It’s an exciting feeling when you win your first eBay auction: a mix of happiness and maybe just a little fear. After all, there seems to be so much to do before you can get your item. What are you doing after?
The simple answer is: you send the payment to the seller as soon as possible. The faster you play, the more your seller will like you, and the faster your item arrives. But how do you get started? It all depends on how you plan to pay.
Betal Pal.
PayPal is one of the most popular payment options on eBay, to the point where eBay decided to buy the company. It enables instant electronic payment via the Internet. The money flows instantly from your credit or debit card to the seller’s PayPal account, where they can either use it for online purchases or transfer it to their bank.
eBay offers incentives to use PayPal, and almost all sellers accept it now. Its immediate nature makes sellers very happy and means they can have your item packed and shipped and leave you positive feedback within hours of the auction ending. When you pay with PayPal, you will be covered by PayPal’s own insurances and guarantees as well as any that your card may have.
Checks and money orders.
This is an old-fashioned payment and will cause a long wait for your item. You must send the check or money order, and then the seller must take it to the bank and clear it and only then send the item. The only reason to use this method is if you or the seller are wary of electronic payment methods. However, if you are willing to mess with these sellers, you may get an item at a good price as most buyers just may not be bothered.
When paying by check or money order, be sure to print the eBay order confirmation page (it will be sent to you) and put it in the envelope with your payment. Underline or circle key information such as your postal address and item number. Finally, remember to be patient: stay in touch with the seller, as it can really take a month or two before everything falls into place and your item appears.
Money transfers and bank deposits.
Some sellers may ask you to pay for them using a bank transfer service like Western Union or just give you a bank account number and ask you to deposit money into it. Unless you really trust the seller, this is usually a bad idea, these methods are hard to track, and you are unlikely to get a refund if something goes wrong. Paying cash is obviously an even worse idea.
That’s a lot to take in, right? I’m sure you have a few questions now, so that’s why the next email will be a bit of a frequently asked question about eBay buyers. Hope we can solve any problems you may have.
