eBay: Do's and Don'ts for Beginning eBayers, 2009

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Shopping online can be a lot of fun, providing it doesn’t get you in financial hot water. eBay, in particular, comes with all the convenience of finding just about anything you can think of without having to physically travel the world for it.

Bidding, like gambling, can become addictive. Whether it’s one large bid, or several small ones, the total can quickly add up. Remember, you are also expected to pay for any and all shipping, handling, and insurance costs associated with winning an auction. Unless “money is no object”, don’t spend your next month’s mortgage payment on that cute Prada just because it’s here now. “Buyer’s remorse” doesn’t work on eBay!

So the biggest Don't of all: be brutally truthful to yourself about how much money you can afford to spend on that eBay item!