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The Internet and Email For The Over 50s: Using eBay and online auctions

by Bob Reeves

How often have you heard people say: “I got this on eBay” or “I sold it on eBay”? eBay is a online auction site. Basically it is a web site that you can use to buy and sell items. At any one time there are over 10 million items listed for sale on eBay in the UK alone making it the largest online auction site in the UK.

The principle of eBay is quite simple because it works like a normal auction. People offer items for sale and other people bid on these items. The highest bidder wins. There are some differences to real auctions though due to the fact that all of the buying and selling takes place via the web site so the buyers and sellers will probably never meet face-to-face.

To use eBay you need to first register with the web site, which means filling in an online form. It is advisable but not essential to have a ‘PayPal’ account, which means that you can pay for items over the Internet. Once you have done this you can buy and sell.

Auctions typically last over a period of ten days at the end of which the highest bidder wins the item and makes arrangements to pay. The seller then sends the item through the post or arrangements are made to pick up or deliver.
 



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