If you've purchased ANY video games on ebay, I hope it was a good experience for you.  It should always be a good experience--never bad or regretful.  But if you run into one bad seller, you can be totally turned off by the whole experience, and never want to buy another game.  Don't let that happen to you.  There are many truly good, honest video game sellers on ebay.  They usually have only a hundred or so items (not thousands like the big sellers), and they don't have more than one or two negative feedbacks in the last 30 days (unlike the big sellers, who always have well over 10, sometimes over 50).  They have time to take care of you, personally.  They care about customer service.  They allow time to take care of problems that arise.  The big sellers have thousands of listings and do not have time to replace your broken game.  HOW TO TELL GOOD SELLERS FROM BAD?  READ ALL FEEDBACK.  More importantly, read all negative feedback, and see what went wrong.  Take the time to scroll through the pages of feedback (you can display 200 at a time) and you will have a good idea about the integrity of the seller.  Were they kind and courteous?  Or rude and nasty?  Feedback is the ONLY way to find out about the seller.

Before you buy ANY games, you need to know two things:  1) Exactly what you are buying, and 2) exactly what it will cost you.  You see, there are good sellers and there are bad sellers.  I've seen so many horrible tactics used mostly by the big video game sellers, that I want to expose them now.

1) WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

a) BEWARE OF STOCK PHOTOS.  If the seller can't take the time to provide a photo of what you are bidding on, then they probably won't have time to take care of a problem, should one arise.  A good seller will provide a clear photo of what you are bidding on (and ONLY what you are bidding on).  This way, there is no confusion.  For example, when you buy a Playstation game, the stock photo might show a black label version, but you end up with the greatest hits version.  It is a bait and switch--they show you one thing, and you get a lesser item.  They count on the fact that you won't bother to complain.  Also, you may see a stock photo for a Gameboy Advance game and think you are getting the complete game: box and all, when in fact only the cartridge is what is for sale.  And that Xbox game that looked PERFECT...well, you received a disk in a cardboard sleeve (and paid mightily for shipping too).  If you see a photo, you know what you are getting.  If you see a STOCK photo, you have no idea what you are getting.  The big sellers use stock photos to save time so they can list more items.  What you see is NOT what you will receive, in most cases.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS use actual photos, so you can see what you are bidding on.  OTHER SELLERS use stock photos to save time and, perhaps, to make their game appear better than it is.

b) LOOK FOR A FULL DESCRIPTION OF ALL ITEMS.  Good sellers take the time to thoroughly describe the game they are selling.  They will list the condition of the game cartridge or disk.  They will tell you whether a box or instruction manual is included.  Be sure to read the description carefully.  If a seller doesn't take the time to describe the condition of a Playstation 2 game, then either they don't want the take the time to describe what you are bidding on, or the condition is not great.  Either way, the buyer loses.  Find a seller who cares enough to fully describe what you are bidding on.  Otherwise you may end up overpaying for a scratched up game that probably won't even work properly.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS fully describe the condition of the game disk or cartridge.  OTHER SELLERS do not bother to describe the condition of a game, nor mention exactly what is included.

2) WHAT WILL IT COST YOU?

a) KNOW ALL SHIPPING COSTS.  This is a BIGGIE!  Look for hidden handling fees, and especially look for REQUIRED INSURANCE.  Required insurance??? Give me a break!  Your purchased is fully covered by Paypal, so insurance is not necessary.  DO NOT BE FORCED TO BUY INSURANCE -- go to another seller instead!  Insurance should be OPTIONAL.  It should be your choice, not the sellers (who only pocket the money, in many cases).  It is usually the big sellers that require insurance. Well, look at their feedback.  It is full of negatives where they refused to take care of their customers.  They required them to insure their purchase, and then they won't fix the problem anyway.  They try to cover this, by responding to the feedback with something like:  we will fix this for you, please call us at ...  Call us???  We already wrote to you five times.   The big sellers will not take care of you because they are too busy trying to list more items to make more money.  It is that simple.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS do not inflate shipping charges with Required Insurance and additional Handling fees.  OTHER SELLERS use required shipping and/or hidden handling fees (that you won't see until you use their checkout system (see next item).

b) SHIPPING METHOD.  USPS offers First Class Mail (2 to 5 day delivery) and Media Mail (up to 14 days for delivery).  Most games can ship via USPS First Class Mail.  Yet many of the big sellers ship via Media Mail instead, which is cheap and very slow.  If they don't want you to know they are using the cheapest method, they may list their shipping as Standard Flat Rate Shipping.  They can list shipping as Media Mail or First Class Mail, but they don't want you to know that you are getting the worst service, so they're not specific.  Worse, some of them tell you that ebay is forcing them to offer this so-called BUDGET shipping, and that you should upgrade to a speedier service for an extra dollar or two.  Yes, ebay has leveled the playing field and only allowing sellers to charge up to $4.00 for a game.  But good sellers will still ship via USPS First Class Mail.  The big sellers will suggest that you upgrade to first class mail, but it will cost you $6.00 instead of $4.00.  This is just another big-seller tactic to get more money.  If the method of shipping isn't clearly stated, then assume it is the slowest possible service, and you will have your game in about 2 weeks.  OR buy from a good seller, who ships via USPS First Class Mail for that $4.00, and you'll have your game in about 5 days.  Do not pay bad sellers for upgraded shipping, when good sellers are offering the good shipping for NO additional cost.  (Some games are heavy and do not qualify for First Class, such as boxsets and multiple games.  But single Gamecube, Xbox, Playstation 1 and 2 games, etc. can all be shipped via First Class Mail.)  And beware of the sellers that call First Class Mail an EXPEDITED service.  It is only expedited for them--because they would normally ship via slow Media Mail.  It is not considered an expedited service.  Expedited services are Priority Mail or Express Mail, NOT First Class Mail.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS clearly state whether your game will ship via First Class Mail, Media Mail or Priority Mail.  OTHER SELLERS will list shipping as Standard Flat Rate Shipping, and use Media Mail, the slowest, cheapest service available.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS ship single games via USPS First Class Mail.  OTHER SELLERS ship games via Media Mail, and ask you to upgrade to a faster service (the one that GOOD sellers use) for extra money. 

c) CHECKOUT using other than ebay (when you are directed to Auctiva or some other site), and you will find yourself having to type in all your information (for their mailing lists to SPAM you to death...see next item).  Probably your phone number too.  This is where you find yourself hit with that HIDDEN HANDLING CHARGE, or the unexpected REQUIRED INSURANCE cost.  You find that the $3.99 listed shiping fee is actually going to cost you $6.99.  It is an outrage, and it should be reported to ebay. 

NOW YOU'RE ON THEIR MAILING LIST and you're going to be SPAMMED TO DEATH with their offers.  You will be so sick of their spam that you will regret the day you bought that stinking game!

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS may use Auctiva or other checkout services, but you will not be hit with charges that you were not aware of.  OTHER SELLERS will add on a handling charge or required insurance charge here, and you won't be able to change it.  If you are forced to pay a charge that you were not aware of, report it to ebay.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS were happy to have a successful transaction, and hope you will buy from them again.  Until then, enjoy the game!  OTHER SELLERS will send you offer after offer, spam after spam, to buy more games from them. 

d) PROBLEM??  Okay, something is wrong with the game...now what?? Contact the seller immediately.  A good seller will respond within 24 hours and offer to fix the problem to your full satisfaction.  They will cover your shipping charges, because it wasn't YOUR fault they sold you a faulty game, and you should not be out a penny if you did not get what was promised.  They care about their customers and will provide a FULL refund, including shipping costs.  The other sellers?  Oh, they might respond to your email within a week, or they might not bother to at all.  And if they do?  They'll ask you to return the game at YOUR expense, and refund ONLY your purchase price, not shipping.  So even though they sold you a faulty or broken game, YOU are stuck paying shipping both ways for them to provide you with a working game or a refund.  They will refund your $10 bid amount, but you're out another $10 in shipping costs.  Your loss...not theirs.  They do not care, because they are busy listing more games to make more money.

> > > > > GOOD SELLERS will provide a full refund, including shipping costs, if your game does not work as advertised.  They are always willing to cover the costs of their mistakes.  OTHER SELLERS will refuse to refund any shipping costs, even though they sold you a non-working game.  Their mistake costs YOU, not THEM.

Well, I hope that was helpful to you.  It makes me sick, some of the tactics I see on ebay--required insurance, extra handling charges, requests for upgraded shipping, etc.  Find the good sellers...you'll see it in their feedback.  You won't have to scrutinize their listings to find that tiny text that says you are REQUIRED to buy insurance, even though the shipping and handling cost at the bottom of the page says insurance is optional.  If there is too much text to even find what you are looking for, go elsewhere.  They do this so that you can't find all the hidden costs of doing business with them.

BUY VIDEO GAMES FROM GOOD SELLERS.  CHECK FEEDBACK AND CHECK SHIPPING COSTS.    DO NOT BE FORCED TO BUY INSURANCE.  DO NOT PAY EXTRA CHARGES.  DO THIS and you will have a GREAT experience on ebay!

Please let me know that this guide was helpful to you.  I put a lot of time and thought into it, plus years of observation.  Please check that this guide was helpful.  THANK YOU!