Seth Godin has just posted about an article on Customer Behaviour on eBay.
Key findings:
- More than 43% of people bid more than the “Buy Now” price.
- Buyers are attracted to lower start prices. (Even when shipping is extra.)
- Bidding strategy is mixed, timing is key to get final bids for an auction.
I would like to add some basic observations from my previous auction experiences:
- Looking for bargains, search for “mis-spelled” items. Sometimes you’ll get get a bargain as people can’t find it.
- Do some research on your sellers. High ratings doesn’t necessarily mean good service.
- If a seller is using western union as a payment then its a scam.
- If you’re unsure about the seller, use safe trader or paypal.