by sir_snipes_alot

When a new user first comes to eBay, they often are so anxious to begin bidding that they do not take the time to review the many eBay rules, regulations, and suggestions available to them.

This page provides some of the most basic points a new user should understand before beginning the bidding process. All of the basic points will provide one or more links to pages with more specific information should you need a more detailed explanation.

Bidding on more than one item - When you place a bid on eBay you are legally responsible for that bid. If you should become the winning bidder for an auction item you will be expected to pay for the auction item. It is never a good idea to bid on more than one item at a time, unless you want to buy more than one. Even if you are outbid on an item, you are not released from your legally binding commitment - you may once again become the high bidder due to a bid cancellation or retraction.see section #3 buying rules

eBay Page Information does not automatically update - Many first time users as well as seasoned eBay veterans are often confused by the data in many eBay pages - as it appears to be inaccurate or out of date. This is indeed the case in many cases. The eBay pages do not update automatically - many times a user is looking at an older cached version of the eBay page, with outdated data and amounts. You must remember to constantly refresh or reload the eBay page to ensure the most accurate and up to date information. The best places to get up to date data (after refreshing/reloading) is the actual auction page or the item's bid history page. The search pages and the 'My eBay Pages' are often not updated as frequently, and even after refreshing, may not give the most accurate of data.

Sellers and buyers have ratings - Every user on eBay whether they are sellers or buyers has a rating based upon previous transactions completed. This information is provided so that buyers and sellers may evaluate how a potential seller or buyer has performed in the past. This is very useful information, and taking the time to review it may save you suffering the same fate as previous users. There is a number following each sellers and buyers name which is enclosed in parenthesis, if you click on this number you will be taken to the users feedback page. This page details the number of transactions, how many were rated as positive, neutral, or negative. The page also lists individualize comments by users regarding their experience with the seller or buyer. Reading these comments may give you an idea of how the seller or buyer has performed in the past. find more feedback information and links here

Tie bids are awarded to the earliest bidder - There are some instances when your bid may be exactly the same as another bidder, when this happens, eBay breaks the tie by awarding the auction item to the bidder who placed their bid first. The auction item's bid history page gives a complete listing of all bidders, complete with a time stamp of when the bids were placed. read here for more information on reading the bid history

How to place a bid on an auction item - Scroll down the auction page towards the bottom, there you will find a bidding box. Carefully type your bid amount into the bid box - make sure you have placed a decimal point using a period (not a comma), if you omit the decimal point your bid will not display the correct amount. Read all the information regarding your bid, which appears below the bidding box.

Next click on the 'review bid' button, this will take you to a confirmation page. Carefully review the entire page - make sure you note the actual amounts displayed in the current bid line as well as the maximum bid line - these are the amounts you will be confirming and will be held accountable for. If they are not correct or what you intended, simply click back on your browser to correct the mistake.

Review the page one more time - make sure you have made no typographical errors, make sure the amounts are what you intend to bid and pay if you are the winning bidder - if they are correct, click on place bid. Once you have clicked place bid you will no longer be able to reduce your bid amount. click here for some pre bidding tips
click here to learn more about proxy bidding

How to use the "Buy it Now" option - Many eBay sellers will offer the opportunity to bypass the auction process and end the auction immediately at a pre set price. This option is known as "Buy it Now" (BIN). A buyer who uses the BIN option immediately ends the auction and becomes the winning bidder at the price listed as the BIN price.

To buy an item immediately using the BIN option - scroll to the bottom of the auction page, where you will see two separate columns in the bidding box. The column on the left is titled "bid", while the column on the right is titled "buy". Click on the "buy it now" button in the right hand column - this will take you to a confirmation page. Read the entire confirmation page completely, if you agree with everything you have read, then enter your user name, your password, and click on the "buy it now" button to complete your purchase. read more about using "Buy it Now" here