Easy Buying At Your own risk?
Written By: Kristelle RamsinghMay 06 2008
In a relatively short period of time, eBay has become a hugely successful site for the buying and selling of new and used goods across the world. According to eBay Canada, more than 8.4 million Canadians were using the site four years ago, and numbers have almost doubled since then. It has become the global classifieds for the average Joe, the experienced entrepreneur and everyone in-between. However, does using eBay really benefit the consumer financially, and more importantly are the risks bigger that the preconceived savings?
From a buyer’s point of view; wholesale or retail, the range of goods to choose from is vast. There may be hundreds of the same item for sale, at a slew of different prices. Therefore, consumers are able to easily choose which offers better value for money, based on price alone. That said, a major setback of the system is that one cannot actually view the item physically before purchasing it. Consumers should look at a variety of factors to ensure that they are ultimately getting what they pay for. Thoroughly reading the descriptions helps to discern between photos of the actual item and stock photos. Researching the item properly and knowing exactly what to look for prevents
the unintentional purchasing of bootlegs at the price of an original product. Additionally, feedback percentages are a fair measure of the safety of buying from a seller. A percentage of a hundred or higher, increases chances of safer buying. Many sellers try to accommodate their customers as much as possible to prevent negative feedback on their account, which in turn affects their sales.
Buyers also need to be aware of the risk of divulging of their financial information by using personal credit cards to pay for merchandise. Ebay encourages the use of PayPal with a credit card when paying, to assure buyers of the safety of their banking information. Additionally, if the transaction does not go as planned and there is a potential dispute, money will be refunded directly to the credit card. It is a method of double protection for the consumers’ finances.
With proper research and safe purchasing practices, Canadian and international consumers alike are able to shop intelligently and capitalize on the phenomenon of eBay. A competitive marketplace leading to economical prices and the convenience of shopping online saves the consumer time, effort and dollars, and has given many shopaholics a new haven for transaction paradise.
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