Do you see what you want on eBay?  Does the seller have LOW FEEDBACK NUMBERS or even ZERO?  Don't click off that page!  There is a way to determine if you want to do business with that seller.  Remember, everyone starts with ZERO feedback.

A low feedback number does not mean the seller isn't reputable, it generally means that the seller is new to eBay and may require you to look a little more carefully than you would with someone who has 1000 positive feedback and 0 negative and has been on eBay since 1998.   I have two IDs on eBay, one for non-costume jewelry items, cherryjewelstoo; and, one for costume jewelry, cherryjewels.   cherryjewels has 1000+ positives and no negatives while cherryjewelstoo has less than 10 positives and no negatives.

Being an eBay seller, or buyer, is sometimes complicated for first time users of the system, although the basics are easy to learn.  So check to see if they have taken advantage of the ways to tell people about themselves:

• ABOUT ME PAGE  The best way to learn about a seller is to read their "About Me". 
• This is the page I put up when I started cherryejewelstoo:  cherryjewelstoo About Me page.   New sellers should use this space to tell potential buyers why they should buy from them.
• At the bottom of this about me page you can click on "View the Member's Profile" and can see all their feedback:  cherryjewelstoo View Member's Profile.  
• At the box on the upper left of this View Member's Profile page you can click on "ID history" and you can see if the person has changed ID's and how long they have been registered with eBay:  cherryjewelstoo ID History.  This can also be accessed by clicking on the (#) Feedback number on the auction page or the "me" on the auction page
• RED FLAGS to me are (1) excessive ID changes (avoiding people?); (2) feedback is ALL from buyers with equally low feedback numbers (could be users just buying low priced numbers from each other and pumping up positive feedback); (3) is the email of the seller from a free account (I know this is harsh and I have wonderful buys from "free account" sellers, but you are looking for more, especially if it is an item that is expensive; and (4) Email address from country with known scams or problems (Nigeria comes to mind, also sometimes postage is insanely inflated).
• WRITE a simple question to the SELLER about the item.  Do you get a prompt response?  Is the information accurate and well-worded?  Was it friendly?   A good question is always about condition or postage.  You should receive an answer within 24 hours.
• DESCRIPTION & PHOTOS.  The description needs to describe the item in detail, size, condition, age or whatever. Postage must be reasonable from the seller's area.  The photos must be clear, I can't tell you how many bad items I have bought from bad photos thinking I was getting a bargain.  You soon learn good sellers have good photos.
• PAYMENT.  Beware of sellers wanting MONEY ORDERS sent out of the USA, if the seller is planning to sell on eBay they should have a PayPal account, I know some sellers don't like to pay the small commission to PayPal but you need credibility and proof of bank account and ID to have a PayPal account.  DO NOT SEND CHECKS, do send a money order in the USA.  With identity theft rampant, sending a check gives an unknown person  your bank information, address and sometimes phone number and social security number if you have them on your check.  Lastly, I would NEVER do an over-the-phone CREDIT CARD with someone I hadn't done business with for years and NEVER put your CREDIT CARD information in an email!  Safest payment is PAYPAL, so unless you HAVE to have the item, on a low feedback seller, I might pass if they hadn't entered the PayPal system.  I have overridden this advise myself so all of us have to do a case-by-case basis, based on the information we have on hand at the time.
• ID VERIFY  it is a simple process to have your ID VERIFIED, even if I had been with eBay since 1998 under cherryjewels, they required all new verification to put that little checkmark next to my name cherryjewelstoo ID verify.  You need this ID verify to offer "buy-it-now" if you have less than the magic "10" positive feedback.

Having said all of this.  I can tell you that I have NEVER had a bad purchase from someone with less than 10 positive feedback.  However, I have been very careful in most of my purchases and not so careful in others, but even those turned out just fine.  I have just trusted people to do what they said they would do who had low feedback.  I sent someone $400 cash overnight for a Tag Heuer watch for a Christmas present, but I had talked to the person on the phone and had exchanged several emails.  I sent $110 to someone who didn't have a photo because she didn't have a digital camera, it was a fetish necklace, we emailed and I was comfortable with her description and provenance of the piece.    All in all, if I add up all my purchases in stores, live auctions, garage sale, intenet stores and eBay purchases, the things I have purchased on eBay from all levels of buyers have had, I would guess, 95% LESS problems than the other purchases.  I have returned only three items I have purchased on eBay since 1998, all to the same seller who was selling bad electronic equipment (I did get refund and the seller is no longer a registered user).

eBay is working much faster to police their site and make sure sellers are reputable and buyers follow through on purchases. It is a hard job, we need to do our part by being reputable sellers and buyers. eBay is a large world-wide community and there are, on a percentage basis, about the same number of good and bad sellers and buyers that you would find in your own community.  In reality we all are buying things we have never seen and selling things we are doing our best to describe accurately and ship safely.

Any other questions I can help with don't hesitate to write.   AND if this helps you I would appreciate you taking the time to cast a positive vote at the bottom of this so others will see that it has been helpful.