eBay: The Missing Manual

Chapter 11. Finding Help

It's 2:00 a.m. You want to bid on a pair of rare, pricey Bart Simpson flip flops in an auction that ends in four hours. But the seller has a feedback score of 96 percent and not many comments. Where do you go to ask whether this seller is worth a risk?

eBay offers help in several different formats, including a Learning Center just for newbies, a Help page, interactive help via live chat or email, a centralized Services page, a site map, discussion boards, and more. This chapter covers them all.

Note

What eBay doesn't have, to the disappointment of many, is a number for telephone support. Top-level PowerSellers and owners of eBay Stores get a phone support number, but that's it. From time to time, you can find "eBay phone numbers" posted on discussion boards and around the Internet, but these numbers are usually bogus.

Learning Center

When you're new to eBay, the site can feel overwhelming. Instead of jumping in at the deep end, you can test the waters before you take the plunge, thanks to eBay's Learning Center.

The Learning Center offers tutorials designed expressly for eBay newbies. You can take an audio tour to get an overview of eBay as a whole, or to learn how to register and start buying. You can sign up for courses at eBay University (Section A.5.3) and read tips on eBay basics, like leaving feedback, trading safely, and getting started as a seller. The Learning Center brings together in one place the topics new eBayers need to know about now.

Get there ...