READING DESCRIPTIONS and UNDERSTANDING SELLERS' TERMS

It is Important to Know All the Facts Before Buying and Bidding

Have you ever heard the phrase: "KNOWLEDGE IS POWER"?  This is the same as the phrase "Information is Power," and means that if you have knowledge/information about something, you are in a better position than someone who doesn't have that knowledge/information.  Think about it - If you, as a smart buyer, not only examine the seller's pictures but also READ what a seller says about an item, you are better off than any buyer who doesn't bother to read the details but, instead, merely looks at a picture before bidding.  Because you, the smart buyer, read the seller's item details and sales terms, you have more knowledge/information--which means you are buying from a position of strength and power.  This is the secret of "Smart Buying." 

When you are serious about bidding on/buying an item from any seller, always carefully and thoroughly read everything on the sales page/listing.  Doing this will protect you from "surprises" after an auction ends, and puts you in a position of power. 

How, you may ask?  Well (for example), when you read a seller's listing, and it has many misspellings and poorly constructed sentences (such as "I are sellig ths item" or "You buy good item here from we selling"), you can figure out that (1) the seller may be from a foreign country (so your shipping costs may be really high), (2) the seller probably won't be able to clearly communicate with you if you have a problem with the item (and after the sale, the seller will likely claim he or she doesn't understand your problem), and (3) the seller really doesn't care how the listing looks, how much accurate information is in the listing, or that a buyer is entitled to clear information about the item. 

You, as a smart buyer, know that some sellers hide behind a curtain of "little or no information," so they can later blame the buyer for "not asking questions before bidding, if you needed more information."  Because you are a smart buyer, you know (from reading the listing and paying attention to things like misspellings, bad grammar, and a lack of real information in the listing) that these things may be a clue that something is "suspect" about a particular listing or seller.  This is the Power of Knowledge you have by being a smart buyer, and reading a seller's FULL listing information.

As a smart buyer, you also know that good, conscientious sellers will include all pertinent information they have/know about the item, including:

1. SIZE

2. CONDITION

3. COLOR(S)

4. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION

5. AGE, IF KNOWN

6. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, IF KNOWN

7. ANY OTHER VALUABLE INFORMATION THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PIECE

SMART BUYERS ALSO EXAMINE THE SELLER'S ACCEPTED PAYMENT METHODS

Why is it to your advantage to pay attention to all this?  Because, when you bid and win an item, you are entering into a contract to buy something from someone - and, as a buyer, it helps when you know (BEFORE you bid) the specific terms of the sale (such as which types of payment each seller accepts).  If, for example, a seller does not accept paypal and clearly says so in his/her listing, you will have the advantage of knowing this in advance.  This is why it is important for you to know the facts and all the seller's terms - and this will make for a smooth and easy transaction.

If any important information you need is not included in the listing, you should ask the seller questions.

An Informed Buyer is a Smart Buyer

The Winged Phoenix

Copyright 2006 2007 2008 The Winged Phoenix