I wanted to pass on my experience with HIGHLAND BAGPIPES item number 190157383426 and Seller Id: STANP386 to recommended that you don't repeat my mistakes and avoid a big head ache from any seller. Here is what to do.

Check the feedback of the seller for all sales fb especially of the item you are thinking of bidding on. For those interested in receiving feedback for your prompt payment check the sellers feedback left tab. Also check the completed auctions of the seller to see if he has sold multiples of the same item. Contact winners of the same item to see if the item was as described and if they were please.

First read the ad and ask lots of questions of the seller. This is a great way to see if they are responsive. You also will find out if they are rude. Sellers should be at their best in talking to future customers. Would you buy from a store if the clerks ignore you? Now give the seller at least 3 days to respond, don't ask a question in the last two hours and expect an answer before it closes.

If the auction is a private auction move on, this is a way to hide items from future bidders if they have multiple items. and their ad makes it sound like they have just this one item from their closet when in fact they are ordering inexpensive Pakistani pipes.

Here is the ad from the auction I bid on and my mistakes. He listed highland style bagpipes, never used, made of rose wood, maker origin unknown, no paypal

IF I had done my home work I would of discovered all the dishonesty in the ad:

HIGHLAND BAGPIPES, pipes were Pakistani but seller still won't admit it.

To me Highland is Scotland. ask for clarification on all terms.,

ROSEWOOD, another word to indicate that it is a cheap Pakistani set

, MAKER and Origin unknown, Since he has sold multiple sets he has to know origin and maker. I would of discovered this if I had checked his closed auctions.

NEW item, asked to verify condition.

Does not accept paypal. Run, no protection if using a check/money order. Even with paypal you need to use a credit card for funding so that you have the back up of the credit card if you return the item. You have the right to return items that are not as described or broken under credit card rules.

All of the words should of scared me away. He also used a private auction so that I couldn't find how many items he had sold in completed auctions. Also read review guides, there was already one warning of this seller and Pakistani Pipes.

Finally really check out the feedback of any seller or buyer. when there is 1000s of feedbacks it is hard to find the problem auctions. There is a web site called Toolhaus where you can check Ebay feedback quickly. do a search on toolhaus for their site.

All of these would of scared me away and avoid a negative from STANP368.

When a bidder or seller leaves a negative on the other party , they usually receive a retaliatory negative that the person will use to get the feedback withdrawn. You can always check the date and time and see who left the negative first and that will give you a good indication of who is being retaliatory.

Just so you know how great toolhaus is, Put his id in the search and it will pull all negative / neutral feedback on his id.. You can use this to look up any sellers feedback

Put his name in their web search and you will see he has had 27 negative netural withdrawn comments.

THE AUCTION NUMBER TO LOOK UP is 190157383426 to see what the ad looks like and how he is using the system to prevent bidders from doing their research on a seller easily Have a safe and successful bidding week