Help

Here are some tips for successful bidding: find out how much the item may be worth, be sure to enter your maximum bid amount, monitor your items, and check your email regularly. Remember, each bid you place enters you into a binding contract. All bids are active until the auction-style listing ends. If you win an item, you're obligated to complete the transaction.

• Find out how much the item may be worth by searching for completed listings on eBay. To do this, click the Advanced link next to the Search button on the eBay home page. Enter your search keywords, select the Completed listings check box in the Search including section, and then click the Search button.

• Make sure that the maximum bid you enter is the absolute highest price that you're willing to pay. This may help prevent you from being outbid in the last seconds of a listing.

• Check your email regularly to see if you've been outbid on an item.

• Check your status in My eBay, especially near the end of the listing, to make sure you're still the high bidder.

Remember, don't give up! If you don't win the item you are bidding on, try another listing. Sellers from all over, and with many interests, use eBay to list their items. If you'd like more information on bidding, click Customer Support at the top of most eBay pages, and search for bidding.