Looking to Buy?

If you are looking to buy something, eBay is a great place to find that item and usually at a discounted price compared to buying it directly from a store. It also gives you access to things that aren't necessarily sold in stores. For example, say you're a die-hard Elvis fan; usually you can't just walk into a store and find an autographed Elvis record. And when you do find one somewhere, chances are they are asking an arm and a leg. eBay opens up more opportunity for you to find the unique items you are looking for and allows you more control over what you are willing to pay for it. eBay literally has an unlimited range of items available to bid on and buy, ranging from things like that Flinstones cookie jar you've been looking for to regular daily supplies and office equipment. The sky is the limit, literally, on eBay and the choices you have change every day as more items are listed.

Looking to Sell?

eBay offers a much easier, cost efficient and less hassle way to sell your items. You can sell anything from the unused items taking up space in your home to a product you wish to keep stock of and sell such as vitamins, office supplies, really anything! What a relief to not have to prep for and hold a garage sale and haggle over prices out in the heat or cold weather. And for those of you who want to start your own "store", it's a much cheaper option than either starting your own web site and definitely more cost effective than opening a brick and mortar store. If you do eventually want to do either of these, eBay can be a great way for you to get a feel for what customers are looking for and what they are willing to pay. And once you do open your own store, you can even continue to utilize eBay to draw traffic to your store and as another avenue of selling your items.

Are there risks associated with using eBay?

Some people may be a bit apprehensive of buying on eBay as you are buying from a wide range of people whom you don't know. Some people selling are actual reputable businesses, but some are just average joes like you and me. eBay knows this and has included some protection measures to help ease any fears and help mediate any issues that may arise. There will be a more detailed chapter on this later, but here's a quick overview of what they offer:

• Fraud Protection - covers the first $200 of a purchase, minus a $25 deductible
• Safe Harbor - investigates questionable business practices
• Square Trade - provides mediation services for buyers and sellers to help resolve any issues that arise

While most of the time transactions go smoothly and without a hitch, we are all in fact human and sometimes issues do arise. So don't let these things scare you, they are there "just in case".