How Zambians Can Shop On Ebay

            Almost every bank in Zambia today has some form of VISA debit card that allows people to transact with. Apparently the extent to which the VISA card is being used is extremely low. The use of the VISA card rarely goes beyond being able to withdraw money across different banks. It can generally be agreed that the use of the VISA card is fairly being under utilised in this country. In a globalised world that we live in, it is time that we get with the programme and begin to harness its full potential. One such potential is shopping online specifically on Ebay.

            Let me be honest, I was quite hesitant to write this blog, simply because I have a vested interest. The fewer people who know how to shop on Ebay the better for me. Then I thought I am all for empowerment and I believe information is power. Lucky you. I am an entrepreneur and usually we make our money doing things cheaper, faster and better. Well for me it is the cheaper that I am involved in. Shopping on Ebay is like going to the whole world to do both your window shopping and actual shopping. However, there is a lot of skepticism around when it comes to buying things online. The number of computer hacking cases on the increase and the amount of fraudsters online is a very valid argument. Then just because there have been plane crashes around the world, it does not mean that we will stop getting on planes.
            The other reason perhaps is that we are just afraid to take risks. Most Zambians are naturally risk averse, they wait for someone to jump into the deep end before they do, wait for some else to break a leg and say how painful it is before they try it out. You can be rest assured that I have taken the plunge on your behalf and can duly inform you that I have been shopping on Ebay for about 8 months now. I have bought books, sneakers, watches, jewelry, hard drive, laptop battery, Chelsea jersey and the list is endless, so I know what I am talking about. Now this is how you shop on Ebay.

1.      Have a VISA debit card- The card is like your passport to online shopping. It is an internationally recognised card that allows you to make transactions online. Like I mentioned earlier you probably have a VISA card. In Zambia most banks provide VISA Electron cards and not simply VISA. Nonetheless, you are still able to use the card. In case you do not have one, open an account with a bank that offers one.

2.      You Need A Post Box- So I am sure you have thought to yourself who needs a post box in this day and age. Frankly if you want to shop online you need one. This is how you going to get your stuff. I reckon this would be an opportune time to pay the post office a visit.

3.      Register for a Paypal Account- For sites such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble you can use your VISA electron card to buy stuff by simply punching in your card numbers. Now, for Ebay it is slightly different. In order to buy things on Ebay you need to open up a PayPal Account. You cannot buy anything on Ebay without a Paypal Account. A Paypal account is a medium of payment more like Western Union. The Paypal account is linked to your VISA electron card. Whereas when buying from sites like Amazon, you have to input the numbers from your card onto the site, when you have a Paypal account what you input is your email address and password. Getting a Paypal account is absolutely free. All you have to do is register on www.paypal.com. In this registration you will be required to enter your personal details and your VISA card numbers. This is so that the account can be linked to your card. Your account will then be debited with about $2. On your bank statement this debit of $2 by Paypal will be accompanied with a four digit number. You can call this a passcode. In order to complete your Paypal registration you will have to enter this four digit passcode in order to verify that it is your account. Once this is done Paypal will refund the $2 back into your account. Then you are good to go.

4.      Register on Ebay- When you have the first 3 steps sorted out you are now ready to register for an Ebay account on www.ebay.com. It is when you register that you will be required to put in your Paypal account details as well as your Postal address. The registration is fairly easy and I do not expect it to trouble you. Do not be tempted to provide false information because it might come to bite you when you attempt to resolve problems that may arise.

5.      Shop Till Your Money Runs Out- You are now ready to shop till your money runs out. One thing you need to consider while shopping is that on Ebay there are mainly two ways to buy something. You can either Bid or Buy it Now. When you bid it is more like an auction. You make your best offer and wait for the bid to close before you know whether you have the opportunity to buy the item. Buy it Now means that you can buy the item there and then. You must also be aware of the shipping costs to know what you will ultimately be required to pay. The prices are usually in United States Dollar or British Pound so be sure to convert the amounts accurately. Paypal will only pay out money once the seller has shipped the item. Once you have confirmed to the payment through your Paypal account the money will immediately be debited from your account.

I hope that the information has been beneficial and your shopping is now a click away. I would advise you that just like you would in physical shops looking for the best prices, you should do the same on Ebay and not buy the first thing you see, search around first. For beginners I recommend buying small items initially such as watches or jewelry in order to get comfortable buying on Ebay. Do not go straight ahead and buy a laptop the first time of asking. It is now time to explore the whole world is now your shopping mall.

If you should wish to have a personalised service in helping you get set-up to shop on Ebay you can contact me on 0965-700875 at only K99, 000.