It's a heady
feeling when you win your first eBay
auction: a mixture of happiness and
perhaps just a little fear. After all,
there seems to be so much to do before
you can actually get your item. What do
you do next?
The simple answer is: you send payment
to the seller, as quickly as possible.
The quicker you pay, the more your
seller will like you, and the sooner
your item will arrive. But how you go
about it? That all depends on how you
plan to pay.
PayPal.
PayPal is one of the most popular
options for paying on eBay, to the point
where eBay decided to buy the company.
It allows instant electronic payment
across the Internet. Money goes
instantly from your credit or debit card
to the seller's PayPal account, where
they can either use it for Internet
purchases or transfer it out to their
bank.
eBay offer incentives for using PayPal,
and almost all sellers now accept it.
Its instant nature makes sellers very
happy, and means that they can have your
item packed and sent and leave you some
positive feedback within a few hours of
the auction ending. When paying by
PayPal, you will be covered by PayPal's
own insurances and guarantees, as well
as any that your card might have.
Cheques and Money Orders.
This is payment the old-fashioned way,
and will lead to a long wait to your
item. You need to post the cheque or
money order, then the seller has to take
it to the bank and get it cleared, and
only then do they send the item. The
only reason to use this method is if
either you or the seller distrusts
electronic payment methods. If you're
willing to go to the trouble with these
sellers, though, you might get an item
very cheaply, as most buyers just can't
be bothered.
When you pay by cheque or money order,
make sure to print the eBay order
confirmation page (it will be emailed to
you) and put it in the envelope with
your payment. Underline or circle key
information like your mailing address
and the item number. Finally, remember
to be patient: keep in contact with the
seller, as it really can take a month or
two before everything falls into place
and your item turns up.
Money Transfers and Bank Deposits.
Some sellers may ask you to pay them
using a wire service like Western Union,
or simply give you a bank account number
and ask you to pay money into it. Unless
you really trust the seller, this is
generally a bad idea - these methods are
hard to trace and you're unlikely to get
any money back if anything goes wrong.
Paying in cash, it hardly needs to be
said, is an even worse idea.
It's all a lot to take in, isn't it? I'm
sure by now you've got a few questions,
which is why the next email will be a
little eBay buyer's FAQ. Let's hope we
can solve any problems you might have.
This
was part 96 of the series watch for the
continuation
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