Online Shopping Through Ebay

I was leary of eBay until I tried it last year. You just find something you like and you can pay via PayPal for it. I only buy with the Buy It Now option. Tried bidding and that just got silly. I never got the things I needed. It's pretty much like buying from any other retailer if you use Buy It Now.

I've had good experiences, but I always buy from people who have long histories and positive reviews.

I have been using ebay for 11 years.

Ebay is individuals selling stuff yes people have stores and there are businesses as well.

Look at their feedback rating before you buy anything. If they negative feedback, you can click on the number and find out why and what the negative was about.

Read the item description thoroughly and ask ANY questions PRIOR to bidding.
Check shipping costs as well...some are really high...urgh...and that affected the good sellers because ebay changed their final value fees due to those bad apples!!!

You will have to have a Paypal account in order to shop on ebay. Paypal is safe and secure. Yes, people do try and phish and scam you - but in my 11 years I've not been scammed on ebay...

Craigslist is a different thing - luckily enough I've been smart/savvy enough to catch the scam before any damage happened.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Huge fan of ebay. I have bought and sold on there since 1998. Check out the person's feedback score next to their seller name. If it is low (say, less than 90% or so), then bid with caution. You can look at their feedback more closely to determine WHY they have negatives. Usually it is clear if they are a crappy seller, or just had some hard to please customers.

I have always had a wonderful experience on ebay. Only pay through pay pal, and NEVER accept an offer to buy something outside of ebay or pay pal. NEVER wire transfer money.

I suggest you explore the terms and use conditions of ebay prior to bidding. It will help you know all of your options in the event you do have a problem.

happy bidding

I've been buying and selling through Ebay for years and years. I think I have something like 950 feedbacks. Before I'm going to purchase something, I first look to see if it's on Ebay because it will be cheaper. Before purchasing from a seller, take a look at their feedback score and how buyers have rated their products' descriptions, communication, delivery time and shipping costs. If they have negative or neutral feedback, click on it to see why they were given the low ratings. Many times I'll pass over something that I do indeed want if the seller has ripped people off or ships very slowly. Do you have a PayPal account? If not, you'll need one. Very simple to set it up online. PayPal protects your card and bank info so that the seller never receives this personal info. PayPal also protects your purchase should something go awry. Kind of like a little insurance policy. I would say out of 950 different dealings on Ebay over the years, I've had maybe 5 bad experiences. Good luck and feel free to ask me any questions :)

Oh, and here's a big tip: don't bid until the very end of the auction, it only serves to drive up the price. Great if you are the seller, bad if you want to buy it!

"online" and "eBay" are two entirely different things. I shop both and have had great success with both. I also have had bad experiences with both., Biggest things are to READ what you are buying and know the return policy. also check shipping costs before you purchase. most ebay sellers will answer questions before you buy. if they don't answer you or you arent comfortable with the answer, then don't buy from them. a majority of the sellers are great, but there's some bad apples in there too :) but don't assume something is always cheaper on ebay...that is definitely not always the case...do your research!

Amazon.com is another option for online shopping. Prices are very competitive and shipping can often be free...... just my two cents

I LOVE ebay! Hate to sell on it, but I love to buy ;-)
You have gotten great advice already but just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth ;-) I have only had 2 bad experiences and Ebay refunded my money with no issues. I was leery at first too but then became to lOVE it ;-)

The only reason I hate selling is because I don't have a lot of time to make it "pretty" and really have only had a few items go for more then what I was expecting. EX: 6 pairs of maternity pants I let go for 1.99. Yes I could of increased my starting price BUT I really just wanted them off my hands.

You can save money online. I went to old navy and bought some clothes for my kids. It was around $218. I went through www.coliryan.com and purchased everything I bought in the store for only $146. Same exact clothes, same store. It's crazy.
Don't fear shopping online. 97% of identity thefts are done in stores or at ATM machines. In the begining I opened a separate checking account and only kept $5 in there. When I made a purchase I transfered the money to cover that purchase. That way if it was hacked into they only got $5. I have been shopping online for many years now and I have never had a problem. I got rid of that account but it may make you feel better in the beginning.
Check out the hot deals tab on coliryan.com You will find great deals. Also, under the more tab is MA auctions. Just like an ebay but no reserves. You will also earn cash back on all your purchases. Best cash back site out there by far.
Happy Shopping!

ebay can be a good place to shop. Know some tips. Put a maximum bid on an item that you must stick with. Don't spend more than you really want or you will regret it later. Do not get caught up in the bidding wars. Think about the dollar value of your maximum bid and if that's truly worth it.

PayPal is a good way to pay as many use that to pay. You sign up, add your banking and/or card info and pay through there. Always leave feedback (good or bad) for sellers. Always understand the shipping and handling costs and add that to your total of your maximum bid. I won't pay more than a few dollars for a shirt since I can pay $5-7 for a brand new shirt at Walmart. That includes shipping as well. Well spend more for used clothes. So be careful on your bids and what your willing to pay in total for used items. Also check the seller's feedback. If their percentage is lower then don't deal with them.

Hopefully others will give you more tips.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

I've used ebay for years and only had one bad experience. So overall, I say its great. Just read what you are bidding on. There is alot of fine print sometimes.