a seller try to get the same average cost or higher.

6. Buyer Protection- Don't worry, you may be wondering, "What if I pay $150 for an item and the buyer never gives it to me or it doesn't work?" Well there's protection and eBay won't let that happen, they got your back. It covers your purchase AND original shipping payment.
eBay Buyer Protection: http://pages.ebay.com/coverage/index.html


7. You Are Ready! - Start buying and selling! I have provided links at the bottom of the page to provide additional help on using eBay. Remember: RESEARCH your item before you buy or sell.  Nobody is going to buy an item for $100 when everyone else is selling for $10 all over eBay.  And don't buy that $100 item when its $10 from everyone else. Just make sure you do your research and learning and you will make TONS of profit and money! GO: http://www.ebay.com/

Now watch how Weird Al Yankovic Shows off his Pro eBay Skillz:

Helpful links:
Rules for buying: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/buyer-rules-overview.html
Rules for selling: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/overview.html
Seller Fees: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/questions/what-fees.html
How to Find Items: http://pages.ebay.com/help/search/questions/how-do-i-find.html
How to Update your Account: http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/questions/update-account.html
Packaging and Shipping: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/packing.html


For more in depth help look through all of the links on the left hand side of the page of these links I have provided and just keep reading through all the help and hints.  It's quite easy and very profitable once you figure out how to use eBay.