Are you confused about using eBay's BUY IT NOW feature? Well,
here is a detailed explanation of the ins and outs as both a
buyer and a seller!
What is BUY IT NOW?
You can skip the online auction and get your item sooner by using
BUY IT NOW. When you see the icon next to an eBay listing or see
a Buy It Now price listed on an item page, you have a special
opportunity to get that item right away without waiting for an
online auction to end.
How to Use Buy It Now
Decide whether you're willing to buy the item for the Buy It Now
price. Please remember, shipping and handling charges are not
included in the Buy It Now price. You may need to contact the
seller to determine the total price of the item. If the listing
is a Pay Now and Buy It Now item, the seller requires immediate
payment, so the shipping cost and other charges will be displayed
in the listing description. Click the Buy It Now button at
the bottom of the item page and enter your User ID and password.
You'll see a Buy It Now confirmation message. From there, you can
choose among the offered payment methods (PayPal, personal check,
money order, and so forth).
If the listing is a Buy It Now item that requires immediate
payment, click the "Continue to PayPal" button to start the
simple payment process. Pay for the item, and the seller ships it
to you.
When it's part of an auction-style listing, the Buy It Now option
is only shown on listings until an item receives its first bid,
or, for a Reserve Price Auction, when the reserve is met. This
means that when you see an item has both a Buy It Now price and a
first bid price listed, you will need to act quickly!
Note: To qualify to use Buy It Now as a buyer, you must: Have
feedback greater than or equal to 10 OR Have a credit card (or
debit card) on file OR ID Verify.
If you don't qualify when you click the Buy It Now button, you
will be asked to do one of the above to qualify. Once you have
met one of the above requirements, the listing will end
automatically and you will be the winning buyer.
Pay Now and Buy It Now Option
Buy It Now is the simplest way to buy on eBay, and it's even
easier when the seller requires immediate payment because the
seller specifies all costs including shipping costs, and tax and
insurance if applicable. You pay through PayPal with a credit
card or with other PayPal funds (including a PayPal balance or a
bank account), and the item is yours! Because the seller requires
immediate payment before you can claim the item, be sure to get
through the payment flow quickly so someone else doesn't beat you
to it.
How to Find Buy It Now Items
You can easily identify Buy It Now items on category browse pages
or in your search results. If you're only looking for Buy It Now
items, click the Buy It Now tab on the search results or browse
pages. You can narrow your search results by displaying only
PayPal items. This will show you Buy It Now items that can be
purchased using PayPal; these include items that require
immediate payment.
Ready to buy? When a seller requires immediate payment, the item
cost and other costs such as shipping are specified, so you'll
know the total amount. Look for items that say the seller
requires immediate payment.
Important: For Buy It Now items that have both a bid price and a
Buy It Now price, the Buy It Now price will disappear one a bid
is placed. So act quickly!
Next, click the Buy It Now button. If the listing is for multiple
items, be sure to specify the quantity you want.
The next page tells you that immediate payment is required. Click
the Continue to PayPal button to finish up the purchase. After
payment is confirmed, the item is yours.
Important: Until you complete payment, another eBay user may
claim the item, so be sure to finish paying for the item before
you do something else.
Note that the seller may require that you use a PayPal confirmed
address (typically, a mailing address that PayPal has checked
against the billing address maintained by your credit card
issuer). If so, you will not be able to specify an unconfirmed
address when making your payment.
That's what Buy It Now is all about! I prefer using Buy It Now as
a seller, because it gives you activity while all your auctions
are running without having to wait for the auction end.