10 Secret eBay Shopping Tips To Save More Money

10 - Avoid Bidding Wars

Tip number 10 is to avoid bidding wars. If you see something you like on eBay, it’s so easy to get caught up in bidding, especially when the time starts ticking down. Usually, you end up spending more than you wanted to, because it’s so easy to get caught up in the moment! It’s important to set limits for yourself, so you know when you need to walk away from a purchase.

9 - Use filters wisely

Moving on to tip number 9, use your filters wisely. Whilst getting bogged down bidding against lots of other people isn’t a good idea, setting your filters to sort by ending soonest can help you score big bargains. If a product listing is about to end and it hasn’t been bid on, you can swoop in at the final minute and get a bargain. Sites like ‘last minute auction’ are handy as they show you all the eBay auctions ending soon - so you can see what appeals to you and then nab a 99p bargain!

8 - Watch your pennies

My 8th tip is to always bid with pennies. If you’ve seen something on an eBay auction and you’re determined to get it, try bidding an unusual amount. So for example, instead of bidding £5.50, you might bid £5.53 to one up someone! It’s a handy trick for coming out on top, without massively over paying.

The next one doesn’t always work, but it has for me a few times, so definitely worth a try…

7 - Angle for a discount

My 7th tip is to try angling for a discount. If you see something on a buy it now listing rather than auction, it’s worth putting it in your basket or watch list, but not checking out. Often the seller will then discount the item, as they want to get rid of it and you’ve shown that interest. It’s one of those tips that won’t work everytime, but you’ve got nothing to lose by trying!

6 - Set up Alerts

Tip number 6 is to set up alerts for items you’re looking for. If you’ve got something specific in mind that you want to buy on eBay, you can save the search, and then whenever someone lists that item, eBay will let you know. It’s handy as you won’t need to keep checking for new posts, and just let eBay do the work for you!

Moving into my top 5 tips deal hunters, keep watching to the end to see what my number one piece of advice is when shopping on eBay…

5 - Search Local

My 5th tip is to search for local items you can collect. Often sellers will list their items for collection only, so you can only see them if you live near enough. Not only is this convenient for the seller, it also means less competition for buyers, as it narrows the number of people who can see and buy the item. Usually this means things sell for less!

4 - Look out for missing information

Tip number 4 is to always look out for information a seller may have forgotten to include. For example, if they’ve listed a Barbour jacket but they’ve only listed it as a ‘navy quilted jacket’ forgetting the brand name, you may be able to bag it for a good price, as it won’t get as much interest. You can use the site ‘No Bids’ to check for items that have auctions ending soon and no bids - swoop in and get a great deal.

Don’t miss my top 3 tips if you’re a fellow bargain hunter! They can help you bag deals knowing you’re getting the best price…

3 - Midnight shopping

We’re all guilty of making the odd mad midnight purchase online, but on eBay this can actually work to your advantage! With that in mind, my 3rd tip is to find auctions that close late at night. Usually, listings that end at antisocial hours get fewer bids, so go for cheaper prices. You can use ‘BidKits’ Night Time Search tool to find auctions like this - swoop in at midnight and get a steal!

2 - Look for misspelled words

Number 2 is one of my favourite eBay hacks: searching for misspelled words. If someone has listed an item and spelt it wrong, it won’t come up when people search for it. That means fewer bids and lower prices! You can use sites like fatfingers.com/ to find common spelling mistakes people make, then you can bag a bargain no one else has even seen!

1 - Don’t assume eBay’s cheapest

And at number one deal hunters, my top tip is never assume that just because it’s on eBay, you’re getting the cheapest price. You can use price comparison tools like the Latest Deals one to check you’re getting a genuinely good deal. If you’re buying second hand, you can still do your checks: look at Facebook selling groups [and Amazon Marketplace and see what else is available - you can even look at similar items that have sold on eBay, to check you’re not paying too much.]