Buying goods online

The things mentioned in this series of posts (this one and before and after this one) attempt to enable you to make good deals on the net by letting you know how to:

• write powerful ads and listings

• figure out your costs so that you sell at a profit

• master record keeping

• arrange shipping and handling

• accept payment

• build traffic

To become a good auctioneer, you must start by buying something because you can’t sell effectively if you have never bought. After you find a new supplier, you never auction their merchandise until you have ordered at least one item from them. If their service is awful, or their merchandise is not what is expected its better to know it. Its always better to know this before than to have a bunch of angry customers attacking you.

You can search items at e-Bay’s search engine (the search box located at the top left of the site) by the items name as well as by the following criteria:

iii) By seller -- lots of serious auction sellers use this search method to keep

themselves informed about their “competition.” Personally, I think there is so

much opportunity in the auction business that there is very little reason to be

concerned about what others are doing.

iv) By the bidder -- this can be a very powerful way to learn your niche. If

you discover someone in your field who really knows her stuff, you might want

to follow her around for a while and see what he’s doing.

There are some softwares which surf the web for shoppers called as ShopBots and AuctionBots will search an item for you. Their biggest advantage is that they aren’t limited to only one site. Those robotic softwares instantly compare prices for thousands of items on as many sites. You simply type in what you are looking for, and they will go to many different sites to find what you are seeking. Right now, bots specialize in simple price comparisons, which tend to drive prices down and steer commodity buyers to e-retailers that can live on narrow profit margins.

Some of the best known Auction Bots are...

http://www.vendio.com/

http://www.auctionwatchers.com/

http://www.bidxs.com/

But there are some drawbacks of bots like they might be a little complicated to use for novice users, and it might take some time to get the desired results.

Some of these bots also provide real price comparisons, including tax, shipping, handling,etc. which may turn a good deal into a bad one. Bertelsmann’s DealPilot.com, which tracks books and CDs, is the first to offer such comparisons.

A few bots link to online reviews as well, but these links can be hard to follow and the volume of data quickly can be overwhelming.

You may make serious buying errors after you learn the process, you will also learn how to be a more powerful seller. Here are some tips…

1) Item Description -- Obviously it is the buyer’s responsibility to know what

he is buying. If you have any questions, ask the seller.

2) Item Condition -- There are “grades,” which refer to condition.

The grades are...

i) Mint or MIB (for Mint-in-Box) -- this is a never-used item, still in its original

container, complete with directions. In other words, perfect.

ii) Near mint -- the item is perfect but it no longer has the original packaging or

the packaging is less than perfect.

iii) Excellent -- has some minor wear but is very close to perfect.

iv) Very good -- has minor defects

v) Good -- looks used, with defects

vi) Poor -- is barely collectible at all, heavy damage, heavy use

3) Transaction Terms -- You need to know the details of the transaction...

i) What is the seller’s refund policy if the item is damaged?

ii) How long will it take to get your purchase?

iii) What are your payment options?

iv) Who pays for shipping (almost always the buyer).

v) Who pays for insurance, if any?

4) Seller profile -- The most important thing you can do is to know who you

are buying from. eBay, for example, has an elaborate system of seller

feedback.

i) Wait until the transaction is complete before you comment. Don’t be too

hasty to give negative feedback (there are only specific circumstances where

feedback can be withdrawn).

ii) You can’t leave feedback for yourself.

iii) Don’t ever threaten others with feedback. That’s a quick way to get thrown

off the site.

As a buyer, you have the responsibility to use feedback fairly. If you don’t, you

may be on the receiving end of some pretty tough criticism when you are in the

seller’s role.

6) Financial limits – Don’t over-bid for an item. Set your limit and stick to it unless there is an absolutely compelling and rational reason for doing otherwise.

Buy It Now

In e-Bay when you see the Buy It Now icon next to a listing or see a Buy It Now price listed on an item page, you can get that item right away without waiting for an auction-style listing to end.

To purchase an item with Buy It Now:

1. Decide whether you're willing to buy the item for the Buy It Now price. Please remember, shipping and handling charges are not included in the Buy It Now price. You may need to contact the seller to determine the total price of the item.
2. Click the Buy It Now button at the bottom of the item page and enter your User ID and password.
3. You'll need to choose a shipping method. Then, you can choose among the payment methods offered by the seller (PaisaPay, cheque, demand draft, Cash on Delivery, and Buyer Picks Up & Pay).
4. Pay for the item or commit to pay.
5. The seller ships it to you.

Tip: If you see an item has both a Buy It Now price and a bid price listed, it means you will need to act quickly! The Buy It Now price is available until the auction price has exceeded a price threshold or until the reserve price has been met.

Note: To qualify to use Buy It Now as a buyer, you must have one of the following:

• Have feedback greater than or equal to zero

If you don't qualify when you click the Buy It Now button, you will be asked to do one of the above to qualify. Once you have met one of the above requirements, the listing will end automatically and you will be the winning buyer.