Chris,
Here are some tips and tricks to buying on ebay. For the record I have purchased a toyota FJ-80 on ebay, pictures for my kids room, sold parts on ebay. My Dad has sold 3 motorcycles and two cars on ebay including countless other motorcycle apparel items. Just to give you an idea of our exposure to it.
BUYING AN ITEM1). Double check the sellers rating and look at some of the other items he has sold. Negative feedback can help you decide not to buy from certain people.
2). Stay away from items that seem unclear or "To good to be true". People are always out to make a quick buck on some unsuspecting person.
3). Email the seller and ask questions about the item you are bidding on. Be clear and consise and ask relavent questions. If they can't email you back in a timely manner or if they are an a$$ in their reply, you might want to stear clear of that item.
4). Don't be afraid to offer a buyout on the item and negotiate with the seller before the auction ends. This can work out well for higher priced items. I bought our Landcruiser this way. I made an offer and we negotiated over the phone and finally we made a deal and ended the auction. It saved me $600 off the "Buy Now" price.
5). Wait to bid till the ending of the auction. Bidding early will only drive the price up.
6). Sniping a bid. This tip and trick is up to you. There are several sites out there that offer to snipe your auction to make sure you win the item. The one I have used and my friends have used is called Hammer Snipe.
www.hammersnipe.com/This service offers for free to outbid your competitors in the last 10 seconds of the auction. For a small fee you can lower that to the last 3 seconds. Check it out and read for yourself. It works.
7). Once you have won an item make sure to email the seller to finalize or confirm your win and payment.
SELLING AN ITEM1). Offer a clear detailed description.
2). Pictures are very important. Make sure they are good shots of the item and point out any blemishes or defects.
3). Keep the starting price LOW. I usually start a selling price at $1 or $10 or something low even if the item you are selling is worth $10000. This atracts buyers. Don't start the bidding price near the price you want.
4). Reserve. Use the reserve to make sure you at least get the lowest price required for your item. You can also lower the reserve during the auction. But once you lower it, it will be visable to all the bidders.
5). Buy Now price. This offers your bidders a chance to buy the item fast if the bidding gets close to the Buy out price.
6). Offer more info upon emailed request. People will naturally email you with some dumb questions. Just try to answer clearly. They might be checking you out.
7). Be quick to ship the item once payment is received. Emailing the tracking number to the winner will help them feel more confident about the item being shipped.
Paypal... I have used paypal without any problems. However this is use at your own risk. I have heard some horror stories. You can find these on the net and read for yourself. It is easy to use. Just make sure you read about it first. Also read about withdrawing large amounts and being a registered user. Being registered can help.
Ebay does work but it works on the honor system.... Use at your own risk.
Oh yeah.. Don't forget to give feedback to the seller or buyer.
