Auction sites can also be classified according to the sellers. At sites selling items from individuals, the seller sometimes has to pay the site a commission on the final price. You can find anything, including a kitchen sink, at these sites. In either type of site, you have to register before you bid, sometimes with name and address only, sometimes with a credit card number. Your chances of winning in most auctions are greatly enhanced by a high connection speed, a browser with Java or ActiveX, and fast typing.
Many people are afraid to entrust their credit card numbers to cyberspace.
Online auctioneers are sensitive to this concern, so you can usually pay by credit card over the phone or by popping a check into the mail. If you're wary about revealing any personal information online, you'll be relieved to know that all the sites I visited sport the latest in Secure Socket Layers and 128-bit encryption, making your vital statistics less vulnerable to hackers. These comments are linked to the seller's name in future auction offerings. Checking up on a seller before making a purchase could steer you clear of a bad egg. And you should always read the product description carefully to see whether it's been refurbished or is under warranty.