Play it Safe: A Guide to Buying and Selling on Half.com

Half.com is a great place to find a bargain, especially if you're a starving college student. Many students are able to obtain quality textbooks at a fraction of their original cost. Even better, these same students can sell that same textbook on Half.com once they're done with it. Thus, the cycle continues. The profit made from selling a textbook on Half.com is certainly more than the average student would make by selling it back to their university's bookstore. Personally, I used this strategy to obtain and sell the vast majority of my college textbooks. It was during my college career that I gained some valuable insight into the inner workings of Half.com. The community is thriving; by and large, most of the people you will encounter on the site are great.

Let me start with some advice for a potential Half.com seller. If you have sold an item on Half.com, wait until the buyer's payment has cleared before shipping the item. This may seem pretty obvious, but I've had some acquaintances get scammed by fraudulent buyers because they jumped the gun and shipped the item before their funds were secured. Personally, I will only accept PayPal when selling an item on Half.com. If you choose to do so, you can also accept a check or a money order. However, you'll need to bear in mind that the selling process will take longer if you accept these methods of payment. Not only will you need to wait for the funds to be mailed to you, but you will have to wait for the check to clear your bank. Money orders are a bit safer in this aspect. Typically, a check will take about 5 days to clear at your local bank or financial institution; if in doubt, contact them for more information on the process. It's always best to advise a potential buyer of the wait time prior to the transaction.

Another important concept, especially as a seller, is communication. Problems happen; such is life. Good communication can help smooth over any potential bumps in the road. This, in turn, will create a positive transaction for everyone involved. Make sure that your item listing contains an accurate description of the item for sale; this includes any flaws or irregularities. If you're selling something like a textbook then most students know that the book is not going to be perfect; it may contain scribbled notes in the margins or have certain paragraphs highlighted throughout the text. Believe it or not, most students don't care about those things; all they want is for you to be up front about the item. That way, they will know what to expect and won't be surprised when the book arrives. Communication is also a great mediator when it comes to trouble. Be sure to contact the buyer to confirm all pertinent details of the transaction: payment received, item shipped, tracking numbers (if available), etc. Building rapport with a buyer is like passing along good karma: it will come back to you in some way, shape, or form.

As a buyer, you'll need to be aware of the sellers' feedback ratings. They are posted in plain sight for a reason! Make sure to look at each seller's feedback. Is their rating overwhelmingly positive or negative? Is it somewhere in the middle? Take a look at some of the comments that previous buyers may have left for the seller. What did they have to say about the seller's communication? The overall ease of the transaction? One of the main differences between Ebay and Half.com is that, when it comes to making a purchase on the latter, you are committing to buy that item as soon as you point and click your mouse. You're not bidding on an auction or competing with a slew of unseen bidders. While Half.com does have a few provisions in place for protecting sellers and buyers alike, it's always best to do your research before purchasing from anyone. For example, if someone is promising you a new item, but they have a lot of negative feedback in which the comments state that the merchandise was in poor condition, you may want to look for a different seller to buy from. As with any retail store, you'll want to be a smart shopper. It's less of a hassle to do your research prior to making a commitment to buy. Trust me on that.

My final advice to you, as a buyer, is to purchase the item through Half.com only. Be wary of a seller who contacts you outside of the site to offer a "special deal" or obtain personal financial information in order to make a sale. Any transaction should be made strictly through the Half.com website. Period. Again, this may seem fairly obvious, but with the rising amount of scams on the internet it's still something to be wary of. I've heard fewer stories of this happening on Half.com than on Ebay; still, it's something to keep in mind if you receive a suspicious e-mail from a seller (or someone claiming to be a seller).

Half.com is a great place to make some extra money and/or find a great deal on some hard-to-find items. Still, you need to be careful in any marketplace environment- whether you are a consumer or a merchant. Knowing how to provide excellent customer service and build an honest reputation will help you create a positive sales environment as a merchant; knowing how to shop wisely and evaluate your options will make you a better consumer. Just keep some of these thoughts in mind the next time you're listing an item for sale on Half.com or browsing some of the listings in search of a coveted item. Remember, the concept behind Half.com is people helping other people: that is, people wanting to give a little and get a little something in return. The process only works as well as its participants.