Mostly the sites have person-to-person dealings, where the buyer and seller interact and in which the sites do not take any responsibility. Some sites register the buyer and seller for a small registration fee, while most are free and charge a small commission on actual sales. Here both the buyer and seller are given user names and passwords. It is necessary to keep the passwords secret or they can be misused by someone.. Anyone can use them to buy and sell goods in your name.



Some sellers set the lowest price and time limit for their goods to be sold and the highest bidder get to buy the item, but some sellers just quote a fixed price for their goods and the buyer does not have to bid for them. After a transaction has been completed successfully the buyer and seller contact each other, generally through email, and decide upon the mode of payment. The payment can be made either through credit card, online payment service, debit card, money order, or through an escrow service. This mode can also be chosen ab-initio on the website itself.

However, just as all good things have a negative side, here also there is danger of both being cheated. There are many complaints regarding online internet auctions, and generally it is the buyer who is cheated. He does not get the goods he has ordered on time or they are not up to the specifications as they were advertised. Sometimes it is the seller also who is cheated, when the buyer sends him a bogus check or money order. So it is necessary for both the buyer and seller to understand how the internet auction sites function.

It is very necessary for both the buyer and the seller to take certain precautions before taking part in an online auction. They should not take it for granted that all the sites have the same rules. Every site has its own set of rules that should be understood clearly. The buyer should carefully study about the condition of the item. He should study the specifications, see the condition of the item carefully if a photograph is pasted so that he is not cheated in buying substandard goods. He should also have some idea about the market price of the item so that he does not end up paying for more than it is worth. He should check that if the seller is genuine, and if there are any hidden costs, he should completely satisfy himself regarding any doubts before entering into any deal.

The seller should also be careful about bogus payments and should take preventive measures. Besides, he should not try to cheat the buyer in any way, or he will get into trouble with the law. The seller should see that the buyer gets the goods in time and in perfect condition. He should be careful about his advertising slogans. He should also be careful not to get cheated by fake buyers.