The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
My eBay Experiences
Ash Nallawalla
 ash@melbpc.org.au

My two children, Kate and Keith collect Beanie Babies and Pokemon cards respectively. As I travel to the US almost every month, they never fail to give me a shopping list (*see below). As my shopping time is limited, I tend to go to the Great Mall of the Bay in Milpitas, near my office in San Jose, where I can buy those things in one transaction.

Not being an expert on Beanie Babies or Pokemon prices, I had a nagging suspicion that I could do better. I discovered the "Mary Beth" and "Beckett" catalogues. They contained advertisements from sellers in other parts of the US, but I was not ready to test the mail-order method. 

Then I came across a comment in a newsgroup article that Pokemon cards were cheap on eBay. I was aware of eBay's name but, for some silly reason, its name had made me associate it with San Francisco's East Bay, which holds little appeal to me. You know how we tend to block out certain information if we have decided that it is of no interest to us? Clearly, I was wrong. I had never actually tried to visit http://www.ebay.com, and wasn't aware that there was an Australian branch at http://www.ebay.com.au.


Figure 1. eBay Australia main page


Figure 2. If you log in, you will find it faster to do your work, 
as you don't have to supply your details several times

What Is eBay?

eBay is an online auction site that provides a sophisticated environment for selling and buying, as well as links to electronic payment mechanisms. See the box [opposite] for information supplied by eBay Australia. By the time you read this, Australian sellers will be charged a listing fee, which was waived for its first year of operation in this country.

Searching

To cut to the chase, I signed up with eBay Australia and took the user ID of "ashok52". I explored the Search function. If I limited it to items based in and available to Australia, the result was disappointing. Aussie eBayers in the Pokemon market tend to ask higher prices than those who live in the US. As I have a US delivery address, I was able to widen the search to include items available only to the US. eBay conveniently displays an approximate Australian Dollar conversion when the price is in another currency.

Do Your Homework

It is a good idea to observe for a few weeks and resist the temptation to buy on impulse. I had a deadline (my next trip) so I needed to buy in time for the items to be delivered to my US address before I reached there. Fortunately, I made only two mistakes. One was simply bidding too much for an item that was to come up cheaper within days. The other was to bid for the wrong item because I misunderstood my son's instruction. Luckily, the item was a bid for US$0.60 and I sent the seller a US$1 note and told him to keep it.

Pokemon cards are an unpredictable commodity on eBay. Some bidders have no minimum bid amount, which can raise false expectations if the item is popular, or a bargain if the buyers are too busy watching the Olympics that week. Some items seem to be invisible, as an adjacent identical item may have higher bids. This can happen if you are searching on items available to all countries, while the hot bidding comes from people who are searching on items available only to their country.

The underlying message is to know the price range that applies to the item in question, so that you know if it is a bargain or not. Don't forget to include the cost of shipping and handling.

Payment

When settling with overseas sellers, the best (based on my limited research) method of payment is a credit card through eBay's own BillPoint system, as it deducts US$1 from the total as an incentive. Unfortunately, very few US sellers seem to use it. They are seduced by PayPal, a service that is not available to non-US residents, as they get US$5 as does the buyer for the latter's first transaction. I had to use BidPay, which charges US$5 to send a money order to the seller.


Figure 3. My eBay provides a summary of your recent 
bids and items that you are merely watching


Figure 4. In a Dutch auction on eBay, the items go 
to the highest successful bidders

Risks

I came close to having a bad experience. I was the successful bidder on a Beanie Babies item but the seller refused to answer my e-mails asking how he wanted to be paid. I then noted that although he had several hundred satisfied buyers (called "positive feedback" in eBay parlance), he had about a dozen unhappy ones, including some who had paid but had not received the goods. I threatened to post "negative feedback" about him and he replied that he had sent me two e-mails, so "what else" did I need. When I asked him to forward me copies of those e-mails with full headers, he did not reply. At least I had not sent money. 

When aggrieved buyers go to eBay's "Safe Harbour", eBay will send them a copy of the rules and ask them to report the seller for fraud. eBay also provides an escrow service for a fee. I am happy to report that all my other transactions were very satisfactory, but one never knows when a rogue will dupe you. 

* The best "wish list" Kate gave me reads, "Daddy, I wish that you will return home safely. Love, Kate." 

(Provided by eBay Australia)
You Want It - Somebody's Got It

eBay is a place where people can go to buy and sell via online auctions. You can buy or sell virtually anything - from collectibles such as Pokemon to every day items such as computers. In just five years eBay has grown into the world's largest online marketplace with 16 million users worldwide. 

The secret to eBay's success? Three things - it's engaging, its safe and it works! 

With over 300,000 items bought and sold each day, you'll always find new and interesting things. But it is more than just a database, it's about connecting like-minded people so they can interact and trade. Safe trading is an important part of eBay. That's why items are covered by insurance for up to $300. For higher value items, there's escrow  - a service that allows you to inspect what you're buying before sending payment. Also, every user has a "reputation" based on feedback from other members of eBay's community so you can use that as a guide when trading. With 4.5 million items listed on eBay and 1.5 million available to Australia, chances are you will find what you are looking for. For sellers, you won't find a bigger marketplace to sell in than eBay! 

Handy hints for buyers

Happy hunting: If you know exactly what you want use the search engine to find it for you. But, if you have time on your hands or prefer to browse just click on one of the twelve categories.

Communicate: Call the seller or send an email if you are unsure about the item or have any questions.

Research: If you're not sure what an item is worth, do a little research before you decide what you're willing to pay.

Save time: Instead of sitting at by your computer outbidding each new bid, try proxy bidding. The system increases your bid in response to higher bids and will keep doing so up to your confidential maximum bid amount.

Good management: The My eBay tool creates a trade activity page accessible only by you. Use it to keep track of all your bidding and selling activities.

 Handy hints for sellers

Be descriptive: To add value to your item, include as much information as you can, eg size, colour, shape, history. Remember, the buyer may not have seen your item before.

Say cheese: Include a good, clear photo of your item. You can boost sales by showing off your item with an image or photo.

Look at me: Lift the profile of your auction by using seller tools such as bold type, Featured Auctions and the Gallery.

Know your buyer: Buyers for your item are likely to share your interests and passions. So make sure your item's title, description and pictures appeal to them!

The price is right: If you are unsure what your item is worth, try nominating a low start price and eBay will find the market value for it.

Reprinted from the November 2000 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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