To be successful on Ebay or in life in general you need to have a good reputation. In other words, people have to trust you. Trust is something that must be earned. It is not given freely. Trust is the key to building a good reputation. The two words are almost the same. It doesn't matter if you are a newby or old timer to Ebay, or a buyer or a seller; if the word gets out that you can't be trusted you won't be successful. Buyers will stop looking at your items and sellers will be blocked you from bidding on a their products.  

What can you do as a buyer to gain peoples trust. First is pay for the items you purchase as soon after the item closes as practicle. If an item closes at 3:00 AM, and you don't pay till 8:00 AM a seller isn't going to hold that against you. If an item closes at 7:00 PM and come midnight you still haven't payed then they will start wondering. Paying by PayPal is the best method. Most sellers prefer it and it adds protection for both parties. Try paying for items within the first 5 minutes of closing. The next thing is communicate with your seller. Make sure your shipping address and email address are current and always refer to the item number. If there is a reason you can't pay now, tell them and let them know when they can expect payment. Then be sure to pay by that time. Communicate before the sale also. Be sure the item meets your needs before bidding. Once you have the item in hand, if there is a problem work it out with the seller befor leaving feedback. Lastly leave good feedback as soon as any problems are worked out or as soon as you receive it if there are no problems.

What does a seller need to do. Keyword is "Honesty". When you list an item, describe it the best you can. Let folks know exactly what to expect. State your policies up front. Don't hide them in an about me section etc. Make sure the item you are selling is available. Nothing more frustrating for a buyer than to win an auction only to be told the item is not available. Communicate with the winners of your auctions. Check your email (and My Messages) often and respond in a timely manner. Be courteous, and reply to the concerns of your buyers. Automated emails are fine for somethings but give your customers a differant email address to send problems to. Give your customers plenty of options as to how the package is to be sent (flat rate, media mail first class etc.) Next package your items securely and mail them as soon as possible. Give your customers the tracking number so they can watch out for it. Once the package is received, respond to any complaints. If you sent the wrong item, the buyer should not have to pay to ship it back. Stand behind your mechandise. If a refund is due, make sure it is given in a timely manner. Lastly once you have received your feedback send the buyers theirs. Nothing wrong with giving feedback first either, and don't retaliate with the feedback.

Once trust (your reputation) is established, a lot of problems can be easily corrected without bad feelings. This leads to repeat buying and a long lasting relationship. In an on-line environment nothing is more vital to success than your reputation. Take good care of it.