Enter the amount you are happy to pay in the Your maximum bid box and click the place bid button.
You will automatically bid as much as is necessary to make you the highest bidder or meet the reserve price. However, if the other bidder's maximum bid is higher than yours, you will be instantly out-bid.
Neither the seller nor the other bidders will know your maximum bid.
Take shipping costs, which can be high, into account before you bid and remember that if something is worth £10 to you, then £10 is a good price.
If you want to find the going rate for an item, go to the advanced search page, search for it with the Completed listings only box ticked and you will be shown the prices the item has sold for in recent auctions.
PayPal, which is owned by eBay, has become the standard way to pay for auctions.
It enables you to pay by credit or debit card without having to give your card details to an unknown seller. Payments are made to PayPal who will then pass on the money, minus a commission, to the seller. Registration is free.
When you get the email confirming you've won the auction, click on the Pay Now button. Choose PayPal as the payment method and you'll be taken to their site where you can make the payment quickly and easily.
It should be clear from the auction if you cannot pay this way - can you believe some people still prefer cheques?
With the strong pound, you can find bargains all over the world by searching eBay's international sites.
To do this, go to the Advanced search page and, in the Location section, set your Preferred Locations to worldwide.
Remember to make sure the seller will ship to the UK before you bid, and keep an eye on shipping costs.
Warning: items valued over £18 that come from outside the EU should incur import duty - and a hefty collection charge on top of that. Most of the time you'll get away with it, but you have been warned.
If you've got this far, it's time to sign up for an eBay account. Happy bidding!
