Find Hidden Deals
Search Tools
Sellers who post incomplete or partial descriptions will see fewer
visitors. Use that to your advantage to bid low. Using eBay’s advanced search tools,
put a parenthesis around keywords separated by commas to pull up more
listings. For example - (notebook, laptop, computer) would return all
listings containing the words notebook or laptop or computer.
If you are getting too many results, use a minus sign in front of a word to exclude those returns. You can also search
eBay Stores if you only want to see sellers that specialize or have a lot of inventory.
Bad Spellers
Sellers aren’t required to know how to spell, and eBay’s search
engine doesn’t pull up similar words. That means poorly spelled listings
don’t get many views or bids. Take advantage of this loophole by using a
misspelling search tool to find listings and get great deals. Try out
these sites search in multiple countries for advanced searches easy single search
Buy Local
Working with sellers in your community can save you money, especially
if they list the ‘pickup only’ option. You will be competing with fewer
bidders and avoid shipping charges. If the seller is not in your
community, but still require ‘pickup’, research the cost of having
someone else pick it up and ship it to you.
Unwanted Gifts
Sellers often post items they don’t want, and really don’t know how
to list them properly or know much they could get for them. That gives
savvy buyers an edge. BayCrazy offers a search for unwanted gifts to help you find bargains.
Research
Research the Listing
Read the
listing details
carefully, including the description, warranties, shipping policies and
payment options. You can bid lower if there are flaws, but don’t make
any assumptions. Ask the seller questions and make a special note when
the auction ends so you can enter last minute bids.
Research the Value
Compare prices with similarly sold items by doing an advanced search using the
completed listings
option. You can also do a Google search or look at other online
marketplaces to see how much the item is worth. This will help you
determine the maximum you should bid and keep you from overpaying when
the auction gets heated.
Research the Seller
Read the seller’s
Feedback Profile
by clicking the number in the parentheses next to the seller’s user ID.
Members who have at least ten ratings get a feedback star. While you
may be taking more risks buying from someone with a lower rating, you
could also get a better deal since many bidders will shy away from
people with negative ratings.
Bidding Techniques
Best Offers
Get an idea of how low you can go by viewing the seller’s history.
Seeing how much they accepted for previous Best Offers can help you save
money, especially if they sell repeated items. On the seller’s profile,
simply click on ‘Items for Sale’, then ‘Completed Items’. Sellers can
make this private, but many never get around to it.
Negotiate
Ask the seller a question about their product to start a
conversation. Then, ask if they will consider taking a lower bid. You
may also consider asking them what their Reserve price is, if they have
one. It can’t hurt and could save you a lot of money. To make sure the
conversation stays private, contact them through their profile - not the
listing page.
Watch the Clock
eBay traffic peaks on Sunday nights in the U.S., which means more
people bidding on the same items. Instead, look for auctions that end at
odd hours, or when people are likely to be heading to and from work.
You can find off-hour bids using a search engine like
BayCrazy.
Buy It Now
You can find great deals on items, if you know what they are looking
for and how much the item usually costs. This is best for things that
you have personal knowledge about and are pretty sure the value of the
item exceeds the
Buy It Now price.
Win the Auction
Automatic Bidding
You can set up an
automatic bidding system
through eBay that will automatically top anyone’s bid until you hit
your limit. Keep in mind, other bidders could use the same process,
pushing the bids higher than needed.
Sniping Websites
Sniping is when buyers swoop in and enter a bid with just seconds to
spare. You can do it manually by opening two browser windows in the
minutes before an auction ends - one to watch the bidding, the other to
make a final bid. One trick is to bid an off number that will throw off
other bids. For example: instead of bidding $15.00, bid $15.27. There
are many tricks to sniping, so do some research before you try it out.
Automatic Snipes
You can also download a service that will automatically bid for you in the final seconds of an auction.
Esnipe gives you a free trial period, after that it charges 1% of the final price.
Goofbid
is a free site based in the UK that accepts donations for similar
services. Whichever site you use, make sure there is no spyware on the
download as you are giving out your eBay username and password.
Mobile
eBay also offers
mobile apps
to help you make bids anytime from your cell phone. They can help you
stay on top of hot auctions and keep up with bids manually.
After the Sale
Complete the Transaction
You’ll want to send your payment as soon as the auction ends.
Starting in April 2013, you must pay the winning bid within two days or
the seller could open an
unpaid item case. Additional
new rules state that Buy It Now or Best Offer auctions will remain open to new bids until the buyer actually makes a payment.
Problems
If you have problems with your purchased item or it is never delivered, you can take advantage of eBay’s
Buyer Protection
Policy. You’ll need to contact the seller through the Resolution Center
to start the process so eBay can get involved and refund your money.
Warnings
Beware of sellers who ask for checks or money orders to purchase
items as it may be part of a bigger scam. PayPal is the safest route
because it comes with consumer protections. Another warning, never send
money to a seller outside eBay, especially if they request you contact
them before bidding or sent the payment through Western Union.
If You Lose an Auction
Second Chance
If you lose an auction, consider writing a personal note to the
seller. Let them know you are still interested in the item if the first
buyer falls through or if they have similar items for sale. If the
wining bid falls through, the seller may also send you a
Second Chance Offer to buy the item, but it will be for your last bid. This may be an opportunity for you to negotiate lower.
Other Options
eBay may not always be the cheapest option or your only option. There
are many online marketplaces where you can find comparable items at low
prices. Avoid wasting time searching individual sites by using the
PricePirates website to see price comparisons between eBay, Amazon and other sites on Shopping.com.
Go Global
To see more options, check out eBay International’s biggest sites
based in USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Spain. You can get
great deals, just make sure you fully understand how the item will work
in your country. Pay attention to things like power requirements, video
usage, shipping charges and customs duties.
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