The eBay^© FAQ

Overview

This document was culled from the PH-PHOTO electronic mailing list archives (which at the time of this writing contained over 50,000 posts since 2000. Please note that this document does not represent the PH-PHOTO mailing list or its members in any way. This FAQ is not officially generated or sanctioned by the group. These are merely the results of my extensive searches through the archives for these questions, many of which I did not know the answers myself.

This subsection of the FAQ specifically deals with questions regarding acquiring photographic materials and equipment through eBay.

The Webmaster presents this information as is and in good faith with no guarantees, implied or otherwise. The Webmaster has used eBay on a number of occasions, but once again, your mileage may vary.

Table of Contents

FAQ Proper

What is this eBay?!?
In brief, eBay is the most popular auction website in existence. Here you can find literally TONS of items that are up for sale to the highest bidder. Some items are brand-new, most are pre-owned, but practically all items will end up being sold a considerably cheaper than list price.

At any given time, there are THOUSANDS of photography related items for grabs. Camera bodies, lenses, enlargers... you name it. To know more, visit the site: http://www.ebay.com.

So how does this eBay work?
In brief, items are listed, and you bid for them. At the end of the bidding period, the highest bidder gets to buy the item. Simple. If you want a more detailed explanation, your best bet is to just go to their site and surf around. Read their FAQs and policies. You'll get the drift. Go to the site at http://www.ebay.com.

You guys actually USE this thing?!?
Yes. It's systems are designed quite well, and if you use your head (or at the very least follow the tips below, it's quite safe and enjoyable. Some people on the PH-PHOTO list have found very good bargains on eBay and saved themselves THOUSANDS of dollars.

Again your mileage may vary.

What do I need to know?
Here are the most basic things you need to know IN ADDITION to what you've already figured out by surfing their site:

1.   PayPal does not accept Philippines-based credit cards. Neither will PayPal allow you to deliver an item to the Philippines. Somehow our country has reputation for credit fraud.

2.   If you DO have a U.S.-based credit card, and a friend or relative (preferably both) in the U.S. who can receive the package for you and ship it off to you, PayPal is probably the fastest and most convenient way to pay for a winning auction at eBay.

3.   You can now buy a U.S. dollar denominated Money Order (MO) from a number of online services. These services were built specifically to pay for online auctions via MO. The most notable and easy to use is Western Union's Bidpay.Com.

How do I do it? Tips or guidelines?
While there are probably a number of ways to skin this cat, here are a few tips and guidelines that seems to be reliable:

BEFORE YOU BID:

1.   Are you sure? - Make sure you've gone through all similar items before you bid. You cannot retract a bid once you have made it. This is where it pays to know how to use a search engine well.

2.   Does the seller have a good rating? - Make sure that the item is sold by a reputable seller with a HIGH rating--at least a 99.8%. Sellers with the "Power Seller" distinction usually means more assurance for you that the seller is legit and won't run away with your money. IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK TO BID ON A NON-REPUTABLE SELLER. Remember, you have no real recourse if they decide not to ship it to you.

3.   Does the seller accept Money Orders (MO)? - Make sure your seller will accept a money order. You'll see why in a while.

4.   Ships to the Philippines? (Optional) - IF you are planning to have the seller ship the item to the Philippines, make sure your seller ships internationally. MAKE SURE TO READ ALL THE DETAILS OF THE ITEM. Some sellers will describe themselves as being able to ship internationally, but refuse to do so for particular items or particular countries. Read the fine print. Better yet, send an email to the seller. You can do that directly from the eBay website. If you have a relative in the U.S. who can receive the item for you and ship it to you, you probably will have nothing to worry about.

5.   Is it worth the shipping cost? - Note that shipping to the Philippines costs quite a bit so don't go around bidding for an item unless it's worth the shipping fee. Exceptions are if you have someone coming home from the States who can carry it home.

IF THESE ARE IN PLACE, go and bid. If it's your first time you'll have to register at ebay along the way, but it's really easy. When and if you've won:

5.   Respond immediately. - The system will email you to tell you that you've won. That congratulatory email will provide the email address of the seller. Email him or her back immediately to inform him: 1) that you are paying through Bidpay, 2) the address of where exactly you want the item shipped, and 3) special instructions (if you have any... conformity to special instructions is under the discretion of the seller, of course). The seller will use the address provided to quote you an exact shipping cost. The seller will also include critical information necessary to buy and send the MO.

5.   Pay for it. - Once the seller has emailed you back a total cost and payment details, go to bidpay.com and buy yourself a Western Union Money-Order online and send it to your seller. You'll need an international credit card of course (VISA and MC are accepted). It helps to read up about the bidpay service ahead of time. The FAQ is quite useful. But this dot.com specializes in paying for online auctions, so you should have few problems if you made sure of items 2,3, and 4.

6.   Email again to confirm payment. - The bidpay site does this automatically, but good communication does wonders for your rating. Your seller should also respond by telling you when he plans to ship the item. Normally, it's the same day he or she receives the MO.

7.   Sit back and wait in trembling joy for your item. - Probably the toughest part of this whole process.

8.   Pay taxes. - That's right. Like most everything in the Philippines, customs is a hit and miss thing. Most likely you'll have to pay some sort of tax or another. The good news is that tax is based on declared value. So if you got the item at half price, your tax rate is based on that price. Or you can use Johnny Air Cargo to bring the item in. Read more about that below.

OTHER TIPS:

-   Have friends or relatives abroad. - Many sellers will refuse to send their items to the Philippines because of fear that the item might disappear or otherwise not be delivered properly to the recipient. You can get around this by having the seller ship to a friend or relative who is already living in the US.

-   JohnnyAir Cargo is your friend. - The easiest way to ship to the Philippines is to use Johnny Air Cargo. That way they'll take care of everything including getting your item through customs. After you've won, have your seller ship the item directly to the JAC NY office. Of course you should be arranging the shipping directly with the head office here in Manila. More about this elsewhere on this FAQ.

-   Rate your seller. - Take the time to help others by rating your seller. If he was helpful and hassle-free, please give him a positive rating. If you had trouble, give him a negative rating. That way, others will know to avoid him.

How much does shipping to the Philippines cost?
It's usually a function of weight and volume. Johnny Air Cargo charges anywhere from $6.50 to $8.50 per pound to bring the package here within three working days. Or you can use their ocean-freight balikbayan box service, which costs only $150 dollars and takes 45 days. The per pound rates tend to be expensive so think about what you're doing before you spring for a big or heavy item. (Like an enlarger!)

How do I ship to the Philippines?
You have several options really:

1. Ship direct to your doorstep. Assuming that your seller is willing to ship to a Philippines address and that you're willing to shoulder the cost of shipping and tax duties, this is the least complicated method. Normally, your seller already has a preferred carrier for international orders. If not, you can suggest your own.

2. Ship to a friendly relative. If you have a U.S. representative, you can have the item shipped here. After that, your relative can opt to ship it to you using your preferred carrier, or if they're coming home they can bring it home to you.

3. Ship directly to Johnny Air Cargo. JAC is quite used to this, so you can in fact initiate an arrangement with JAC (through their head office, ask for Sales) so that your seller can ship directly to their NY office. The NY office offers the cheapest per pound rates... SFO is the most expensive. JAC will give you an address and a NAME to whom you will have your seller ship the item. They'll do the rest. You pay them when your package arrives in Manila. You can get their contact info from their website at http://www.johnny-air.com.

Has anyone ever been ripped off? What do I do in that case?
If you followed all the guidelines mentioned previously, your chances of getting ripped off are minimal. This is because your seller probably makes a living through eBay. In which case, the last thing he wants is to have his account (and its built-up reputation) deleted from the system. Which is why it is VERY IMPORTANT to make sure you are bidding on items only from a reputable seller with GOOD RATINGS, and LOTS OF COMPLETED AUCTIONS.

To answer your question, yes, it has happened. If it happens to you, make sure to report it to eBay and have that bozo disbarred.

This document was last updated on 16 April 2003.