So, you've found the perfect item on eBay and now you need to figure out what's next. The great news is it couldn't be easier.
eBay has simplified the process in the past few years by reducing the number of steps and web pages that you must traverse as you register to one page!
The link below will take you to the correct page on eBay and there you will be asked the normal stuff like your name, address, email address, etc. This information is all the things that you already know about yourself, so this is a quick process.
From there you will be asked to choose an eBay ID and a password. Keep in mind that the ID you choose will be the name that will be displayed for all the world to see whenever you bid or sell an item, so make it interesting!
As for the password I suggest you make it as complex as you can to make it secure. Remember that this account will be used for making transactions that involve money, so make this password different than all your email account passwords and something that no one would ever guess. Your birthday, your kids b-day, your address are all way too easy to guess, so give this some serious thought.
Here are a few password tips:
Use a combination of at least 6 to 8 letters, numbers, and non-alphabetic "special characters". eBay suggests that a password like $uperman1963 is a good one.
Use multiple words without spaces, like bestfroglicker.
Avoid single words that can be found in the dictionary, like kangaroo, machinist.
Do not use your name, your spouse's name, your pet's name, birthday, favorite food, or any personal information that others can easily obtain.
Do not use words or phrases that relate to eBay or your favorite hobby, like pezcollector or dvdseller.
Do not use a password that contains part of your User ID or email address. jimmy (if your User ID is jimmyinjersey)
That's about all it takes. Once you have your ID name and your secure password in mind, click this link and follow the steps: Let's open an eBay account!
P.S. Once you have your account set-up, come back here and we'll talk about Paypal; the free, safe and secure way to send and receive your eBay payments.
Setting up an eBay account
Paying for your eBay purchases couldn't be easier than PayPal
Most sellers on eBay prefer accepting their payment through PayPal. But why?
That's a very good question. Several years ago Paypal was started to make online payments safe and easy, because "members" would be verified prior to being able to make payments. By 2002 PayPal had become the payment method of choice by more than fifty percent of eBay users, so in October 2002 PayPal was purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion!
When you sign-up with PayPal you will be asked to fill-out a form that's almost identical to the sign-up at eBay. Make sure that you select a different ID and password that the one that you used for eBay, just in case. Follow the same advice as in our earlier eBay blog entry and you'll be just fine.
Now that you have your account set-up the next thing is to make certain that the items that you are bidding on accept PayPal. Usually you will find a PayPal reference near the top of the listing on the right, but if you can;t find it there look near the bottom of the listing and you'll find something called "Payment details". If the seller accepts PayPal it will be listed here.
By the way; just because the listing doesn't mention that the seller accepts PayPal doesn't mean that they don't. I've made a couple great deals because buyers were turned-off from bidding because the listing didn't mention that they took PayPal, yet when I emailed the seller using eBay's message service they mentioned that they would be happy to accept PayPal. Just make sure you ask BEFORE you bid!
Click this link to Set-up a new Paypal account
