Date: Fri 25-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo-eBay-auctions

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: eBay -- An Online Auction

By Bob Brand

Tags sales have moved out of the garage and onto the Web. Online auctions

signal a dramatic change for the way some people will shop. The movement

reaches from craze to an obsession in some cases. Like so much on the Net, it

is easy, usually low-risk and in rare cases addictive.

With upwards of 100 auctions to choose from, sites range from AA Telephone

(industrial and electronic surplus) to VintageUSA Direct (vintage clothing and

shoes) and everything in between. Need Beanie Babies? No problem. Unofficial

Beanie Baby Online. How about needlepoint and crewel? Got it: Cross Stitches

Auction. Two of the most widely used areas are: OnSale and eBay. Both have

hundreds of thousands of registered users buying and selling millions of

dollars worth of goods.

eBay

The fourth most popular shopping site in July 1998 according to ZDNet is

eBay.com. The website boasts 677,940 items in 1,086 categories, over 22

million items for sale and 83,796,124 bids made since inception! They receive

over 140,000,000 hits per week. Simply speaking, bargain shopping is available

a mouseclick away.

Once at the site, registration is the first requirement for active

participation (buying or selling). A user ID and password must be supplied

along with personal information. Clicking on a category drills the user down

to more specific areas and items. A click on a specific item brings up a

description, item number, last bid, quantity, time remaining for bidding, the

sellers e-mail address and other useful data. Perhaps the most important

information is the detailed profile of the seller. After transactions, most

buyers provide feedback to eBay on the quality of the transaction. This

information is stored in the seller's profile for future bidders to access.

Checking the reputation of the seller before entering a bid often provides

that safety margin between having a happy or a disappointing outcome. Keep in

mind, eBay (like most online auction sites) provides only a venue for people

to buy and sell goods and services. If something goes wrong with the

transaction, eBay is out of the picture because it does not own the

merchandise.

Results

The best deals are realized by knowledgeable buyers. It is not unusual to find

items being offered at prices ranging from 40 to 50 percent or lower from

retail. To date, I have successfully purchased computer hardware and software

at significant savings. Typically, I pay by check and the item arrives within

a few days after the check clears. Often, questions about the item are made

directly to the seller via e-mail. Prompt replies with detailed answers leads

to a greater comfort zone when dealing with an unknown seller.

Is the system perfect? No. Like so much on the Net, dangers ambush the naive.

However, the buyer increases the chances of satisfaction by using some common

sense: read the description of the item carefully, bid on items that provide a

picture, send e-mail to the seller for clarification if needed, read the

feedback on the seller with an eye toward unhappy buyers, and do not get

blindsided by nasty surprises such as exorbitant shipping, handling and

insurance costs. Remember, the vast majority of people on the Net are honest

and will do the right thing if treated with courtesy and respect. Before

jumping in with both feet, buy a few items in the $10 to $20 range. Once you

overcome `first time jitters' and see how the system works, you may be ready

to purchase that special gift for Aunt Betty's carnival glass collection.

A Word About Bidding

Activities at eBay are chronicled at listserv (sign up:

http://ebayusers.listbot.com/) This active list is used to exchange ideas,

gripes, suggestions and tips. One `technique' used by many seasoned bidders is

called sniping. Essentially, a bidder will withhold a bid on an item until the

last few minutes before the closing bell. Therefore, it is essential to follow

closely the bids being made on an item, especially just moments before the

auction ends. Remember, just because there is little or no activity on a

particular item does not necessarily mean that there is no interest. There may

be disappointment in store if you have your heart set on a particular piece

only to have it snatched away at the last second by a crafty competitor. Some

people see this as part of the art of online auctions.

A Closing Note

This article only touched the highlights of online auctions. There are

additional terms like reserve price auctions, Dutch auctions, upgrading

collections scam, secure exchange and others that become familiar as one

gathers experience. While horror stories of bad online auction experiences

grab headlines in the media, an overwhelming number of surfers who take the

time to be careful find bargains and new friends who may be fellow collectors.

Try it!

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.ebay.com http://www.onsale.com

http://www.peace-auction.com/

http://www.auctionuniverse.com

http://www.vsn.net/af-list.html

(This is the 121st of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the

Internet. Next, Heart Attack is the subject on tap. Stay tuned. Until next

week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of Internet Info for

Real People (including links to sites mentioned in this article) can be found:

http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions to:

rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)