When to "Buy Now" and When to Bid.
You will often find yourself facing the choice of whether
to pay a fixed price or keep on bidding. This choice might be
presented to you in a single auction, or you might be choosing
between different auctions of the different types. So should
you use that 'Buy it Now' button or keep on trying to outbid
everyone else? It's all a question of weighing up the
advantages and disadvantages.
Buy it Now.
- The Advantages.
When you use Buy it Now, you know the asking price and you
can take some time to decide whether to pay it or not - you can
even negotiate. You don't need to keeping your eye on the
auction, or get caught up in the last-minute bidding frenzy
that is now inevitable on any popular item. Not only that, but
the seller will be happy to get a fixed price for their item,
and they're likely to nicer to you than usual. Some sellers can
be a little resentful when they feel that you got a little too
much of a bargain on their item.
- The Disadvantages.
You will almost certainly pay more for the item, especially
with more expensive items. Also, it takes some of the fun out
of eBay. Aren't you there for an auction, after all? If you
want to pay a fixed price then there are thousands of online
stores you could be visiting. It's like pressing 'collect'
instead of 'gamble' on a fruit machine: it's the boring option.
But then, maybe that's what you want.
These rules are relatively constant: there are few times
when using Buy it Now would allow you to get something cheaper,
or when bidding would be an easier way to do it. In the end, as
with so many things in life, it's a simple question of price
vs. convenience, and it's up to you.
There are those times, though, when the strategic use of the
Buy it Now button can be a useful tool to help you outwit your
competition. If the current bid is almost as high as the Buy it
Now price, then why bid higher and keep the contest going?
Clicking that button is a no-brainer. The same goes for times
when a seller has, for some reason, set the Buy it Now price
only slightly higher than their starting price for bids. Why
bother to go through all the hassle of bidding?
You might also find that there are times when you should
leave the Buy it Now button as a last resort: it can be a
useful way of ending last-minute contests with a decisive 'this
is mine' gesture.
In fact, there are all sorts of tricks you can use on eBay,
if you want to get ahead of the game. Remember that most buyers
on eBay are casual, and don't know what they're doing: a little
knowledge can go a long way in getting you an advantage. Our
next email will have a few tips and tricks for you.
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