Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Online Shopping-eBay

eBay is an online shopping model, in which users can buy and sell items in an internet based auction. eBay is aimed at all sorts of people who range in age and interests, it is widely used by people who are very much involved with technology and are always looking for the latest gadgets.

The purchase process starts with someone wanting to sell an item, they then specify a suitable price and wait for buyers to state how much they would buy it for. The item is usally kept on the site for a few days, and the buyer with the highest bid usually gets the selected item.

Although eBay is widely used and is secured by PayPal, it is still possible for some one to use another persons credit card's details if someone does not use the PayPal system. eBay is also open to any one this means any one can make an account. This is very dangerous and could affect any one who is a frequent user, items can be slightly exaggerated such as saying that something used to belong to a very famous celebrity. This is a threat to fanatics would be prepared to spend huge amounts of money for something that is not the real deal. Another problem with eBay is the same as buying anything online, items may arrive to you damaged or completely broken. There is no guarantee that the seller would be friendly enough to allow you to send the item back for a refund, every seller has their own policies. Goods can also be delayed due to problems in depots and post offices. When buying clothes or shoes off eBay there is no guarantee that the item would actually fit you, so it is better to physically go in a changing room and try it on.

A lot of people usually head straight to eBay with the knowledge of items being considerably cheaper than the recommended retail price, this is good for buyers who wish to buy in bulk and sell them on in a shop for profit. The use of online shopping enables people to shop from the comfort of their own homes, this guarantees the avoidance of busy shops and long queues. Unlike a shop where you have to look high and low for a perfect outfit you can just search for items in the eBay search engine.
So why is eBay such a successful shopping model? Due to the amount of endorsements and advertisements that eBay get it has become a popular worldwide shopping model.