Auction eBay glossary

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A

About Me  
A page you can create on eBay that tells other members about you and your eBay business. Click the  icon next to the User ID of anyone who has an About Me page to view that person's page or to create your own About Me page.

Auction-Style Listing (Online Auction Format)
The basic, most common way to sell an item on eBay. This format lets sellers list an item for sale, collect bids for a fixed length of time, and sell the item to the highest bidder.

B

Best Offer
A listing feature that lets a buyer make an offer to a seller. Sellers can use the Best Offer feature in Online Auction, Fixed Price and Store Inventory listings.

Bid Assistant
A bidding feature that allows a buyer to create a group of items and have Bid Assistant bid until the buyer wins one item from that group. After a buyer creates a group of items and enters maximum bids, Bid Assistant will move through the group (starting with the item that ends first), and bid on the buyer’s behalf until one item is won.

Bid Cancellation
The cancellation of a bid by a seller during an auction-style listing. Once a bid is cancelled, it cannot be reinstated by the seller. However, the bidder may bid again. The seller can use the Block Bidders/Buyers feature to prevent a particular user from bidding again on a listing.
In general, sellers should not cancel bids in listings. However, they might experience a situation in which they decide it is necessary. For example, sellers might cancel bids if they are unable to verify the identity of the bidder, even after they try all reasonable means of contact. Make sure you're aware of other rules and restrictions surrounding the cancellation of bids.

Bid Retraction
The cancellation of a bid by a buyer during an auction-style listing. In general, a buyer cannot retract a bid once it is placed during an auction-style listing, so please bid carefully. A retraction may be allowed under special circumstances. For example, if buyers accidentally enter the wrong bid amount (entering $99.50 rather than $9.95), they may retract it and enter the right bid amount as long as they do so immediately. Make sure you're aware of other rules and restrictions surrounding the retraction of bids.

Bidder
A member who bids on an item on eBay. Remember each bid placed enters a buyer into a binding contract.

Block Bidders/Buyers
A list of specific eBay members that you create, who are not allowed to bid on or buy items you list for sale. Users on the list will be blocked until you take them off the list. You may want to do this if you've had a negative experience with a buyer in the past.

Buyer
member who buys an item from a seller on eBay. Remember each bid a buyer places enters them into a binding contract.

Buy It Now  
A listing feature that lets a buyer purchase an item immediately for a price the seller has set. Items with this feature will display the icon and the Buy It Now price in their listings.

C

Category Listings
The set of categories by which items are organized on eBay, such as Antiques, Books, Computers, Sporting Goods, etc. Anyone can browse the categories and look at lists of items until they find something they're interested in, (as opposed to doing a keyword search). Sellers can choose which category best fits an item to ensure maximum exposure for the listing.

Classified Ads 
A type of listing a seller can use to list items, services, or properties for sale in order to generate multiple leads. Interested buyers fill out a contact form and their information is sent to the seller.

Completed Listings (Search)
A search for items that have ended over the last 15 days. This can be useful to help sellers determine how to sell an item. For example, a seller can view completed listings to decide what starting price to use in an auction-style listing.

D

Dispute Console
The Dispute Console helps buyers and sellers manage, track and take action on disputes related to their transactions. Accessible through My eBay, the Dispute Console is used for the Unpaid Item Process and the Item Not Received Process.

Dutch Auction (Multiple Item Auction)
A listing in which a seller offers multiple identical items for sale. Unlike a regular listing, Multiple Item Auctions can have many winners. Buyers can specify the number of items they're interested in and the price they're willing pay. Winning bids are determined by their overall value (bid price times the number of items bid on).

E

eBay Shop
A Web site offering officially licensed quality merchandise with the eBay logo - from apparel to office accessories to cool collectibles.

eBay Stores 
Special pages on eBay featuring all the items offered by an individual Store seller. Buyers can shop at eBay Stores to find unique items they can buy right away. Sellers can use eBay Stores to maximize their business through customizable displays, categories, promotions, and access to an additional listing format (Store Inventory format).

eBay Toolbar
A free eBay tool that you add to your Web browser that enables you access to your favorite eBay and Yahoo! features. eBay Toolbar Featuring Yahoo! includes Account Guard and My eBay buttons as well as easy access to Half.com, eBay Express, eBay Motors and more. Yahoo! features include Web search and one-click access to Yahoo! Mail and My Yahoo!. eBay Alerts track items you're bidding on or watching and notify you when you've been outbid or when an item is ending. Because eBay Toolbar is added to your browser, it's easy to search for an item on eBay, even when you're on a non-eBay site.

Escrow
A procedure in which a third party holds a buyer's payment in trust until the buyer receives and approves the item from the seller. Escrow gives buyers and sellers extra peace of mind when they exchange payments and items. Escrow is recommended for purchases of $500 or more. eBay recommends that buyers and sellers use Escrow.com as the escrow company. If a seller suggests a different company, please use caution. Buyers should independently check on any escrow company by ensuring it is bonded and licensed.

F

Feedback  
A system that eBay members use to rate their buying or selling experience with another eBay member. After a listing is completed, the buyer and seller can leave a rating (positive, neutral, or negative) and a comment about each other. These become a permanent part of a Feedback Profile and can be viewed by the rest of the eBay Community. To see a member's full Feedback Profile, click the number in parentheses next to their User ID. The Feedback system helps members build a reputation on eBay and helps check the reputation of other members of the community.

Final Value Fee
A fee eBay charges to a seller when a listing ends. This fee is based on the "final value" of the item, which is the closing bid or sale price. The Final Value Fee is not charged if there are no bids on an item or the high bid did not meet the reserve price the seller set. See the Fees page to learn more about how the Final Value Fee is determined in different types of listings.

I

Insertion Fee
The fee eBay charges to a seller for listing an item. This fee varies by the type of listing and is non-refundable.

M

Member
A buyer or seller who has created a profile with eBay. A member has a User ID and password for accessing features, such as My eBay. As a member, you can track items you are buying or selling, review or leave feedback, or update and change your personal information and notifications.

Multiple Item Auction (Dutch Auction)
A listing in which a seller offers multiple identical items for sale. Unlike a regular listing, Multiple Item Auctions can have many winners. Buyers can specify the number of items they're interested in and the price they're willing pay. Winning bids are determined by their overall value (bid price times the number of items bid on).

My eBay
A central place on eBay where you can manage all of your activities including buying, selling, feedback and general account preferences. To get to My eBay, sign in and click the "My eBay" link at the top of any eBay page.

O

Online Auction Format (Auction-Style Listing)
The basic, most common way to sell an item on eBay. This format lets sellers list an item for sale, collect bids for a fixed length of time, and sell the item to the highest bidder. For more information on buying formats, see Guide to Buying Formats.

P

PayPal  
A fast, easy, secure payment method offered by most eBay sellers for purchasing items. When buyers use PayPal, payment is sent from their credit card or bank account without giving any account information directly to the seller. All the buyer need is the seller's email address. With PayPal, credit card or bank account information is kept private and safe on eBay's secure servers.

PayPal Buyer Protection
A buyer protection program that offers up to $1,000 of free coverage for buyers who pay with PayPal on qualified listings. Listings are qualified if the seller has a feedback score of 50 (98% positive) and meet other transaction-related requirements. Items that qualify for PayPal Buyer Protection are denoted by the PayPal Buyer Protection shield on the View Item page.

PowerSeller
A seller on eBay who has maintained a 98% positive feedback score and provided a high level of service to buyers. When buyers see the icon next to a seller's User ID, they know they're working with an experienced eBay seller.

R

Relisting
Listing an item for sale again after it did not sell the first time. If a seller relists an item and it sells the second time, eBay automatically refunds the relisting fee (some restrictions apply).

Reserve Price
The lowest price at which a seller is willing to sell an item in an auction-style listing. When sellers list an item, they can set a secret reserve price. If the highest bid does not meet the reserve price, then they're under no obligation to sell the item to the bidder. This feature lets sellers set a low starting price to stimulate bidding among buyers, yet ensures that the item will not be sold below a price they're willing to settle for. eBay charges an additional fee for setting a reserve price, but it is fully refunded if an item sells. For more information, see the Fees page.

S

Seller
A member who sells an item on eBay. Remember eBay has rules to help ensure that transactions are safe and hassle-free for the seller and the buyer. For more information, see Rules for Sellers.

Starting Price
The price at which a seller wants bidding for an item to begin in an auction-style listing. The starting price may not necessarily be the lowest price they're willing to sell their item for. Sellers can also set a secret reserve price that represents the true minimum. If the high bid does not meet the reserve price, then the seller is under no obligation to sell the item to the bidder. This feature enables sellers to set a lower starting price to stimulate bidding among buyers.

T

Title Search
A method of finding items on eBay by entering keywords that match the title of the items. You enter keywords that you think will appear in the title of the item you're looking for. The Search function will return with a list of items that match your keywords. Search by title.

Turbo Lister
An advanced eBay selling tool that helps sellers create multiple listings quickly and easily on their computer. Turbo Lister is a desktop-based application. You use it on your computer to create your listings, and then upload the listings to eBay. Turbo Lister's features helps sellers save time if they list many items.

U - Z

Want It Now
eBay's place where buyers can tell sellers exactly what they want. Buyers post a message to Want It Now with a description of what they'd like to buy. Sellers can review these posts and respond to buyers with items they are selling on eBay. Go to Want It Now.