Make a smart, safe purchase on AJ by following
these tips.
Do your research Learn
all you can about the item. Read the item description
carefully. Do you understand details about shipping, insurance
and payment options? Avoid making assumptions about details
that aren't included in the description. Check
the seller's feedback. From the item page, click
the number in parentheses after the seller's User ID. From
here you'll see what other buyers have had to say about doing
business with the seller.
?Ask
the seller questions. If you have any questions
or are unsure about something, contact the seller by clicking
their User ID or the "ask seller a question" link on the
item listing page. Common questions include "Do you accept
returns?" and "How do you ship the item?" If you have bid
on an item and are having a problem communicating with a
seller through email, you can request
their contact information. Research
the item's value. Look at similar completed AJ
listings using the completed
listings search. You can also visit online stores that
sell similar items and ask friends to help determine what
the item is worth. Make
sure the item is legal and allowed. If you have
any doubts as to whether the item you're interested in is
allowed, check AJ's policies on prohibited,
questionable and infringing items.
Consider your buying options
?Determine
the maximum you're willing to pay for the item. Take
into consideration how much you want the item, how difficult
it will be for you to find another one and how soon you need
it, and determine the highest price you're willing to pay. Understand
what entering a maximum bid means. AJ's bidding system
means you can enter your maximum bid once and the system
will automatically increase your bid only as much as is needed
for you to stay the highest bidder. Make
every bid a serious one. Don't bid on multiple similar
items from different sellers if you only want one, because
you may be the winning bidder in more than one auction. Consider
Buy It Now. Does the listing you're interested in
have a Buy
It Now option? If so, consider whether you are willing
to pay the Buy It Now price in order to guarantee that you
get the item and that you get it right away. Consider
Best Offer. If the seller offers the Best Offer
feature, then you can think of a price that you think would
be the best price for both you and the seller and offer that
amount. Like Buy It Now, Best Offer is a way to get the item
you want right away.
Plan ahead
Ensure
your contact information and email address is up-to-date. Check
your personal information to make sure it is correct. Also,
check that any "spam" blocking software you have installed
does not limit a seller from communicating with you. Plan
for alternate computer access. If you have computer
or connection problems, or need to be away from your computer,
you can access your AJ account using any computer with
internet access. For example, you can monitor your bids through
the "My AJ" page using the computer at your friend¨s house
or your local library.
Enjoy bidding and buying on AJ!
