10 ways to save money on eBay, from secret deal pages to tracking price drops
IT'S the online retail giant that has people hooked on trying to outbid other buyers, but there's no denying eBay is a cheap and convenient way to shop.
The retailer's prices are competitive and cheaper than those offered by high street stores, but how do you save money when shopping on eBay?
We've spoken to savvy money saving experts and bloggers who have spoken to The Sun about how you can pick up products using some savvy shopping tactics.
From making the most of eBay’s secret deals pages that offer some great bargains to using price trackers to make sure you snag products at the best prices.
Here are the top tips for securing a bargain on eBay.
1. Cash-in on typos
Francesca Mason, who runs the blog , says sometimes the sellers will make a typo in their listing, and it won’t show up in the search results.
She says: “You can use sites such as to find these and be the only bidder!"
FatFingers was created when the founder of the website was browsing the internet for a mountain bike on
They noticed a seller buying items cheaply that had been misspelled and then reselling them at a profit.
The founder decided to write a bit of code to automatically generate some misspellings of mountain bikes and found lots of results.
They decided to turn it into a website for everyone to use.
There are other websites users can visit to fix their typos such as
2. Wait until the penny drops
Francesca, From Pennies to Pounds, recommends waiting for as long as possible before bidding on something.
She recommends using which will help you find bids which are ending soon.
Lastminute Auction provides a way for users to hunt for great bargains on
They follow a simple criteria where the auction ends in an hour and the price is currently $1 (78p) or less.
3. Create your own watch list
Emma Iannarilli, a lifestyle blogger says it is best to add everything to a watch list so you get email updates.
She warns that leaving your bid until the last minute is risky, but you have less risk of being outbid.
If it says "make an offer" be cheeky, you don’t ask you don’t get.
4. Price check
Never assume that just because it’s on eBay, the price is the cheapest you can get. Tom Church recommends using to compare product prices.
5. Use sniping software
Simon Paine, Co-Founder of recommends using sniping software so you can start bidding 30 seconds from the end of an auction.
and offer a free sniping tool.
6. Follow the bargain hunters
Follow a deal hunting community where people share the best bargains they've found on eBay.
For example, on where members of the public share the best bargains with each other, up-vote them and comment.
It can be really useful to see what others have found, especially in the run-up to Christmas.
7. Set up alerts
If you’re on the hunt for something rare or hard to find at a low price, it’s worth setting up an alert to get notified the next time the item is listed on
To do this, you just need to do a search for your item and select "save this search".
Then it’s a case of waiting for someone to post the perfect item and jumping on the opportunity.
8. Save with high street eBay outlet stores
Many people think eBay is all about private sellers, but you can also grab great bargains from well-known .
You can also find many that have either fixed or free delivery costs.
9. Bulk buy bargains
Tom Church, Co-Founder of uses eBay religiously for bargain hunting.
He says once you know a few tricks it becomes much easier to uncover hidden gems.
He buys all of his cleaning products from it because you can buy in bulk direct from suppliers.
Whether you want to buy a stash of children’s shoes, boxes of dishwasher tablets or bundles of clothes in a particular size, bulk buying can make sure you nab amazing bargains.
Search things like “clothing bundle size 14”, “dishwasher tablets bulk buy” or “kids shoes job lot” and you’ll find jaw dropping deals for multiple items - and if you don’t like all of them, you can always resell individual items for a profit.
But don't be fooled into bulk buying items that you don't really need.
10. Use next level eBay tools to up your game
Tons of items go unsold on eBay including loads of top notch bargains.
is a tool that provides a load of quick links to items that are 99p with zero bids about to end.
Take a look at women’s dresses, for example, and you’ll find some anything from a Ted Baker jumper to Levi jeans all ready for you to swoop in and get for just 99p.
Delivery prices vary and depend on the seller.
is a free tool where you type in your post code and then it shows you all the eBay listings about to finish within a few minutes near you with zero bids.
Because it’s local you can pick it up saving on delivery costs. This is a great way of kitting out a new house on the cheap.
- Check ebay.co.uk for the latest bargains -
More on Money
Meanwhile, we've revealed there's a tool you can use on eBay and other websites that will automatically apply discount codes.
Looking for a bargain? Get up to 75 per cent off and free delivery under £20 – 7 little-known tips to save money on Amazon.
Savvy shoppers have also shared their top tips for bagging a bargain at discount chain B&M.