Internet Tips & Tricks
By MARK DAVIS
General Manager, CommSpeed Internet Service
President, Prescott Computer Society
Visit the Computer Society Website
www.prescottcomputersociety.org
Shopping with eBay
 One
of the greatest and best Internet stores out there is
www.eBay.com.
In case you were burrowed under a ferret for four years,
eBay is an online marketplace.
People sell or buy EVERYTHING on eBay - video games,
toys, collectibles, mugs, rugs, cars, and pretty much
anything. You could pick some antelope poop off
the road and sell it on eBay.
eBay is fun to visit, even if you don’t plan to buy
something. Go to www.eBay.com and search for
whatever interests you. I did a search for “Prescott”
and found tons of stuff up for sale – from historical
photographs to Christmas mugs (nope, no antelope poop :)
Want to get in on the action? Here are some tips to
getting a good deal.
1. A good strategy is to wait until the auction is
near its end before bidding. Your bid has less
chance of being topped by someone else.
2.
Start slowly. Begin using eBay by buying a
low-priced item.
3.
Avoid counter-bidding. This strategy can raise
prices unnecessarily.
4.
Whenever possible, use a credit card, This
protects you from losing your money outright. If for
any reason you don't get the item, or it arrives broken
or in a condition other than promised, you then have the
credit card company on your side.
5.
Don't jump in too fast. Take time to browse
through comparable items, get a sense of what's out
there.
6.
If you lose out to another bidder, don't take it
personally.
7.
Set the maximum price that you will pay for the
item. Sometimes during an auction, buyers get caught up
in the "competition."
8.
Before you bid, look at the seller's rating.
Have other buyers had a good experience with this
particular seller?
9.
Be skeptical. Items are sometimes sold on eBay
for more than their real value. And although eBay has
an internal police force that keeps an eye out for
cheaters, scammers do exist.
So,
head on over to eBay!
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