| Traffic volume and locality are two things to look for in | | | | the purchase price to be deposited in an escrow |
| a good site. Here are some things you might like to | | | | account by the buyer when the sale is completed. The |
| watch for when you are looking at online auction sites: | | | | funds remain in escrow until the item has been |
| - Privacy policy - is it prominently posted on the site? | | | | received by the buyer and is determined to be in |
| Does it guarantee that the site will not sell any of your | | | | acceptable condition. It is then released to the seller |
| information? Does it guarantee that there is no spam | | | | less the appropriate fees. |
| involved? And does the site provide a secure link to | | | | - Do they offer international payment and shipping |
| use whenever you are required to enter credit card | | | | options? Most commercial online auction sites will state |
| information? | | | | whether they support international sales. If you are |
| - Procedures for disputes - make sure that there are | | | | dealing with a person-to-person type of site, it is |
| clearly defined policies for disputed transactions. | | | | generally left up to the buyer to consider the option of |
| - Rating systems for both buyers and sellers - this is | | | | international shipping methods. |
| an important feature because it give both buyers and | | | | In your attempts to pick a site, a good piece of advice |
| sellers an opportunity to rate each other so that all | | | | is given in order to save yourself a good deal of |
| who use the site will know who have not kept their | | | | energy. That piece of advice is simply to focus your |
| end of the bargain. | | | | attention to the larger online auction sites with heavier |
| - Clearly defined fees and commissions - you will likely | | | | traffic. If there is a specific item that you desire, run a |
| find that many, if not most, sites do not charge any | | | | search for it on BidFind. This is a site that tracks |
| fees to the buyers / bidders but they do charge a | | | | auctions on many sites and provides you with a |
| small fee to the seller for listing the item(s) and then | | | | platform with which to search by keyword or |
| additionally a commission to pay when an item sells. | | | | category. While this site is not always up to date, it can |
| Doing a comparison of several of the larger sites will | | | | be a solid beginning for you. |
| help you see the relationship here. | | | | Online auctions can be entertaining and enlightening. |
| - Do they offer support for escrow services, like | | | | They don't have to be scam or fraudulent experiences |
| PayPal for example? These services are a source of | | | | if you follow some simple guidelines and use common |
| protection for both the buyer and the seller in the | | | | sense. Try your hand at this new experience. How |
| payment of the transaction. These services allow for | | | | much can you save? |