eBay online shopping & selling

About eBay online shopping & selling

I’ve been using the eBay app for a little over a month now. I downloaded it because I kept seeing it pop up in the App Store with those high ratings and figured I’d finally give it a shot. I’m the type who actually reads the privacy policy before tapping “agree,” and let me tell you, eBay’s is a doozy. They collect a ton of data — browsing history, location, device details — and the app itself asks for access to your photos, camera, and notifications right off the bat. I get that sellers need to snap pictures of items, but do they really need my precise location just to browse? I’m not paranoid, but I’m cautious. Anyway, the marketplace itself is huge. I’ve found everything from vintage camera lenses to new-in-box board games. The app works fine for browsing and buying, but I still side-eye the tracking every time I open it.

Core Features

Let’s talk about what this app actually does. The search is solid — you can filter by price, condition, location, even by seller rating. I used it last Tuesday to find a specific Lego set my nephew wanted, and I narrowed it down to sellers within 50 miles so shipping would be fast. That was handy. You’ve got the option to bid on auctions, make offers, or just buy it now. I like the “best offer” feature because I’m not about to pay sticker price for used stuff. There’s also a saved searches thing that pings you when new items pop up, which actually works. I set one for “Nintendo Switch accessories under $30” and got a notification two days later. The watchlist is fine too, though it gets cluttered fast if you’re not organized. Selling is straightforward — take a pic, write a description, set a price. But fair warning, the app really pushes you to use their promoted listings (which cost extra). It feels like a nudge every time you try to list something.

Real-World Use

Last Saturday morning, I was sitting in my kitchen with a cup of coffee, trying to sell an old Kindle I found in a drawer. The listing process took maybe 10 minutes. I snapped a photo, wrote “Kindle Paperwhite, works fine, minor scratches on screen,” and set it at $45. It sold by that evening. The buyer paid through PayPal, and I shipped it out Monday. No issues. On the buying side, I snagged a pair of almost-new running shoes for half the retail price. The seller had a 99% rating, so I felt okay about it. Arrived in three days. The app’s notifications are aggressive though — I got alerts for “items you might like” constantly until I turned them off in settings. And the interface feels busy. There’s ads for eBay credit cards, promoted listings, and “deals” banners everywhere. It’s like walking into a store where every shelf has a salesman. But if you ignore the noise, the core function works. I’ve made three purchases and one sale without needing to contact support once. So far, so good.

Pricing & Value

The app itself is free to download. eBay makes money through selling fees, not from you downloading it. When you sell something, they take a cut — I think it’s around 13.5% of the final sale price for most categories. On my $45 Kindle, I pocketed about $38 after fees and shipping. That’s fine, it beats a garage sale. If you’re just buying, there are no extra charges beyond what you pay the seller. But you have to watch out for promoted listing costs if you’re selling. They’ll ask if you want to “boost visibility” for an extra 2% or so. I skipped it and still sold quickly. So value is decent for buyers and occasional sellers. If you run a full-time resale business, those fees add up fast. For me, it’s worth it to declutter my apartment without dealing with Facebook Marketplace weirdos.

Updates & Support

I’ve gotten two updates since I installed the app. One was a bug fix for the camera when listing items — my photos were cropping weird before. The other added a “dark mode” option, which I appreciate because I use my phone in bed at night. I haven’t contacted customer support, so I can’t speak to how good they are. But I’ve read plenty of App Store reviews where people complain about slow responses or being bounced between automated chatbots. That sounds frustrating. The app does have a help section with articles and FAQs that I skimmed once. It covers basics like how to return an item or report a problem. Not bad for self-service. I wish they’d dial back the notifications with updates, though. Every update seems to add a new way to ping you about “hot deals.” I just want a clean shopping app, not a marketing machine.

Data & Privacy

This is where I get skeptical. eBay’s privacy policy is long and vague. They say they collect “personal information” including name, address, payment details, but also browsing behavior, search queries, and even “inferences” about your preferences. They share data with third-party advertisers and analytics companies. The app itself requests access to your camera, photo library, and location. I denied location access and it still worked fine for browsing and buying. The camera is needed if you’re selling, but I only grant it when I’m actively listing. The app also tracks your activity across other websites via cookies and pixels. I use an ad blocker on my phone, but I’m sure they still get something. For a marketplace that handles money and personal addresses, I wish they were more transparent. I don’t love that my search for “used books” might end up in some advertiser’s database. It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it makes me pause before I type anything too personal into the search bar.