The seller provides detailed personal information which will be made available to buyers upon request. Buyers must register as well, and provide similar information. In addition, many of the top online auction sites maintain a ranking system for sellers. Buyers are encouraged to provide positive and negative feedback for future prospective buyers to peruse. Data is also kept on buyers, so sellers can see if a buyer has a good purchasing reputation or not.
Online auctions are convenient and affordable for both the buyer and the seller.
Online auctions are generally free for the buyer and seller, though the hosting site will usually assess a small fee for each item sold through their service. The global scope of the World Wide Web provides a huge audience for sellers, as well as a vast array of merchandise for buyers. The auction will run for an allotted amount of time during which registered buyers can place bids. Most sellers and auction services allow credit card payment, which is the preferred payment option, as the buyer can challenge the charge with the credit card company if there are any problems. Like everything, there are downsides to Internet auctions.