eBay 101: Getting started

This is a guide for the absolute eBay beginner. You have heard of eBay, maybe you even know someone who uses it but you have never dared to use it yourself or have the first idea about how to go about doing it. Well, read on and all that will change.

What is eBay?

eBay could be described as the worlds largest flea market, a global auction house, a bargain hunters paradise or a refuge for scammers. It is the largest online marketplace in terms of users and therefore it has the widest selection of goods on offer. Sellers offer everything from the brand new to the old and worn. If it's for sale, it's probably here.

What does it have on offer for me?

Ok, let's say you wanted to buy a shiny new HTC Diamond smartphone. First, open http://www.ebay.ie/ in a new tab or window. Next locate this bar:


...and type htc diamond as shown. Hit enter. I got 50 matches, how about you?

Notice the .ie at the end of the address. This means that it is eBay Ireland. What that means is that the site is optimised (in eBays opinion, not mine) for Irish sellers. Prices appear in euro, shipping defaults to "to Ireland", Irish eBay Shops are given priority and so on. This is useful but actually there is a problem: it cuts out a lot of people who are quite happy to sell to you at low prices! Try the other varients such as ebay.com and ebay.co.uk to find more deals. For example, ebay UK was showing 62 hits for me on the same search as above.

I see something I want. How do I buy things?

You need to sign up for an eBay account, have an email address, have a credit card and 99% of the time, a PayPal account.

That should keep you busy for now. If you want me to cover something in particular in the next installment, leave a comment and I'll do my best.

Print your own coupons and more

Want to get a little something back from your shopping? Fancy entering a few competitions? You can't go wrong with pigsback, the Irish and UK based shopping rewards website. You earn "piggypoints" by printing out and using discount coupons in shops, reading special offers or participating in short quizzes. You then spend these on a list of rewards which range from cdwow vouchers to phone credit to free flights!

Ps. They do have a referral system but it involves having to know the new customers email so I'm not going to bother :P Just enjoy!

Credit card management

In light of the tempting offer of free money when you sign up for a free credit card, I was thinking of doing a guide to how to manage your new credit card. Personally, I would use it once and then cancel before the renewal date next year. But if you want to use a new credit card the smart way, this guide from the thrifty scot should help.

[Special Offer] €100 for new Halifax customers

Halifax are offering €100 to new customers signing up for a new credit card. Free is always a great bargain!

The deal is:

• Offer applies to new customers only.
• €100 will be lodged to your credit card account after the first purchase.
• Offer ends 31st July ’08.

And remember, government duty on credit cards is €30 per annum.

http://www.halifax.ie/