So, your husband and his buddies like to get drunk and play "Viking Attack"
in the backyard. What could be more fun than a bunch of drunken overweight guys in helmets
with horns swinging swords and axes around and pillaging your neighbors’ houses? You
want to surprise "Hubbie the Horrible" with his very own Viking ship. The odds
are good that you'll locate just such an item, and a good deal more, at one of the many
auction sites flourishing online.
The online auction business is literally exploding. The keys to the success of online
auctions are convenience and affordability. You can find nearly anything to bid on in an
online auction, from Beanie Babies to computers to rare music memorabilia. The most
common auctions are person to person, but there are a growing number of business to
business auctions occurring as well.
The initial step in the process involves registration of a seller and an item. The
seller provides detailed personal information which will be made available to buyers upon
request. Buyers must register as well, and provide similar information. 
In addition, many of the top online auction sites maintain a ranking system for
sellers. Buyers are encouraged to provide positive and negative feedback for future
prospective buyers to peruse. Data is also kept on buyers, so sellers can see if a buyer
has a good purchasing reputation or not.
Online auctions are convenient and affordable for both the buyer and the seller. Online
auctions are generally free for the buyer and seller, though the hosting site will usually
assess a small fee for each item sold through their service. The global scope of the World
Wide Web provides a huge audience for sellers, as well as a vast array of merchandise for
buyers.
The process generally works like this: the seller provides the auction house with a
description, purchase terms, and sometimes a photo of the item(s) to be sold. The auction
will run for an allotted amount of time during which registered buyers can place bids.
When the auction ends, the seller usually contacts the "winner" of the auction
by e-mail to arrange for payment and delivery. Most sellers and auction services allow
credit card payment, which is the preferred payment option, as the buyer can challenge the
charge with the credit card company if there are any problems.
Like everything, there are downsides to Internet auctions. Most reports say that the
majority of auctions are legitimate. When there is a problem with a seller, it
usually has to do with undelivered or misrepresented merchandise. Some shady sellers have
been known to try to drive up the prices of their own items with false bids as well.
Sellers have also experienced problems with buyers as well. The number one complaint
sellers have has to do with "deadbeat buyers, " those buyers who win an auction
and then fail to provide payment for the auctioned item.
If you are interested in buying merchandise through an online auction, you should first
make an effort to understand the rules and regulations of the auction house you plan to
use. There should be detailed instructions and even an interactive auction tutorial at the
site.
Next, when you find something you are interested in, make sure you know exactly what
you are bidding on before you bid so you don’t get stuck paying for an unwanted item.
It is to the seller’s advantage to provide as much information as possible about the
item, but if you do have any questions, you should be able to contact the seller by
e-mail. You can also ask the seller about guarantees and returns if you are not satisfied
or have a problem.
You should also check the seller’s profile and the comments of past buyers in
regards to auctions offered by the seller. Try to get as much information about the seller
as you can, and look at as many comments as possible to get an idea of the seller’s
reputation.
If you do have a problem, notify the auction house. Most houses will investigate
complaints, and may take action against repeat offenders. You can also file complaints
online with the Federal Trade
Commission.
The
foremost auction site is currently E-Bay,
with more than 2 million registered users. Bidfind
will search other auctions for you.
Other popular auction sites include: Amazon.com,
Yahoo! Auctions, WebAuction.com, and Auction Universe.
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Sold to the Lady in the Back With the Internet Access!