Domain names sold at auction sites, such as eBay are typically pre-registered, meaning they
currently belong to someone else (the seller or a party they represent).

Whenever considering the purchase of a domain name that is being resold at auction,
at minimum you should check the basic registration info.
Information such as where the domain name is registered, when it was
registered and when it expires can give you some important clues as to how
much you can expect to incur in extra expenses (if any) and when such fees would be due.
For a name expiring soon after auction, you can expect renewal fees in the near future.

For domain name registered with a registrar that does not offer a "Free Name Push" from one
account to another, having the name transfered to you in itself will require an extra investment,
usually equal to registration fees.

The date of  registration tells you the age of the domain name since it was lastly registered
or re-registered after having been dropped.

It is wise to look at registration dates and expiry dates before purchasing a name for the sake of
accurately calculating the immediate cost and costs in the near future.
Furthermore, before purchasing or even registering a name, you should know that transfers from
one registrar to another are often restricted by how close a domain name is to its date of registration
or its expiry date.
Typically, domain names within 60 days of their registration cannot be transfered away from the
current registrar.

Vital information such as;
Registrant;
Registrar;
Registration Date;
Expiry Date;

Information such as this is made available to the public via WHOIS records. 
Access to basic domain registration information is typically FREE.

Some information such as name and address of the current registrant may not be readily available
via WHOIS lookup as there also exists a little thing known as "Privacy Shield" or "Private Registration"
This is a feature or service offered by most registrars that blocks or privatizes the personal information of their client,
the registrant.
"Privacy Shield" or "Private Registration" is offered by some registrars at no extra charge for any domain
registered with them.  Others charge a fee per each name or for all names as a bundle.

The FREE whois look up site/tool I find most useful is the one at Domaintools as it offers more information
on the first page than most others.

You can also find other WHOIS websites and tools by performing a web search for terms such as "whois".

Before you bid on a domain name, be sure to check the basic information to minimize your chances of
surprise fees. 
Many sellers provide this information in their listings.
Always verify what the seller says.

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