Can someone explain this whole eBay thing to me?

Ok, so I have no idea how eBay works.(you can stop laughing now, I feel like just about the only person online who doesn't know how it works, lol) I want to buy a cat tree from eBay. I know I have to set up an account. Here's my questions. Do I have to set up a Pay Pal account or can I just use my credit card? I was looking at some Armarkat(sp?) furniture. This is the one I was looking at. I know the time is up on it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/H-T-77-Cat-Tree-...QQcmdZViewItem
Does it really only cost $26!?!?! That is dirt cheap for one of those! Are the shipping charges ridiculous?

I know, I know, I know. I am a young kid. I should know how this whole eBay thing works, right? lol That's what my grandparents say, anyway.

Anything else I should know about eBay?

They make it up in shipping. Its over 70 bucks. I brought from them because even with shipping it was cheaper than their website.
Paypal is the easiest but you can look to see what methods each person takes.

Don't feel bad. You're not the only one who is clueless about Ebay. Hopefully someone will come along with the answers.

(No one had responded to the thread yet when I wrote the above).

It is easier if you have paypal. But often ebay sellers will accept other methods of payment. I see the one you have listed accepts money orders also.
I'm going to buy one of these on ebay for my cats soon. How hard are they to put together?

You're not really buying anything from eBay. You are buying from a total stranger who just uses ebay as a way to advertise their items for sale.

Once you have "won" an auction, as in, you are the highest bidder at the closing time, then it's up to you and the seller to come to an agreement on how to pay for the item. You can make payment by any method they accept. You get a confirmation email when you are the winner, telling you how to contact the seller.

The big issue is, make sure that you are paying for something that you will be receiving. The thing with PayPal, if you pay for the goods, and then don't receive them, you have some recourse. If you use a credit card, you'll have a more difficult time if there are problems.

And the reason that people have feedback ratings is that if someone is unethical, and doesn't deliver on the goods, then there is a way that others can be warned.

I've sold things on eBay from my store, and we always accepted cheques and credit cards. We don't use PayPal. And we expected payment in full before we shipped anything. And always had every transaction go fine. There was one customer who claimed that they didn't receive the item, and we sent them a replacement.

The chances are by the time the bidding ends it will be a bit more than $26 (seen as it is at $31 now should have checked before I posted).

I always prefer to use paypal as I have had a few things not turn up and the one time I used my credit card directly rather than paypal I had no recourse as I couldn't prove I didn't receive it and she could prove she mailed it. Where with paypal its up to the seller to prove you received it.

You can also pay with paypal with your credit card.

let me tell you
that ebay is really addictive!!

I have purcahsed two cat trees from this seller!! The products are awesome and extremely easy to put together. The shipping seems expensive, but when you have get a 7 foot tree for $75 I'll take it!!! These would be like $300 at a pet store!!!

I have a tree from them too and I agree. the shipping is a bit spendy but you still get the tree for less. and they are VERY VERY easy to put together

I saw one on there that would have cost me $250 if I bought it at the pet store. In addition to that it would have cost me $60 to drive to the pet store & back(it is at least an hour's drive).

My mom isn't real partial to the idea of buying from eBay(she doesn't want me to get jipped out of anything). I just wanted to know what everyone else thought. Lily & Twitch seem to get excited just looking at the pictures. I think it is there way of saying Buy it Buy it!

I got one from them on ebay as well and its wonderful. I could never have afforded one otherwise and it was very easy to put together. Stormy Loves her cat condo. Although hers is not quite so large. lol

Laureen, that's the tree I want, too(or rather Twitch & Lily want)!

That seller is great and I recommend them. I paid $45 for my cat tree, shipping included. I knew what my limit was and I kept bidding until eventually I won. It took a while, but I got the tree I wanted for the price I wanted.

Use PayPal!!! I can't stress that enough. If the seller is unethical (you do not have to worry about that with Armarkat, or however you spell that, they are wonderful), you are covered for up to $1000. I had a seller essentially try to steal my money and claim to have sent my item, but PayPal proved they didn't and I got my money back.

The Armarkat (sp?) trees are super easy to put together. The box is very heavy, which is why the shipping is expensive. Let me put it this way, to ship an Ionic Breeze that we sold on Ebay it cost me $29 via UPS. It isn't cheap to ship heavy stuff.

If you ever sell anything be careful of frauds. We've had two fraudulant buyers on the wedding dress I'm trying to sell (anyone need a size 8 wedding dress ) Both "buyers" are being prosecuted by Ebay for their scam. It's really easy to spot this kind of spam once you know what to look for.

I can't stress enough how happy we are with our Amarkat tree!

Thanks esrgirl! From what I can tell, there are two sellers for Armarkat. I have heard for sure one is good(the one listed), but I am unsure of the other. They are both endorsed by Armarkat, so I would assume they are good. I am going to try to figure out how to register with PayPal tomorrow. If I can't figure it out, you all can expect me to be back with another question!

I really hope that I can find a tree that I like for the price I like before Christmas! That would be awesome for the kitties!

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Ok, so I have no idea how eBay works.(you can stop laughing now, I feel like just about the only person online who doesn't know how it works, lol) I want to buy a cat tree from eBay. I know I have to set up an account. Here's my questions. Do I have to set up a Pay Pal account or can I just use my credit card? I was looking at some Armarkat(sp?) furniture. This is the one I was looking at. I know the time is up on it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/H-T-77-Cat-Tree-...QQcmdZViewItem
Does it really only cost $26!?!?! That is dirt cheap for one of those! Are the shipping charges ridiculous?

I know, I know, I know. I am a young kid. I should know how this whole eBay thing works, right? lol That's what my grandparents say, anyway.

Anything else I should know about eBay?

Click to expand...

WCL,

I've been using Ebay for over a year now, and so far, every transaction I have had has been smooth, and the sellers fantastic. In fact, I am a repeat customer to a few sellers, and I have a "favorite seller's" list as well. Primarily, I buy electronics, video games and movies. I have yet to buy pet supplies, but will consider Ebay for that in the future. I was imtimidated by Ebay at first, but there more I use it, the more efficient and effective it becomes for me. There are also numerous forums on the site with tons of info on almost every subject. Here are some other things to consider:

You can also use the "buy it now" option if you don't want to bid on an item. Most, if not all of my items were bought this way. I think I may have only bid on one or two items.

I would suggest using Pay Pal. Why? It is a secure transaction, meaning the seller or recipient never knows your credit card #.It also protects you in case you have a dispute with the seller, the shipment was damaged or never received, and other problems. It is best, however to contact the seller first and try to resolve the problem between the two of you. Lot's of other advantages as well.

Also, *BEWARE* of spoof or fake Pay Pal emails asking you to "update" your account info by providing personal information. I received a few of these and promptly sent them to Pay Pal. If I need to access the site, I just type the web address in my browser to be safe.

If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Even though Ebay is a reputable company, there are unscrupulous sellers that slip through the cracks. If you see a Tiffany watch for $5, then it's a scam for sure. I also go by a seller's feedback as well. Also, some sellers charge outrageous fees for shipping. Sorry, but I'm not going to pay $20 postage for a $5 item.


As for leaving feedback, I always leave feedback once the item is received and is working. If the item doesn't work or is broken, as mentioned before, I contact the seller first. So far, I have never left a negative or neutral rating, and to be honest, I hope I never have to. A seller and buyer's feedback is their track record on Ebay, and I don't want to mar it if it's not justified, or because I'm impatient or pissed off at them.

In order for me to leave a (-), the seller would have to really be negligent and unresponsive, which so far, I have not encountered. In one instance, my item did not work, but I still gave the seller an A+++ and still persuaded others to do business with him, since the damage occured in shipping, and he did everything to correct the issue.

Good luck with Ebay, and happy bidding