Share Buying/Selling Tip for chance to win an iPad2

[_LouisH]

Hi, it’s Louis from the PayPal Advantage team. We really enjoyed reading and hearing about how PayPal helped you get ready for summer. The posts were so great, we wanted to invite you to come back and post more great stuff!

This month, we want you to post your best buying and/or selling tips.  We hope that other Advantage members can learn from each other and leverage these tips when they are purchasing or selling items.

Here is how to participate: Post your tip in either on the buying or selling board and give Kudos to your favorite posted buying or selling tip. The buying and selling tip that receives the top kudos will each receive an iPad 2. The Advantage team will also select a winner in each category. Post as many times as you’d like. Each post gives you another opportunity to win and help a fellow Advantage member.

Here is our tip to start things off:  Make sure to check the shipping costs before you buy. I thought I got a great deal on an item and realized the shipping cost more than the item I purchased!

How to share your tip:

1. Go to the Community tab
2. “Click Log in or Register”
3. Enter your PayPal account email address and password
4. Read the Advantage Community Agreement
5. Enter a name that will be used as your “handle” or “user ID” in the community
6. Submit your story to the folder topic “Share Your Buying Tip or Share Your Selling Tip”

Good luck and enjoy the tips!

[Echodiver]

With the dangers of Identity Theft and the fear that my personal information might be compromised, I only buy from sellers who accept Paypal. That way, I don't have to give my credit card number and shopping is just a breeze since Paypal already have my info. It saves me time, so I can do more on-line shopping!

[charlotteaw]

When shopping through ebay or any other online shopping source look for the blue and white Pay Pal logo to be sure that the source you have chosen accepts Pay Pal!  Many companies do and when you have multiple stores to choose from why not choose one that honors Pay Pal and shows that they care about your security online?!!

[Pooodle]

My tip is to change your password every couple months. Crime is on the rise and more advanced than ever,  changing your password every now and then helps protect your account.

[kingofthenet]

You know the drill, a great deal comes up for those hard to get Concert Tickets or limited quanity Daily Deals, your slowly entering your Credit Card info, than try to submit your order....Oh too late,You Lose... ALWAYS use Paypal to zoom thru checkout and nab those choice items.

[fredlee]

A good tip would be to check feedback thoroughly.  I prefer to deal with sellers that have been around for a while.  It is always safer to have an idea of how your seller conducts business before spending.  Large purchases really require a lot of scrutiny.  There are big time scammers out there and if you are concerned your purchase is too good to be true it possibly is.  I'd contact the Paypal team before buying high dollar items like cars and boats to make sure you are safeguarded and protected, just to make sure it is a legitimate auction.  You need to be a intelligent ebayer and keep your guard up. 

[fredlee]

A good selling tip would be to be as exact as possible when listing.  I like a seller that shows the condition of an item on a scale of 1 to 5 with a brief explanation.   It gives me a idea of the condition.  Multiple pictures are a nice touch also.  Model numbers if possible should be listed along with age and if original buyer.  Making a sell is much easier if the buyer trust the seller by his efforts to disclose all know problems and highlights.

[missylabs]

Be sure and read the detailed description of the item you are purchasing before you place a bid.  Some people do not read the complete detailed description of the item.   

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@PayPal_LouisH wrote:

Hi, it’s Louis from the PayPal Advantage team. We really enjoyed reading and hearing about how PayPal helped you get ready for summer. The posts were so great, we wanted to invite you to come back and post more great stuff!

This month, we want you to post your best buying and/or selling tips.  We hope that other Advantage members can learn from each other and leverage these tips when they are purchasing or selling items.

Here is how to participate: Post your tip in either on the buying or selling board and give Kudos to your favorite posted buying or selling tip. The buying and selling tip that receives the top kudos will each receive an iPad 2. The Advantage team will also select a winner in each category. Post as many times as you’d like. Each post gives you another opportunity to win and help a fellow Advantage member.

Here is our tip to start things off:  Make sure to check the shipping costs before you buy. I thought I got a great deal on an item and realized the shipping cost more than the item I purchased!

How to share your tip:

1. Go to the Community tab
2. “Click Log in or Register”
3. Enter your PayPal account email address and password
4. Read the Advantage Community Agreement
5. Enter a name that will be used as your “handle” or “user ID” in the community
6. Submit your story to the folder topic “Share Your Buying Tip or Share Your Selling Tip”

Good luck and enjoy the tips!

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[jonesantiques]

For folks who are new to buying on Ebay, or those who have been around for awhile (like me), the advice is the same - buy from folks who want to be there, and who operate their business that way.

It's pretty easy - just read the sellers information.  You can tell a lot from the tone of the sellers listings.  Are they friendly, or are they just concerned with getting their money?  Are their listings filled with don'ts for you, or rants about Ebay and Paypal?  If they are, stay away.  If you don't feel that the seller wants your business, stay away! 

Feedback is important, but doesn't always tell the whole story.  If a transaction goes smoothly - the item you purchase is ok, and it ships in a timely fashion, and arrives with no damage, the feedback is usually positive.  It is when there is something wrong in the transaction, that the trouble with these sellers comes to light.

The dealer who wants your business is the one that will honor your purchase with a smile, and will take care of you from beginning to end, even when there is a problem.  Ebay and Paypal have resolutions in place to force dealers to give you your money back when there is a bad transaction, but it leaves you feeling bad about the situation.  It's unpleasant to deal with these folks, so don't buy from them in the first place! There are so many dealers on Ebay these days, that you can afford to shop around for a dealer who is good.

You can tell from reading a listing whether the person wants your business.  They will state their return policy, and you should look for dealers who take it back, no questions asked.  They will not overcharge for shipping, or try and charge you extra for services that should be included, like insurance.  The overall tone of the posting is friendly, and makes you feel like you want to buy from them.  The listing is filled with information about what they do for you - not what they expect FROM you. 

[jonesantiques]

Ebay auctions always jump in price in the last few seconds, as folks try to win the item you want for the least amount of money!  It's frustraing, as a buyer, to place a bid on an item, watch it for days, just to see it slip away in the last few seconds of the auction.

Also, have you ever noticed that auctions that have a bid always get MORE bids?  As a buyer, if there is an item out there that you want, and there are no bids on it, I am sure you have noticed you are better off waiting until the lat few seconds to bid, instead of bidding early.  There is something in the human psche tha says... "Someone else wants it...it must be good... I should bid too". 

You also have the same problems the rest of of do -  a busy life that precludes being able to log in a the exact time that an auction ends, and bidding in an amount that will let you win. 

There is a way around this - auction sniping programs.  I have been buying on Ebay since 1998, and they have been one of the biggest parts of my business since I first discovered them.  You can find them by using your search engine of preference using keyword auction snipe.  These programs, for a small fee, will use the auction number and the largest amount you would be willing to pay, and will automaitcally bid on the auction for you, in the last few seconds of the auction.

You just need to log in to see if you win!  I win way more auctions than I lose.  I love bidding this way, as the auction can end in the middle of the night, and I can still bid.  I can be on vacation, away on business, or at work, and still win! 

These programs are, for the most part, sure-fire.  This is usually all they do, and they can snipe most all auctions, not just Ebay, although Ebay is the largest part of what they do.  It is very simple, and they are user friendly.  They all function pretty much the same way, so pick the least expensive.

My business, since 1999, has consisted of buying on Ebay, and then reselling... on Ebay.  I have to buy low, or my business makes no sense!  Most of these programs cost pennies per auction, so pick one, and give it a try.