It doesn’t matter how many things you have purchased on eBay in the past, you will likely find the following five tips extremely helpful. Knowing how to buy, and where to buy, can literally save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars if you are a frequent eBay customer.

I would know. Considering that my eBay feedback score is embarrassingly high from all of the junk that I have bought there over the years. I have learned all of these tips the hard way. From being scammed to just paying way too much.

Don’t let the same things happen to you. Read these tips. Avoid the dangers. And save yourself a load of cash!

Tip #1: Buy At Weird Times

A great way to get a product cheaper than normal is to bid on auctions that close at unusual times. This, of course, doesn’t work if the seller is shipping worldwide. If that is the case, then any time is a good time for somebody!But if, let’s say, your item only ships in the USA and that’s where you live. Then there are some very good times to pick up a bargain.

If you live on the East Coast, look for auctions that end early in the morning. If an auction ends at 8 in the morning, this pretty much wipes out half of the possible buyers since in California it would only be 5AM!

Likewise, if you live on the West Coast. Try to find auctions that close late at night. With you, the later the better. Most people on the East Coast don’t stay up until two in the morning shopping on eBay. But for you, it’s only 11PM.

It doesn’t take rocket science to realize that the less people bidding, the cheaper you are going to get it for. Some sellers realize this and only put their auctions at prime times to maximize bidding. But, some don’t. So if you are looking to bid on a great deal, think about where it’s being sold and at what time the auction is ending. It’s your best chance of getting an incredible deal through bidding on eBay.

Tip #2: The Greatest Buy It Now Tip Ever

If you are more of a Buy It Now fan, I have a great tip for you!

To find the best Buy It Now deals on eBay, do a search for whatever it is that you are wanting to buy. And then towards the top-right, it will say Sort by. Choose Time:newly listed. (note: eBay may change what this says later on. Just choose whatever option lists the newest auctions first.)

If you are looking for a great Buy It Now deal, the newly listed auctions are the best place to look.

Think about it. Many people are very clueless when it comes to selling on eBay. They may want to use Buy It Now just so they can get it over with. Some of these people will price it way too high. You will see these items when their auction is almost over and it still hasn’t sold.

Then there are other people who sell their items way too low. And that’s where you come into play! Snatch these great bargains up before it’s too late.

I once spent hours trying to get a deal on some software where all the ending auctions were at least $100. I then went to the newly listed items and saw someone with a Buy It Now of $70 with free shipping!

Take advantage of sellers mistakes. Check out the newly listed Buy It Now items.

Tip #3: Bid At The Last Second

It’s amazing how many people don’t do this. If you want to spend as low as possible on an auction, put up your maximum bid with about 10-15 seconds left in the auction.

Do it close enough to where the other bidders don’t have enough time to overbid you.

There is one thing you need to make sure of before you apply this strategy. And that is to make sure you are logged in first! So many times I have tried to place a bid at the last second and realized I wasn’t logged in. Then, by the time I logged in it was too late and the auction ended!

Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure you are logged in!

Also when applying this strategy, get a good idea of what the other auctions for your item are selling for. Find out what you want your maximum bid to be. Once you have that figured out, throw in your maximum bid at the last second and hope for the best. Sometimes your maximum bid will automatically be overbid. If that is the case, just try again with a different auction.

If you want your item as cheaply as possible, search for the newly listed Buy It Now items from the previous step. And if you don’t find anything there, apply this strategy and bid at the last possible second!

Tip #4: Avoid Negative Feedback As Much As Possible

If you buy on eBay enough, there will likely be a time when you run into a crummy seller. You never get your item and they don’t seem to be responding to emails.

If you ever plan on selling on eBay, I would strongly suggest that you avoid giving this lame seller negative feedback. Sure, he deserves it! There is no doubt about that.

But understand that if you give that seller negative feedback, don’t be surprised when a day or two later they return the favor and give you negative feedback. Even if you don’t deserve it!

Even when didn’t do anything wrong, they will simply make something up. And good luck getting that negative feedback off of your record. It’s nearly impossible unless you both decide to mutually withdraw your feedback.

It’s just a big mess!

You can take your chances and leave neutral feedback. Then in your comments you can really slam them! But my advice is for you to just swallow your pride and don’t leave them anything. Cut your losses. Get your money back. And move on.

Tip #5: Read Carefully What You Are Buying

I’ve heard story after story about people who get scammed on eBay. I was watching Judge Judy the other day on television and a woman bought a $500 digital camera on eBay. However, in the fine print on the listing it said “pictures only”.

Needless to say, the lady probably wasn’t very happy when she spent $500 on just a few pictures of the camera instead of the real thing. Fortunately, Judge Judy hammered that scam artist to the sum of $5000. But that sum probably wasn’t worth the hassle that the person went through.

I heard a similar story about someone who bought a Playstation 3 for $700. Only what they were bidding on was only the box to a Playstation 3 with nothing in it! The point is…

Make sure you read very carefully what it is you are bidding on. If you are unsure in any way, email the seller your question. If they don’t answer, simply don’t buy from them!

You can save yourself a lot of trouble by reading carefully and asking questions. If I see you on Judge Judy you can’t say I didn’t tell you so!

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