Buying a PS3 on eBay

By Sheila Robinson (CA-gamer)

Buying a Sony PlayStation 3 on eBay is an option available to the anxious gamer who has not been able to locate one in a local video game shop. Due to the short supply of PS3s during the holiday season, many people looking to make a quick profit snatched up many of them during its release date on November 17th, 2006 and started selling them on eBay. Over the holiday season, people looking to buy the PS3 on eBay paid over $1,000 dollars for the system.

Now that the holidays are over, it is a much better time to buy a PlayStation 3 on eBay and not pay over the top prices. LoveToKnow wants to help you demystify the eBay online auctioning process. There is no need to take any class to learn how to use eBay, it is actually simple to use. Read on gamer, you will be enjoying the awesome power of the PlayStation 3 in no time!

Buying a Playstation 3 on eBay: Getting Started

In order to start bidding on eBay, you will need to create an account. First, go to www.ebay.com . Towards the top of the page, click the “Register” link. On this page, you will fill out some personal information. Fill in your name, address, phone number and email address. After this, you will need to create your own username and password, along with your date of birth. Finally, you will need to enter a valid credit or debit card number and expiration date. Note: It is only used for identification purposes and will not be charged. After validation of your card, your registration is complete and you can start bidding on auctions.

How to Locate your PlayStation 3

Now that you’re ready to bid, it’s time to find that PS3. On the left side of the page, click the category “Video Games”. Click the category “Systems”, then click PlayStation 3. You will now see a large list of available systems ready for bidding and buying. The default listing will show the most recent auctions on top. You can change the way the listings are displayed. You can sort also by price, distance from your zip code, and auctions ending that day.

Choosing the Right Auctions to Bid On

Every eBay seller has what is called a "reputation". Before bidding on that PS3, look at their comments and number of successful sales. You can find this by clicking on the “seller-id” listed in the auction. Look to see if they have any negative comments. If their rating is high, you have a good chance that the seller is reliable.

Another thing you want to look for is the method of payment the seller is willing to receive. The majority of sellers use PayPal as their preferred method of choice. This service allows you to transfer money from your bank account or credit card directly to the seller’s PayPal account. Sending money does not cost you anything, and the good thing about using it is that most auctions protect you if an item was not received and you can get your money back. Check out their website for more details.

The other options of payment are check, money orders and cashier’s checks. Many sellers use this method to get away from the fees that PayPal charges for receiving money. Sending money this way is a little riskier since it would be a lot more difficult to get your money back if the seller does not follow through and send you your item. However, if the seller has a good reputation, you should be okay. Also make sure you double check the shipping charges as these can vary quite widely from auction to auction.

Bidding on Auctions

After finding an auction listing you are interested in bidding on, it’s time to figure out how much you are willing to spend to win. There are a couple strategies about eBay bidding. One is to put a small bid on the auction, keep an eye on it until the very end, and then try to outbid your competition at the very last minute. This can work for items that are not considered “high in demand”, but can fail when everyone else tries to do the same. Also, there are companies that you can sign up with that can do the bidding for you ("sniping programs"), and they will also try to bid at the last minute to try and win the auction.

Another strategy for buying a PS3 on eBay is to just bid the maximum amount you would be willing to buy the item. You may not have the time to watch the auction at close time, since many of them may end late at night or early in the morning. By placing your bid ahead of time, you can still check on the auction, but if you’re outbid you can then decide if the item is worth more and bid again.

Storing Multiple Auctions

After clicking through some auctions, you have found several that interest you. Now what? On each auction listing, there is an option to “watch” the auction. This feature puts a link to the auction on your personal page called “My eBay”. You will see this link on top of every eBay page. You can store about 20 auctions in your page that you can review at your convenience. It is also nice since it will be easier to compare the auctions and decide which one(s) you would like to bid on.

Winning and Buying your PlayStation 3 on eBay

You have successfully won the PlayStation 3, now it’s time to pay for it. Depending on the method the seller will accept, send your payment right away to prevent delay of shipping. Now all you have to do is wait for your seller to ship and you’re ready to start playing!

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