The consumer electronics category is among the top sought-after products sold through eBay. According to certain people, eBay is a source of lucrative deals on electronics, however, some say the purchase of electronics on eBay is often a victim of fraud and isn’t worthwhile.
Actually, both may be the case, depending on the way you look for products and which seller you ultimately choose to purchase. Here are some helpful tips to help make sure you have the success of your eBay electronic shopping experience.
Know What You Want
Even with features that focus on evaluations, such as eBay review guides and reviews, eBay is not an excellent place to get information about the kinds of products you could be looking to purchase. The best place to investigate is to visit a local electronics shop such as, for instance, consumer electronic magazines and websites. Uncertain about the brand model, style, or specifications you’re looking for in a consumer electronic item is a sure way to end up with negative shopping experiences on eBay.
Know What It Should Cost
Also, you should examine the cost range of each product to ensure you can identify a truly amazing bargain. Knowing price ranges helps narrow your search since searching for electronics that are used by consumers could quickly get overwhelming.
Use eBay’s More Advanced Search Tools
eBay offers advanced search features that can be useful when seeking specific items. A search that is generic for “plasma tv” or “iPhone” will result in an overwhelming number of results. Make use of multiple keywords to narrow your search to just the specifications, features, and models, as well as the manufacturer that you’re looking for.
Check out eBay’s customized search options to determine if you are able to improve your search through location, price, or any other information about the auction. Use search terms that define specific specifications that matter to you, for example, not simply “iPhone” but “new gold iPhone 7,” not just “plasma tv” but “used 26-inch Sony plasma tv.” Also, consider using eBay’s search tools for the kind of product you’re looking to purchase for the most precise result set.
Narrow Yourself to a List of Potential Winners
Utilize the auction-watching functions on eBay to keep track of just a handful of (at least 5-10) auctions by different sellers that are suitable for you. This will provide you with an array of choices. Be sure to only look at the ones that truly match what you’re looking for in terms of the maker and the model and model, the correct terms for selling, correct auction details and terms as well as the correct price range.
Be cautious about the items you decide to bid on and the seller(s) with who you make your transactions. Find online resources for information for purchasing the item you’re interested in when you’ve located a variety of items that you’re interested in and look up reviews of the sellers.
When you’ve compiled the list of 5 up to 10 products that match your specifications and budget then you’ll need to determine where you will place your offer. Most of the time it’s about making sure you’re balancing the need to obtain the most value for your money with the equally important requirement to buy from a trustworthy honest seller. Here’s how to select.
- Do not choose the item that is the cheapest. This is a common error made by beginners on eBay and is one of the biggest errors you can commit. Check each of the listings carefully and extract the most information you can. You should give more weight to those who detail the condition of the product in full detail (“new in its original box” and “used but functional with some scratches”) as opposed to sellers who do not provide a description of the item’s condition. Review your warranty and return policies, and shipping guidelines attentively to determine how complex the process will be in any situation if you get an unsatisfactory or defective item.
- Review the feedback of the seller. Checking the feedback of all sellers is the most important factor in choosing the auction you want to bid on or the item you want to buy. In general, don’t buy from any electronics retailer whose feedback score isn’t higher than 97 percent, and strongly recommend sellers with a rating of over 99 percent. Review the feedback of others who have purchased from them and keep an eye out for any complaints regarding the shipping process, quality of the item, or anything else that could be an alarm. Consumer electronics are costly items. It is important to be cautious with your vendor selection as the loss could be significant.
- Don’t make a bid on auctions that display obvious warning indicators. Check each listing attentively for any sign that something is wrong either with the seller or the listing or suggests that the auction could be fake. Remember the old adage” if it looks good, then you must be right. “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” and be wary of purchasing anything costly from a seller located outside of your country. Even if you purchase an item that works under these conditions, the majority of electronic manufacturers want to honor any warranty offered by the manufacturer for products purchased outside of the market from the country from which they originally shipped.
- Shop with credit card-friendly sellers, and be cautious about the shipping. Because of the significant value and the typical fragility of consumer electronics that are sold on eBay, the process of completing the transaction is more complicated and risky in comparison to other merchandise that is commonly sold and purchased on eBay. Beware of sellers who do not allow Paypal or provide you with an alternative payment method that isn’t a credit card since purchases made using credit cards are usually secured by the credit card company. Make sure the seller is willing to package the item in a safe manner and provide the option of a tracking method for delivery that you are able to work with. It’s not ideal to have $3,500 worth of consumer electronics lying on your doorstep for 7 hours.
Contact your credit card company and the shipping company in question if the product arrives damaged or does not arrive on time. eBay and credit card issuers and shippers each place limitations on the length of time you can make any complaint you have. Therefore, the ability to file a claim should there be issues is limited to the brief period after the purchase.
