About eBay

eBay was the brainchild of software engineer Pierre Omidyar, who started building the website at the end of 1995. It was only a small website and was originally intended to just be used by his girlfriend to trade ‘Pez’ dispensers, which she collected. The website was officially released in 1996, and soon picked up in popularity with many unique users from all over the world, trading and swapping items.

At the time, this idea of online auction was so unique and original; the amount of attention it received was phenomenal. eBay has now developed into a complex marketplace where buyers and sellers can trade with each other all across the globe, in any niche or common market they wish. It is the variety of items that people sell which keep people checking out what is new to buy and what different items are available.

If you are new to eBay the idea of buying and selling online may appear to be daunting and an insecure experience, but you needn't worry. The vast amount of security experience eBay has means that it was strict guidelines in place to ensure the safe transaction of both money and goods. They also have many controls in place. As a seller you should always be wary of bad feedback as your reputation online is a very fragile one.

It is hard for a newcomer to start up on eBay now, since a lot of users rely on people having a good reputation in order to complete a transaction. Therefore selling on eBay is not just about the product, and displaying it correctly, it is about how other users perceive you, and whether they can trust sending their money to you.