Ebay Advice ?
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,643
Likes: 35
From: Orange County, CA
As a seller, I like PayPal becasue I can receive payment right away...no worries about it being lost in mail or such. As a buyer, PayPal also helps me get my items sooner (most sellers will ship right way when payment received) so no waiting an extra week or 2 for payment to be received and cleared. Most sellers on eBay are honest people...I have only had on transaction where I got burned, and that's because the seller never shipped item, and gave a bunch of excuses. Their account was closed, I was not teh only one filing complaints to ebay about them. But always remember, if you have any doubt about an item, ask the seller.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,209
Likes: 12
From: Black Hills of SD
A lot of sellers don't like to give paypal the percentage, which I think is around 2.5. I think it is well worth it to make the deals more speedy and smooth. If I have my money in a day or so compared to a couple weeks then it is available to reinvest sooner and can be making me more money in the time I would be waiting for a check.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
I buy a lot of stuff on ebay, 50+ feedbacks, but I dislike PayPal (smoke and mirrors). I use money orders or the US postal service ePay system when I can. http://www.usps.com/money/welcome.htm The ePay system costs me a buck but it is cheaper than MO by the time I buy gas. Probably not available in Canada tho.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,532
Likes: 5
From: Trussville, Alabama
Something else to add (caveat emptor)
A friend of mine just "bought" (won the auction) on a motorcycle on E-bay.
He went to arrange payment and the seller had an escrow account set up. My friend is pretty computer / internet savvy and something threw up a red flag. He did some "snooping" and figured out it was a scam. The escrow account was bogus, and apparently the seller had it worked so he could access (i.e. steal) the money and be gone. It appeared he was using E-bay account information either stolen, or somehow fabricated.
My friend said the seller could be anywhere in the world. He, nor the bike, existed as listed in the auction.
This is not an urban legend. I see the guy ever day at work and saw the add where he had won.
Just glad he was smart / wise enough to figure it all out ahead of time.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
A friend of mine just "bought" (won the auction) on a motorcycle on E-bay.
He went to arrange payment and the seller had an escrow account set up. My friend is pretty computer / internet savvy and something threw up a red flag. He did some "snooping" and figured out it was a scam. The escrow account was bogus, and apparently the seller had it worked so he could access (i.e. steal) the money and be gone. It appeared he was using E-bay account information either stolen, or somehow fabricated.
My friend said the seller could be anywhere in the world. He, nor the bike, existed as listed in the auction.
This is not an urban legend. I see the guy ever day at work and saw the add where he had won.
Just glad he was smart / wise enough to figure it all out ahead of time.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Thread Starter
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Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,244
Likes: 1
Two more questions -
1. No one has bid on an item yet, therefore "0 bids", but the page says "minimum bid = $49.00" Can the starting bid bid be anything, like $2.00 ? Why is the minimum bid so high ? Does it mean anything? Would it be his desired starting bid or a reserve price?
(Lotta questions mark there for one questions, eh?)
2. What is "Bid Pay" ? Is that something different from "Pay Pal"?
Anyone got a link to something that explains 'Bid Pay" ?
(These questions are not answered anywhere in Ebay's help or FAQ pages....)
Thanks,
1. No one has bid on an item yet, therefore "0 bids", but the page says "minimum bid = $49.00" Can the starting bid bid be anything, like $2.00 ? Why is the minimum bid so high ? Does it mean anything? Would it be his desired starting bid or a reserve price?
(Lotta questions mark there for one questions, eh?)
2. What is "Bid Pay" ? Is that something different from "Pay Pal"?
Anyone got a link to something that explains 'Bid Pay" ?
(These questions are not answered anywhere in Ebay's help or FAQ pages....)
Thanks,
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,209
Likes: 12
From: Black Hills of SD
The opening bid is the smallest bid the seller will accept. It is basically like the reserve only yhe reserve is generally not known to bidders until it is reached. Some sellers tell you what it is. I think the reserve is pointless. Why not just put your opening bid at your reserve price and be done with it. A reserve also stifles bidding.
Bid-pay nails the buyer with the user fees and with pay pal the fees are paid by the seller. As a buyer I only used bidpay once and thought it was too costly. As a seller I still use paypal and feel the fees are worth it because of how much it speeds up the process and simplifies it for me.
Bid-pay nails the buyer with the user fees and with pay pal the fees are paid by the seller. As a buyer I only used bidpay once and thought it was too costly. As a seller I still use paypal and feel the fees are worth it because of how much it speeds up the process and simplifies it for me.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 0
From: Eastern Iowa Soon Texas
Hi
I'm not sure if this lil piece of advice will help you or not but I recently starting surfing evil bay and realized the hard way once that when you are looking at an item always check the sellers "shipping and handling" charges because with the buying price and "S&H" charge it may be cheaper to go buy it from a local store..
I bought a Dale Jarrett car for $25.00 which was a good price for the car but what I didnt realize is the seller had a $15.00 S&H charge which made the total price $40.00 i could have bought the same car from the local store for $30.00 ..
Just thought i would throw that in the mix
I'm not sure if this lil piece of advice will help you or not but I recently starting surfing evil bay and realized the hard way once that when you are looking at an item always check the sellers "shipping and handling" charges because with the buying price and "S&H" charge it may be cheaper to go buy it from a local store..
I bought a Dale Jarrett car for $25.00 which was a good price for the car but what I didnt realize is the seller had a $15.00 S&H charge which made the total price $40.00 i could have bought the same car from the local store for $30.00 ..
Just thought i would throw that in the mix
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,209
Likes: 12
From: Black Hills of SD
Good point, truckertaz. I have had the same thing happen. Now I ask how much the handleing charges are if it says plus shipping and handleing. It is like some of the supossedly "free" offer that you see elsewhere. All you have to pay is $9.95 S&H. Then you end up with a 2 dollar item that had 99 cents bulk mail postage on it.
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 18,308
Likes: 20
From: Washington State
Originally posted by ferguson777
2. What is "Bid Pay" ? Is that something different from "Pay Pal"?
Anyone got a link to something that explains 'Bid Pay" ?
2. What is "Bid Pay" ? Is that something different from "Pay Pal"?
Anyone got a link to something that explains 'Bid Pay" ?
Got to www.bidpay.com.
Paypal is great, easy, secure and quick. I do an instant checking account transfer for all the stuff I buy. Which is too much... Not sure if that still costs the seller something, though.
The credit card compaies charge Payapl to process their credit cards. These charges, plus a little bit more, are passed on to the seller. Cost of doing business.
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