As a Lamb with a low income but expensive taste i'm always trying to fill my wardrobe with high end lingerie at prices that don't leave me feeling guilty or with empty cupboards. I've been an avid ebay user for years and it's fast becoming my favourite place to buy Agent Provocateur pieces.
I know an awful lot of people don't think to browse ebay for high end lingerie and if they do, they don't know how to seal the deal. If you're already an ebay connoisseur then feel free to scroll down to the review part of this post but for anyone else, here's my:
Ebay Tips
1. If you own a smart phone, download the ebay app and set an alert for any ending auctions so you never miss out on something you really want.
2. When searching for lingerie or any clothing items use the options (located on the left of the page on a computer or in the "refine" section of the app) to narrow down your search to only items of your size. This function also stops you falling in lust with an item not your size and buying it anyway (i am a guilty lamb).
3. Always check the seller feedback as this is where other customers rate their transactions so low feedback means an untrustworthy seller.
4. It's best to bid on items that don't just have stock photographs. If you're unsure of the legitimacy of an item ask the seller for proper photographs of the garment and the tags. This is to stop you getting scammed with a fake/faulty item or even no item at all. If this does happen to you ebay has good policies and an easy process you can go through to open a case and get your money back so don't panic!
5. Decide a maximum price you are willing to spend on an item and stick to it. It's really easy to get carried away in a bidding war and spend far more than you wanted to.
6. Bid in the last minute, in fact the last 30 seconds is always the best time to bid. If you bid days before you're guaranteed to lose out to someone in the last few minutes.
7. Make your first bid lower than your maximum bid and then increase it periodically, as the auction ends to stop others being able to outbid you (it's a cruel technique but if you really want something it's the best way). For example: i will bid in the last 40 seconds or so with a price just higher than the current bid, then continue increasing my bid until i am the highest bidder. Once i am the highest bidder i will increase my maximum bid significantly, once i've done that i'll do it again and again until the auction ends. It's not foolproof and someone could easily put in a much higher bid but it keeps you in the running.
8. If you're looking for something specific or have a search you regularly conduct then you can use the "save search" function. This saves that particular search, and all the criteria you have imposed, and then notifies you when a new item has been listed. I currently have a "saved search" for the Bree bikini top from Agent Provocateur to go with my bree bikini bottoms. This saves you trawling ebay for a certain item every day.
9. "Buy it now" is great if you can't live without an item and don't care about the price but usually the seller is making a huge profit so use some common sense. If you can find an auction with a much lower starting price, try that route first. Usually sellers who use the "buy it now" option are selling seconds (items with shop floor or warehouse defects) or items they've picked up in the sales and then marking the price up threefold.
1o. Check the postage options for the item, if your preferred choice of postage is not available ask the seller. It's always a good idea to pay a little extra and get postage with tracking or some sort of delivery confirmation. This can a) stop you from being scammed by a seller who sends nothing and plays the "it got lost in the post" card or b) stop your item genuinely getting lost in the post. If the latter does happen lots of sellers will be happy to reimburse you but don't count on it, some will blame your choice of postage and not issue a refund. Yet again ebay has an option to dispute this but it's best to avoid it completely and be wise about your delivery.
I though i'd show you a recent ebay purchase as an example of why it's always worth trying.
I know an awful lot of people don't think to browse ebay for high end lingerie and if they do, they don't know how to seal the deal. If you're already an ebay connoisseur then feel free to scroll down to the review part of this post but for anyone else, here's my:
Ebay Tips
1. If you own a smart phone, download the ebay app and set an alert for any ending auctions so you never miss out on something you really want.
2. When searching for lingerie or any clothing items use the options (located on the left of the page on a computer or in the "refine" section of the app) to narrow down your search to only items of your size. This function also stops you falling in lust with an item not your size and buying it anyway (i am a guilty lamb).
3. Always check the seller feedback as this is where other customers rate their transactions so low feedback means an untrustworthy seller.
4. It's best to bid on items that don't just have stock photographs. If you're unsure of the legitimacy of an item ask the seller for proper photographs of the garment and the tags. This is to stop you getting scammed with a fake/faulty item or even no item at all. If this does happen to you ebay has good policies and an easy process you can go through to open a case and get your money back so don't panic!
5. Decide a maximum price you are willing to spend on an item and stick to it. It's really easy to get carried away in a bidding war and spend far more than you wanted to.
6. Bid in the last minute, in fact the last 30 seconds is always the best time to bid. If you bid days before you're guaranteed to lose out to someone in the last few minutes.
7. Make your first bid lower than your maximum bid and then increase it periodically, as the auction ends to stop others being able to outbid you (it's a cruel technique but if you really want something it's the best way). For example: i will bid in the last 40 seconds or so with a price just higher than the current bid, then continue increasing my bid until i am the highest bidder. Once i am the highest bidder i will increase my maximum bid significantly, once i've done that i'll do it again and again until the auction ends. It's not foolproof and someone could easily put in a much higher bid but it keeps you in the running.
8. If you're looking for something specific or have a search you regularly conduct then you can use the "save search" function. This saves that particular search, and all the criteria you have imposed, and then notifies you when a new item has been listed. I currently have a "saved search" for the Bree bikini top from Agent Provocateur to go with my bree bikini bottoms. This saves you trawling ebay for a certain item every day.
9. "Buy it now" is great if you can't live without an item and don't care about the price but usually the seller is making a huge profit so use some common sense. If you can find an auction with a much lower starting price, try that route first. Usually sellers who use the "buy it now" option are selling seconds (items with shop floor or warehouse defects) or items they've picked up in the sales and then marking the price up threefold.
1o. Check the postage options for the item, if your preferred choice of postage is not available ask the seller. It's always a good idea to pay a little extra and get postage with tracking or some sort of delivery confirmation. This can a) stop you from being scammed by a seller who sends nothing and plays the "it got lost in the post" card or b) stop your item genuinely getting lost in the post. If the latter does happen lots of sellers will be happy to reimburse you but don't count on it, some will blame your choice of postage and not issue a refund. Yet again ebay has an option to dispute this but it's best to avoid it completely and be wise about your delivery.
I though i'd show you a recent ebay purchase as an example of why it's always worth trying.
This gorgeous Suki bra originally retailed at £100 however i was able to snare it for a measly £18. I watched this item for five days before winning it in the last 30 seconds. The bra is made from a soft pink lace. What i love about this bra, aside from it being Agent Provocateur (i don't think they've ever made something i didn't love) is all the cute little details like:
The heart shaped cups, such a cute idea but i've never seen a bra like it before! Absolutely perfect for valentines day. The little rosette centrepiece with the floral ribbon and the frilly lace edges around the cups. The straps, which are not only adorable (and match the rosette) but are also lined with velvet on the inside for ultimate luxury. I'm smitten with this super sweet addition to my collection, especially with the price, and will be sure to save a search for the matching knickers to complete the set.
Hopefully this post will encourage those with a little less cash but a lot of taste to consider buying lingerie from ebay.
If you have any other queries about ebay you can always leave a comment on this post or email me at oflambsandlace@live.com.