Come on, join ebay. It's really a lot of fun, and you can save money, not to mention find rare and unusual stuff. Shipping in the mail isn't really that tough, or expensive.
You do not have to give ebay a credit card confirmation to join, I don't believe. They need an ISP-type email address, where you've had to pay (not hotmail or yahoo), and I think they want your address. Once you've established a "handle", you're ready to go.
Bidding is very straight-forward. You must enter your password to do any kind of official transaction, it's like a contract. But of course, you only bid on items that you want, and what you are willing to pay for it, including shipping.
Sniping (last-second bidding) is not really unscrupulous, if you want something bad enough. Keep in mind that the current price you see for an item might not be the final bid for the current high bidder. If someone bid on an item and it's currently $5.00, and you bid $10.00 (the maximum you are willing to pay), then if $5.00 was their high bid, the current bid price goes up to $5.50, which is the current high bid plus the minimum bid increment for this dollar amount -- 50 cents.
PayPal was bought by ebay a while ago, after I got ripped off. Now I understand that it is safer and easier to track. All I know is I set up an auction account and the funds got all but drained by someone who could pose as me, yet have my goods directed to an actual address in California. I send cash in the mail.
The first time you bid you might want to email the seller and tell them you're just trying to get started, and you're legit and cool and all. I've seen some sellers refuse to sell to those with no feedback. I think that's rude. Especially because, in a way, the seller has all the power. When you send them your money for an item, cash, check (sellers usually hold back delivery until checks clear). They decide when they're going to wrap it up and send it off, buyers must wait.
Oh and one other thing. Don't let some clown ask $5 shipping for a 6.99 CD. That's ludicrous. You can buy the bubble pack addressable mailers for about 50 cents each, and first class postage for a CD is around $1.22 Charges of $2 to $3 is tolerable (no one begrudges a few cents). With the US mail, items may not come in two days, but usually arrive within five.
Go out and have fun with it.
Barter on, Wayne. |
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