A beginner's guide to eBay

If you’re unfamiliar with the site, we’ve rounded up some top tips to help you get to grips with both the selling and buying features.

Buying

eBay offers everything you could ever possibly want to buy for yourself, your home, the office and your loved ones. Sellers on eBay are made up of both actual companies and everyday people looking to make a bit of extra cash by selling things they no longer need.

With sellers active from all over the world, if you’re happy to spend an extra five minutes scrolling, it’s incredibly easy to find bargains from people based in remote but affordable places such as China. Your items might take a little while longer to arrive, but it’s worth it to know you’ve bagged yourself a phone case for 99p that would’ve cost you at least £9.99 in a high street store.

When making a purchase on eBay, always make sure to check the seller’s rating – lots of stars and good reviews mean that they’re trustworthy and buying items from them should be safe. If a seller has a number of bad reviews, or none at all, consider restarting your search, as it’s possible you’ll pay for your item and never receive it.

Selling

Selling items on eBay is extremely simple. Once you’ve made an account, simply go to the selling page, where you can list as many items as you want at prices that suit you.

The best way to get people onto your page is to be as descriptive as you can in your titles and information sections. Make sure to take nice clear photos of your items and list any imperfections they might have straight off the bat, that way no one can accuse you of sending damaged items later on.

It’s free to list your items on the site but be aware that eBay takes a (usually very small) monthly fee if they sell, which varies depending on how much money you made from your sale.

Bidding

One of the best features on eBay is bidding. You can put your own items up on a bid, starting with a set price that can increase as the days go by depending on how many people want your item. You can choose how long you want your bid to last, and if your item doesn’t sell, eBay will automatically relist it for you so you don’t have to mess around adding it all over again.

Bidding on items yourself is also a great way to get quality items for bargain prices, as sometimes you’ll get lucky and come across a bid that no one else seems to have located, sometimes for less than £5.

If you’re desperate to win an item, make sure to have strategies in place that help you, such as setting timers on your phone to ensure you don’t forget when the bid ends, and leaving your final bid until the very last minute to stop anyone else from swooping in and stealing your thunder.

Nectar points

Every time you make a purchase on eBay, you have the chance to gain Nectar points. Nectar points can be used to make purchases on a wide variety of websites, such as Argos and Vue Cinemas, plus online and in-store at Sainsbury’s.

If you’re a regular user of eBay, it’s easy to rack up these points in a short timeframe, giving you the opportunity to save a couple of quid off your weekly grocery shop all with the simple click of a mouse.