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"Docking in eBay"
November 27, 1999
George Stock
You can buy or sell (almost) anything on the eBay online auction site at http://www.ebay.com. And even if you're not in the trading mood it is fun to explore this fascinating site.
Currently there are almost 3.4 million articles and services offered for sale in 2,568 categories. From a packet of fairy dust with a current bid of $1.75US to a 1971 Mercedes Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet with a starting offer at $175,000US, there is something to appeal to any taste and budget.
EBay is best known by collectors as a source for rare and unusual items, for instance, a 1953 colour Duke Snider ball card offered at $600US. But it is also a source for computers, correspondence courses, tools and household articles. Two tickets for a December 13 Pet Shop Boys concert in Birmingham England are currently for sale with a starting bid of thirty pounds.
eBay uses the Internet as a medium for its 5.6 million registered users worldwide to buy and sell merchandise and services using an auction format. The volume of interest is indicated by the fact that over 1.5 billion page views are logged per month.
Searches are amazingly simple in the context of the huge database in eBay. To view current toy pedal tractor offerings, select Toys and Bean Bag Plush from the Home page menu, then Pedal Cars from the resulting menu and finish with a keyword search for "tractor." The result is a list of pedal tractors (currently 47), each with a description and usually a photograph, in addition to auction related information such as current bid, exact time auction ends and identification of the seller.
To facilitate shopping it is very easy to generate lists of current auctions, new listings, and auctions ending today in any given category.
Started in 1995, eBay has attracted individuals rather than big business. It is founded on the premise that people are honest and trustworthy but also provides features to protect users from the unscrupulous. All users must be registered and those completing transactions may leave positive, negative, or neutral feedback in a file for all users to access. A support unit called "Safe Harbour" investigates complaint related to transactions and registration can be taken away if a user violated policies agreed as part of registration.
Registration, bidding, and selling procedures are simple, user-friendly and have a double check feature built in. eBay sends emails to confirm transactions, summarize current transactions, and even to let a bidder know when someone else has placed a higher bid.
It is possible to set a reserve bid or use a Dutch auction method to sell multiple items. Offerings may be placed in Featured Items lists or in thumbnail picture galleries within their categories. Items that do not sell may be re-listed immediately without charge.
The downside to eBay? It is an American site and most listings are in American dollars. Many American sellers will not ship out of the US and if they will, shipping costs can be astronomical. The buyer pays the shipping in almost all instances. Duties, GST and PST are also payable on imported items.
Dealing across cyberspace with strangers always entails an element of risk and reasonable precaution must be taken whether buying or selling.
Happy eBaying!
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