I am doomed. Utterly doomed.

[gerisullivan]

I just became a registered eBay user. It's my first time. Yes, of course I did so to bid on something. It's a very low-cost item. Yeah, right.

I am doomed.

I am not, however, going to increase my bid. Either I'll get it or I won't.

It's not even what I went looking for.

Of course it isn't.

Doomed. Doomed. Doomed.

I am suspiciously cheerful and confident for someone who has successfully avoided this fate for the last decade and more.

Film at 11. In the meantime, advice for an eBay neo would be very welcome. What mistakes should I endeavor to avoid? Well, beside the mistake of registering in the first place?

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I think they've just about covered it--and I too am amazed that you hadn't used eBay before!

The shipping is a huge issue. Never bid on something that doesn't tell how much the shipping is. And check the shipping--always, always, always--before you bid. Some sellers start their auction very low but have grossly inflated shipping charges, because they don't have to pay eBay fees on the shipping charges!

And I'm with drplotka on "bid your max and walk away."

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

I understand that eBay has actually started cracking down on the inflated-shipping-cost people -- I know somebody who vends who was requested by eBay to prove the weight of the item she was selling!

[n6tqs.livejournal.com]

I've also heard this from a frequent EBay seller. EBay gets their cut from the selling price, not including the shipping, so a high shipping cost is a way of evading EBay fees.

You may be sensible and avoid increasing your bid at the last moment, but others aren't quite so. "Sniping" (only bidding at the last moment) avoids this possibility and so is worth doing.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I passed on a second auction for the item I wanted because the shipping was $10 rather than $3.99. Surprisingly enough, the rocket bottle opener I bid on ended up going for $29.01 when 5 or 6 other auctions in the previous week had topped out at something like $12.50 with most being in the $11-12 range and one being down around $6.