Love It! Thursdays

Drum roll please...... This week, my LIT deals with bargains, shopping, and (priceless) convenience. Ever want something really bad but you didn't want to fork over the pesos because of the price? Or, do you ever get a natural high from getting a too-good-to-be-true deal on something? If that sounds like you, then you will absolutely LOVE Ebay. Now I know that Ebay is not anything new. But that doesn't mean that all of you have tried it, or trust it enough to try it. Well let me assure you, the deals are great, and unless you are upgrading the rock on your hand, you can get a great deal on just about anything on Ebay.

Here is just a sample of a few things I have purchased on Ebay, for a fraction of the price of what they are retailing.

• Just this week, I bought the latest model of the best flat iron out there. I've been eyeing it for quite some time, but I just didn't feel good forking over $150.00 for it. I've seen it on the Internet for better prices, but those prices do not compare to how much it was selling on Ebay. I paid $49.99 for a brand new Chi Biosilk Ceramic Hot Iron by Farouk. $49.99 I said.
  



• If flat irons aren't your thing, how about a nice shag rug, just like the one you saw in Potterybarn that cost over $800.00? I paid less than $200 for mine, including shipping. And before I made a purchase, the retailer sent me as many samples as I wanted, free, in all colors I wanted. How neat is that?
  
  


• And since this is a blog about motherhood, I can't leave out my mother related purchase. I bought my Combi Twin Savvy stroller on E-bay as well. Again, brand new for a great price. I also bought the matching car seat from another seller.

While Ebay offers great prices, here are just give a few tips for you Ebay virgins to ensure you don't get scammed.

First, buy only from sellers that have a history and a good one at that. When you look up items, the ad provides info on each seller. The seller is ranked based on their selling history and customers that have purchased from them in the past are encouraged to provide feedback so that subsequent purchasers can feel good about making a purchase.

Second, when you are in the market for something, test it out in a store first. I would recommend you do that for anything purchased on the Internet, regardless if you get it on Ebay.

Third, do not bid on an item days or even many hours before the bidding ends. You may end up bidding against yourself (the seller) and drive the price much higher. For example, let's say you want the flat iron and there are over 40 sellers offering the same product. Check the prices, then check the time the bids end. If you see several in your price range, watch them. Wait until about the last hour or less before the end time and start bidding on it. If it doesn't look like there are many bidders, your chances for getting it at a low prices are better. About 15 minutes before the close time, place your bid. You can even set Ebay to bid automatically for you,until your max bid is reached, so that you don't have to sit in front of your computer to see if you have been out bid. If you do that, be careful at the increments you set. I've won a bid on just .50 cent increments.

Last but not least, don't try to get that Louis Vuitton bag you've been asking hubby to get you for your birthday. For those types of products, you are usually not getting the real thing and too good to be true really is the case.

With Christmas fast approaching, I recommend you give Ebay a shot. It's not just good for the deals, but if your kid really wants this year's hot item with a waiting list in all the stores, you can probably find it on Ebay, for a premium. But hey, the kids are worth it.

I give Ebay shopping 5/5

Love it, can't live without it!