eBay is the world's biggest shopping marketplace where you can find virtually everything. Interested in buying but overwhelmed? Here are some tips and tricks from the experts.


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Female Speaker: It's the worlds largest flee market and auction house and don't even have to leave your house to visit it, just switch on your computer and log on. Jim Griffith: eBay is the site on the internet where people can buy and sell just about anything and there is no barrier to entry. Anyone can buy and anyone can sell. You can sell cars, you can sell real-estate, you can sell enormous pieces of machinery. Anything that sells and you are only limited by your own imagination. Female Speaker: From a grilled cheese sandwich with the image of the Virgin Mary to sell in the entire town of Bridgeville, California to precious collectables. If you want to buy it or sell it, eBay is the place to go. Carina Herrera: I love eBay very much so, due to the fact that a lot of collectable items that I own or I want to own, I can search for, on eBay. Female Speaker: The first thing you have to do is, register, it's easy. Log on to www.ebay.com and click on the register now button. Jim Griffith: You get to choose a User ID which is how people will see you on eBay and of course the secret password that you shouldn't give out and want to make sure, you keep it to yourself and then we will ask you for an address and phone number, kind of verify that you are, who you say you are and once you've completed this process, again it only takes two or three minutes, then you can start buying on eBay, shopping around and having a good time. Female Speaker: And here is some helpful hints to know before you start buying. Don't jump on the first item you find, shop and compare and since every seller is unique, be aware of the seller's payment and return policies, but most importantly. Jim Griffith: If you have a question, ask the seller first. There is a link right in the item description which says, Ask seller a question. Don't assume anything. Female Speaker: Now that you finally found that special item, it's time to bid. Just click open the item page and submit your bid. Jim Griffith: Once your bid is placed, it's on the system and you win if you are the high bidder, after the bid is placed, yours is the highest bid, you'll remain the high bidder until such time that somebody make, if they do, come and out bid you with a higher amount. Female Speaker: And always keep in mind, your maximum bid and stick to it, it's easy to get carried away and overbid. Remember, you are buying items sold by strangers from all over the world, here are some safety tips to help protect you from being scammed. Always read the sellers feedback. This will inform you of counterfeits and bad service. Avoid sellers with shady practices. Micah Hirschman: Sometimes the shipping cost is more than the item that you are buying or it's obviously the shipping cost is much larger than it should be and that signals to me that the person on the other end, really is making their money from shipping rather than the item itself. Female Speaker: Comparison shop to ensure new item is really a bargain or to confirm the true value of a collectable. Read the item description throughly and be aware of the authenticity of oddball auctions like selling Britney Spear's hair. Watch out for Snipers who commit at the last minute with the slightly higher bid and never answer any phishing email that require you to release sensitive information that allow hackers to access your account. Jim Griffith: If you realise, Oh I think I made a problem with my account, you go directly to your account and change the password and at least you have then regained the security of the account. Female Speaker: Once you have won the right to buy the item, there are several ways of payment, Credit Cards, a cashiers cheque and the most popular method PayPal. Jim Griffith: PayPal is an eBay company that facilitates online payments. It's the only payment service that eBay will offer buyer protection for. So in case something goes wrong, you can be covered from anywhere from $200 up to $3000. Female Speaker: One of the best things about eBay, they never close. So happy bidding.