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Learning The Ebay �Lingo�.
by: Kirsten Hawkins
Do you have trouble sometimes understanding when people talk about eBay? Don�t worry, some of the jargon is really obscure, and you can�t be expected to understand it until someone�s told you what it means. Here�s a little list of some of the most useful lingo to know, but you don�t need to memorise it � even the most common jargon is only used relatively rarely.

Words.

Bid: telling eBay�s system the maximum price you are prepared to pay for an item.

Dutch: an auction where more than one of an item is available.

Feedback: positive or negative comments left about other users on eBay.

Mint: in perfect condition.

Non-paying bidder: a bidder who wins an auction but does not then go on to buy the item.

PayPal: an electronic payment method accepted by most sellers.

Rare: used and abused on eBay, now entirely meaningless.

Reserve: the minimum price the seller will accept for the item.

Shill bid: a fake bid placed by a seller trying to drive up their auction�s price.

Snail Mail: the post, which is obviously very slow compared to email.

Sniping: bidding at the last second to win the item before anyone else can outbid you.


Abbreviations.

AUD: Australian Dollar. Currency.

BIN: Buy it Now. A fixed price auction.

BNWT: Brand New With Tags. An item that has never been used and still has its original tags.

BW: Black and White. Used for films, photos etc.

CONUS: Continental United States. Generally used by sellers who don�t want to post things to Alaska or Hawaii.

EUR: Euro. Currency.

FC: First Class. Type of postage.

GBP: Great British Pounds. Currency.

HTF: Hard To Find. Not quite as abused as �rare�, but getting there.

NIB: New in Box. Never opened, still in its original box.

NR: No Reserve. An item where the seller has not set a reserve price.

OB: Original Box. An item that has its original box (but might have been opened).

PM: Priority Mail.

PP: Parcel Post.

SH: Shipping and Handling. The fees the buyer will pay you for postage.

USD: United States Dollars. Currency.

VGC: Very Good Condition. Not mint, but close.

The chances are that you�ll find more specific jargon related to whatever you�re selling, but it�d be an impossible task to cover it all here. If you can�t figure one out from your knowledge of the subject, then type the term into a search engine, followed by the word �ebay�. The chances are that someone, somewhere will have seen fit to explain it.

While it�s good to be able to understand others� jargon, avoid using it unless you really need to (for example, if you run out of space in an item�s title). Many people on eBay are not experienced buyers and you will lose them if you write a load of gobbledegook all over your auction.

By now, you�re well prepared for eBay life, and you�re probably ready to get started with that first auction. In the next email, we�ll show you how to dive in and get started.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.


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