Use this link to the Adobe Reader pdf file with correct formatting.

Use your discretion. Is the web site from a reputable company, e.g. one you have heard of before or one that has "real" outlets? If so, they have their reputation to uphold and will do everything they can to keep your details secure.

Does the web site have contact information such as a phone number and email, for customer support?

Does the site have a secure area for online transactions? To find out, go into the page where you fill in your credit card details. If there is a locked padlock on the grey bar at the bottom of your browser window, the site is secure. Also, the web address will begin with “https” instead of the normal “http”. This means that the information you send will be "encrypted" – digitally scrambled with a secret code – so that only the online store will be able to understand it.

Total cost

Compare the total cost, which is the items cost plus shipping and sales tax. Most web sites do not include sales tax, but be sure to check.

Availability

Be sure to check the web site for availability. If in doubt, select another web site or call.

Suggestions:

Get another credit card for internet purchases. If your card number is stolen, you can cancel and

get a new card without affecting your other card that is used for non-internet purchases.

Get a new email address on yahoo or hotmail. Use this new email address for internet purchases,

electronic catalogs, and company newsletters.

Do your homework on features and prices.
Be aware of old models for sale. Know if you are buying the current model or an older model.
When buying software, buy the CD. If you download software and then have trouble with

your computer, you may have lost all information for replacing the software.

Software and some hardware are sold as “retail box” and “OEM”. “Retail box” is what you buy at a store, and usually includes a manual or a cable, and mounting hardware. “OEM” is just a CD (for software) or just a product (with no manual, cable, or mounting hardware, for hardware). Know what you need and want. If this is a new installation, you probably want the retail box. If you are replacing something that is worn out or lost, with the same item, you can use the “OEM” version. “Retail box” versions cost more than “OEM” versions.

eBay

eBay education resources

eBay has help and links for:

Top level of eBay help: http://pages.ebay.com/education/
How eBay works (top questions): http://pages.ebay.com/help/index.html
How to buy: http://pages.ebay.com/help/buyerguide/index.html
How to buy: http://pages.ebay.com/help/buyingtips.html. This page has many links to buying help and “getting started” help.
How to sell: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sellerguide/index.html
How to sell: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sellingtips.html. This page has many links to selling help and “getting started” help.

There are Auctions, Dutch Auctions, and Reserved Price auctions. Look in the eBay help file to see what each one means. You can also skip the auction and buy the item if the auction page has a “Buy It Now”.

Glossary: http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/g-index.html

Tips on buying and selling with confidence: http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/hub.html

Types of auctions

Auction

Learn the basic eBay way to buy. eBay's system for buying and selling is an online version of the age-old practice of auctions, where a seller puts one item up for sale to the highest bidder.

Multiple Item Auction

When you see a quantity of two or more on an eBay auction, that's a Multiple Item Auction (Dutch Auction). This means the seller is offering multiple, identical items for sale. Unlike a regular eBay auction, Multiple Item Auctions can have many winners. When you bid on a Multiple Item Auction, you specify the number of items you're interested in and the price you're willing to pay. All winning bidders will pay the same price: the lowest successful bid. Much of the time, all buyers pay the starting price in Multiple Item Auctions. However, if there are more bids than items, the items will go to earliest successful bids. To beat another bid, yours must have a higher total bid value (bid price x number of items bid on) than other bids. Reducing this total bid value in subsequent bids is not permitted. Successful bids are displayed when you click on the link reading, "see winning bidders list" link. The complete bidding history (including any unsuccessful bids) is displayed when you click on the 'bid history' link. You have the right to refuse partial quantities. This means, for example, that if you bid for 10 items and are offered only eight when the auction ends, you don't have to buy any of them.

Reserve Price Auction

Some auctions have a reserve price, a hidden minimum price, on their item. How it works: A reserve price is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept for the item. As a buyer, you are not shown the reserve price, only whether or not the reserve has been met. The seller is not obligated to sell the item if the reserve price is not met. The winning bidder must meet or exceed the reserve price and have the highest bid. When you're bidding in a Reserve Price Auction, bid as usual, entering the maximum amount you're willing to pay for the item. Watch the label next to the current price to see whether the reserve price has been met. Until you see that the reserve price has been met, there have been no successful bids in the auction. Once the reserve has been met, the item will sell to the highest bidder when the auction closes. If your maximum bid is the first to meet or exceed the reserve price, the effective bid displayed will automatically be raised to the reserve price.

Dutch Auction

The quantity of items in an auction is more than one. You bid a price and quantity. If there are sufficient items for all bidders, then the selling price is the lowest bid.

Buy It Now

Skip the online auction and get your item sooner! When you see the “Buy It Now” icon next to a listing or see a Buy It Now price listed on an item page, you have a special opportunity to get that item right away without waiting for an online auction to end. Decide whether you're willing to buy the item for the Buy It Now price. Please remember, shipping and handling charges are not included in the Buy It Now price. You may need to contact the seller to determine the total price of the item. Click the Buy It Now button at the bottom of the item page and enter your User ID and password. You'll see a Buy It Now confirmation message. From there, you can choose among the offered payment methods (eBay Payments, personal check, money order, and so forth). Pay for the item, and the seller ships it to you. When it's part of an auction-style listing, the Buy It Now option is only shown on listings until an item receives its first bid, or, for a Reserve Price Auction, when the reserve is met. This means that when you see an item has both a Buy It Now price and a first bid price listed, you will need to act quickly!

Note: To qualify to use Buy It Now as a buyer, you must: Have feedback greater than or equal to 0 OR Have a credit card (or debit card) on file OR ID Verify. If you don't qualify when you click the Buy It Now button, you will be asked to do one of the above to qualify. Once you have met one of the above requirements, the listing will end automatically and you will be the winning buyer.

Buying process

Know what items, brands, models, and versions cost in stores and catalogs.
Search for key words.
Click on the “Listed” column heading to sort the auctions, placing those ending soon, at the top of the list. Auctions closing soon will have the most realistic prices. Auctions ending in several days may not prices anywhere near what the final price may be.
Click on the “Item Title”. This opens the page for that item.
Verify that the location of the seller is in the United States (and not Canada). Shipping costs will be lower and fraud laws will be the U.S. laws.
Click on “view seller’s feedback”.

Forget this auction if the seller has little or no history, unless you like taking risks.
Verify that there are many positive and few negative reviews.
Read some of the negative reviews to see if they are something you are willing to risk.

Click the “back” icon to return to the auction page.
Check the shipping cost. Is that acceptable, on top of the cost of the item?
Check the permitted payment methods. Is one of them acceptable?
Observe the “Current Bid”. If you are willing to pay more than that, then click on the “Bid” icon on the far left of the window.
Enter your maximum bid and click “Place Bid”. eBay will use the lowest possible bid to enter the auction. The invisible “bid agent” will increase your bid only if needed, until your bid is at the maximum level you set.
You need to be registered on eBay. If you are not registered, then click on “Register>” and continue the registration process. If you are registered, then enter your eBay user ID and your password, and click on “Confirm Bid”.
Bookmark this auction page or save as a favorite so you can frequently check the status of the auction.
If you win the auction, you will receive an email from eBay, telling you how to notify the seller. Do this promptly. Be sure to include your address so the seller knows where to ship the item.
Pay for the auction using one of the permitted payment methods.
When you receive the item, leave appropriate feedback (positive or negative) for the seller.

Selling process

Know what items, brands, models, and versions cost in stores, catalogs, and eBay.
Search for key words on eBay.
Click on the “Listed” column heading to sort the auctions, placing those ending soon, at the top of the list. Auctions closing soon will have the most realistic prices. Auctions ending in several days may not prices anywhere near what the final price may be. This helps you know your competition and their prices.
Click on the “Item Title”. This opens the page for that item.
IMPORTANT: Look at the categories and sub-categories, titles, description, pictures, and shipping details. What can you borrow from these auctions, for your auction?
If possible, have either a digital picture or a scan of a film picture, of the item you are selling. Include pictures of boxes, manuals, and labels. These help the viewer determine if the product is real, the right version, and cared for.
Establish an account.
Click on the “sell” button near the top of the eBay web page.
Enter your eBay user ID and password.
Choose selling format. You will probably select “Sell item at online auction”. Continue.
Choose the main category from the list. Continue.
Select sub-categories from boxes 2-6, until no more choices are available. Continue.
Enter the title and description. In the description I also state my payment requirements, and shipping restrictions (USA bidders only (48 states). I will not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.).
Click “Preview your description”. Click “close window”. Continue.
If you are a first-time seller, you may be asked to download a small file on the next page. This file will help you add pictures on eBay.
Select duration of the auction (usually 7 days).
Select start time of the auction (usually when submitted).
Enter quantity (usually one).
Enter start price (usually the minimum you will accept) or the reserve price (the minimum that you will accept, and you don’t want to show that price because you want to see what people will bid).
Enter city and state, such as West Chester, PA.
Enter region, such as PA-Philadelphia.
Verify that the country is “United States”.
Beneath “Add pictures” and “eBay picture services” is the first box, titled “picture 1, free”. Click the browse button and find the picture on your computer.
Verify that “standard” is checked beneath “picture layout”.
Under “listing designer” select a theme and layout, such as “none” and “standard”.
Click “preview your listing”.
Click “no picture gallery”.
Do not click any listing upgrades.
Verify that “do not show as a gift” is selected.
Select whether or not you want a counter on your auction page. Continue.
Select the payment methods you will accept, such as “money order or cashiers check”.
Select “buyer” or “seller” for shipping costs.
It’s best to know and state the shipping costs in your auction. Use the USPS (http://postcalc.usps.gov/) or UPS (http://wwwapps.ups.com/QCCWebApp/request?loc=en_US) web sites to get estimates of shipping costs.
State the insurance cost (if any).
In the box beneath “payment instructions”, state what you want the buyer to know. I use “Payment by MO, Cashier Check, or Yahoo PayDirect only. NO PAYPAL ACCEPTED. Please include the eBay item# with your payment. All sales final. See the excellent comments in seller's Feedback Profile.”
In the “ship-to locations”, click “Will ship to United States only” unless you want a quick lesson on the paperwork and expense of whipping out of the U.S. I do not recommend shipping to any other country, including Canada. Note that is step 13 I stated “USA bidders only (48 states). I will not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.”
Escrow: I recommend “will not accept escrow”. Continue.
This is your final review. If everything is okay, click “submit listing”.
This page has a link to your auction. You may want to create a “favorite or bookmark” of your auction page so you can check it frequently. It’s very possible that the bids may go up slowly until the last day, when they may jump up.
After the auction ends, you will receive an email from eBay telling you to contact the winner. EBay will provide you the winner’s email address.
Ask the winner how they intend to pay for the auction. Provide your address as a “ship-to” address for the winner’s money order to you, in case they choose that method of payment.
After you receive payment, and verified that the payment is authentic if necessary, then the item can be shipped.
Insure the item, and request a computerized delivery confirmation (costs 45 cents). This will let you verify delivery.
Send an email to the seller stating when and how the item was shipped. Request positive feedback.