Up front, before I begin I would like to state that this guide really does apply to almost any type of transaction that can take place between a seller and a buyer on ebay.  With that said, I'd like to be very specific and take this time to give tips to buyer's of music from a part-time seller's perspective.  What I will give to the reader is mostly just down-to-earth and common sense things that I've come to learn while having fun both as a seller and a buyer on ebay.  My background is simple, I made an ebay account to find deals on music cd's and paintball equipment (my two favorite hobbies). I quickly fell in love with the ebay format and along the way have come to appreciate some simple rules which I will pass along as advice and tips (directed mostly, but not always to those of you who are just getting started on ebay).  Firstly, and most importantly, the person who is listing an item for sale is a person, just like you.  The only difference is that they have something they would like to sell and potentially this is an item you may want.  Ebay has a great email service which is very handy and should be used if you have any question for the seller.  If your buying or are interested in buying a cd (for instance), and you have a question that may not be readily noticable within the listing then communication using email is a very quick and effective method to get an answer to your question.  But try to be specific and to the point.  And remember, be respectful and try to be nice, because like I said earlier, the other person is really just like you but they have something you may want. Alot can be learned through any email interaction, you can judge how quickly someone responds (although don't expect instant answers back, a good general rule is within a day or less). You can then get an idea for how they respond to your questions, did they answer your question or questions? Were they helpful, were they insightful, did they ask you questions back in an effort to gain more knowledge on how to help you as the buyer? With that said, maybe you have a question about what is meant by information that is already provided in the listing. Let me give you an example: Let's say you found a cd you like but you really are only interested in buying it if it is in mint condition with no scratches on it all. Most of the time, unless the seller has written a remark about that in the product description you may not know that to be the case by the listing conditions set forward as "very good" or "like new".  So ask if that is something that you need to know or would be a deal breaker for you. It is much better to ask a question like this, than to buy from a seller, expecting more from the transaction than was stated in the listing, only to then be disappointed once it arrives. This can lead to something else that we as seller's always have to worry about and that is: Negative or Neutral feedback left from a buyer when you've done nothing really wrong to deserve it. During the communication process (email) you should, if its really important to you, reach out to the seller and ask specific questions that mean the most to you.  If you fail to do so, and lets say a listing for a disk as "very good" comes to you with a perfect jewel case, perfect inner artwork but a cd with a couple of cd changer 'pull' or 'grab' marks on it, but you expected the subjective term "very good" to mean perfect then you'll probably be disappointed. So please communicate if condition is your absolute number one concern, and don't hold it against a seller if you failed to ask.  Now in the rare event that you asked and it still wasn't what you were told it would be, then I'd say you have a legitimate complaint. This is also another reason why I archive all of my personal email communications, so I know what I've told people and what they've told me. If in this case something goes wrong then communicate first! Don't just leave bad feedback! In fact, the quickest way to not get helped is by being impulsive and saying rude things, or leaving unjust feedback instantly. Give the seller a chance to make things right by you. I personally have the 24 hour rule for communications of this type. You will find that if you are disappointed in a sale, and if you communicate well, and in an effective polite manner you'll get your problem solved faster, and with a whole lot better chance of things working out for both yourself and the seller. I hope that this has helped. Just some food-for-thought to keep in mind. My advice is given freely in an effort to make the ebay community a better more fun place to spend your time shopping. If you have any input or comments please feel free to send them to me. I answer all reasonable mail inquiries, and while your here please give me a helpfullness vote if you found this guide to be helpful (or gasp) not. :) enjoy!