You Can Bid and Buy Without Worry!

Just a few simple steps to follow each time you find that item you just can't live without.

1. Look at the Seller's Feedback
2. What is ID Verified
3. Closely read the item's Description
4. Ask the Seller a Question
5. How much is shipping
6. Return Policy
7. Red Hot Items
8. PayPal vs Check, Money Order, Cashiers Check
9. Spam and Phishing

1. Look at the Seller's Feedback

The seller's feedback indicates how other buyers and sellers feel about the individual's character and ethics.  ALWAYS...look at the Feedback of the Seller before you even start to examine the photos, listing description, shipping charge and method, or anything else!  I can't place enough emphasis on Feedback.

Feedback is the "Driving Record" of the Seller.  Each time someone leaves feedback for a seller (or buyer) it is because overall, the transaction was at or above or below their expectations.   

If the Seller has 100% Positive Feedback, look at the Number beside the Seller's User Name at the upper right of the listing.  This number will have a Star beside it.  The Star Color indicates the Level of Positive Feebacks the Seller has received overall, both from Buyers and other Sellers.  You can see what the Star Color indicates by hovering your Cursor over it. 

This really is not as inportant as the Number next to it.  Note: If the number of "All Positive Feedback" is Higher than the number of "Members who left a positive" this means some of the members have left more than one feedback.  Feedback scores only indicate the number of "unique" members who have left feedback.  In other words, if you purchase your pet supplies from "petsupply48" you will only increase their feedback score by 1.  This prevents unscrupulous Sellers from "planting" ficticious buyers to "feed" their feedback score.

Do not concern yourself with those details.  In short, look at the Sellers Feedback Score, the Number of Positive Feedback Left and Read, emphasis on Read, what the feedback left says about the Seller.

If the Seller has Negative or Neutral Feedback, scroll through the list and see why.  Note the reason and click on the member's username to go and see what feedback they have left for others, and what feedback others have left for them.  Usually the one leaving the Negative Feedback has also left Negative Feedback for others as well. 

Also read what the Follow-up reply says about the incident.  What Feedback Score does the member have.  Most Negative Feedback is generated by users new to the Online Auction workings, and assume things should have gone differently than they did.  Usually Shipping, Communication and Inexperience with online transactions are the underlying cause for Newbes Negative Feedback. 

In a nutshell, follow the advice in "Buy Safely" at the top right of the listing.  If the Seller has a History of Ranting about how they have been "ripped off" or such, avoid them.  Believe me, after spending 5 or 10 minutes reading the Feedback Comments, you will be Very familiar with the Seller's Character.

2.    What is ID Verified?

When a member is ID Verified, they have been confirmed by eBay that they are who they say they are.  Ebay uses one of the three Credit Reporting companies to confirm the personal information the member submits to ebay is the same as that which they have on file.

You can tell at a glance that a member is or isn't ID Verified.  If there is a White Circle with a Red Checkmark and a Blue Dot, they are ID Verified.  You can be confident you are dealing with someone credible.

3.    Closely read the item's Description

This is where you can determine the Seller's Attention to Detail.  Read the Description carefully.  Don't worry about spelling and grammer as much as the details about the item.  If there is a photo, does the description match the item displayed?  If the listing has details from "Item Specifics", is this information describing the item in the photo and description?  Almost all Sellers have made mistakes and typos and listed an item without catching the mistake.  This is to be expected.  But are there Gross Errors in the areas mentioned above? 

4.    Ask the Seller a Question

If the item is the only one you can't live without, Contact the Seller and ask for clarification and additional photos.  They should be more than happy to answer your questions and email additional photos to you...and even thank you for catching their error.  Should you "Hide Your Email Address" from the Seller?  That is up to you.  You will need to allow them access to it if you request photos.  Otherwise using the Contact Seller link is secure and usually safe.  I say "usually".  This is explained in more detail in section 13, Spam and Phishing.

5.    How much is shipping

NEVER bid on an item that does not have a Shipping Cost listed anywhere in the listing.  You could be charged Anything and you may not be please with that.

Shipping is a way some Sellers make money by inflating their Shipping Fees.  If you go to the USPS or UPS websites, and you know what the item weighs, you can determine what a fair Shipping Cost should be.  Granted, some items may not be available for purchase at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Lowes.com, etc., and other retail stores. 

So how do you get an idea about an items weight and packing requirements?

In the left margin under "Search Options", you will find a selection of check boxes and one in particular labeled "Completed Listings".  Check the box next to it and click Show Items.  Listings which have closed recenty will be displayed along with their Final Sale "Price" and "Shipping" cost charged.  If your item appears in the displayed results, you can get an idea of what most Sellers are charging for shipping. 

Depending on wether the Seller uses New or Recycled packaging (you may not know which) the "handling" they charge may be different than an identical item.  We use recycled packaging whenever possible.  Maybe we save a tree...maybe not.  At least we tried.

Before you Bid, don't be afraid to contact the Seller and Negotiate the shipping.  If the shipping is listed as Priority Mail, you could ask them to ship your item via Parcel Post to reduce the cost.  It doesn't hurt to ask. 

I have purchased items and didn't receive a response to my request for combined shipping before.  But due to the rediculous low price, even with shipping, it didn't matter that much.  Some Sellers offer items like Cell Phone Batteries for less than $5.00 and charge $4.99 Shipping but do not combine shipping.  Still, $10.00 for a $30.00 item is still a good deal.

Again, it never hurts to ask.  Plus, when you are ready to purchase these items again, you will most likely return to them for your items.  I do.

6.    Return Policy

ALWAYS look for the Seller's Return Policy.  I usually move on when there isn't a Return Policy on the listing.  This is Always asked for when the Seller to fill out the Sell Your Item form and usually there is a reason the Seller omits it.  Again, contact the seller, if the item is something you "cannot live without" and ask them to add the Return Policy to their listing.  They may have overlooked this in haste to list the item, their kids may have turned over the aquarium or the spouse may have thrown a dish at them...again...it doesn't hurt to ask. 

If the listing has the Return Policy on the Item Listing, you have assurance that you can return the item if there is a problem with it. 

One other thing...Return Postage.  You purchase a toaster from Walmart and it electrocutes you, well, maybe not a good example, rather it dosen't work when you plug it up.  You take it back to the store, again, granted you may not make a special trip to do so, and return or replace it.  Walmart, or any other retailer, will laugh when you demand gas money for having to make a trip back to the store.  Given the price of fuel and your time, the actual cost is about the same.

Don' expect the Seller to pay for returning the item, that is why Insurance is worth spending $1 or so to recover the cost of damage or mishandling during shipping. 

After all, If you see the Seller has Excellent Feedback and the Item was a fair price and Shipping was reasonable, more than likely the Seller isn't responsible for your item not being in one piece, or not working.

Most Negative Feedback comes from Buyers receiving defective or damaged items, and, unless the item was Grossly Mispackaged, you shouldn't blame the Seller.

Most Sellers will offer to work something out with you if there is a problem.  After all, their Feedback Reputation is the single most important thing about the transaction.  I have refunded purchase price and shipping several times, even though what the Buyer described as the problem was not very likely the actual cause of the problem.  Result?  Still 100% Positive Feedback.  Even after selling an item that I lost and couldn't ship to the Buyer, they left a Positive Feedback.

7.    Red Hot Items

Remember last Christmas when your neighbor's kid got his Playstation 3 on eBay for only $1500.00?  Red Hot Item.  Ebay has a policy about such items that you should familiarize yourself with.  These items MUST have a Photo AND the Store RECEIPT MUST be clearly displayed in the photo.  This is to prevent Black Market or Counterfit items from being sold to the unsuspecting Buyer.  Most folks aren't concerned with the receipt, but when their item malfunctions and they find the Seller is "no longer a registered member" on eBay, they have no where else to go.  The repairs are all out of their pockets.

8.  PayPal vs Check, Money Order, Cashiers Check

OK. So you won the Super Widget and are ready to pay for it.  How do you do that?  There are only a couple of ways that you can do so and be protected against fraud or deception.  One is when your Seller accepts Credit Cards.  Another is PayPal.  This method will protect you if:  you are, of course, a registered PayPal user and the Seller is also a Registered PayPal user, and, You Have A Confirmed Address.

So what is a Confirmed Address you say?  A Confirmed Address is desinated as the address you have registered with PayPal, and, your Bank Account has been Confirmed by PayPal. 

So How do I Confirm my Address you say?  You will find the instructions on PayPal to provide your vital information along with a Checking account which PayPal will make two (2) deposits of a few cents each of different amounts.  When you see the deposits posted to your account, you will return to PayPal and follow the instructions for entering the two deposit amounts (which, incedentally, you get to keep) and then PayPal will process your address and "Confirm" it.

You may Buy and Sell all day without having a Confirmed Address, but, some Sellers refuse to sell to anyone without a Confirmed PayPal Address.  This is their right.  With a Confirmed Address, PayPal can recover your payment to a Seller if there is a problem, just as your Credit Card Company can.

I personally discourage use of Personal Check, Money Order and Expecially, Cashiers Checks.  These are too easily Counterfitted and Forged causing the Seller a lot of greif, even though they do not ship the item until the payment clears.

PayPal, on the other hand, is the quickest, safest and most accepted form of payment you can use.  I just received a PayPal Debit Master Card that will allow me to Withdraw the funds at any ATM and not have to wait 4 to 5 days for the transfer to my bank account.  Don't plan ever using it(a zillion percent intrest).

So...Get your Address Verified.  By the way, if you have only a Post Office Box, you  will need to request a form to return to PayPal to allow you to Confirm your PO Box Address.  I now have both USPS PO Box and UPS physical address verified.

9.    Spam and Phishing

I cannot remember how many times I receive an "Official" looking message from eBay of PayPal, in my browser email inbox, requesting some kind of information of to accept an "Upgrade" of some kind from a real registered user.  Trouble is, the real user isn't aware they have sent anyone an email using their user name.  This is Phishing (fishing) with a legitimate sounding request.  Believe me, you will not be able to tell the difference, except, if you go to My Messages is My Ebay, you won't find the message there.  This is certian. 

So what do you do about it, you ask?  Just open the email to allow the Headers to be shown in the body of the message (this will not cause your computer to disintegrate) and click "Forward".  What kind of Spam could I possibly get from Ebay?  Well, there are hundrede of "Registered Users", legitimate registered users you can find on ebay, that will send you a message telling you about "Offers you Can't Refuse"...take my advice...REFUSE!!!  They are fly-by-night, here today and gone tomorrow scam artists.  They will ask you to go to some website and sign up to sell or buy wonderful things...said the spider to the fly...

The one I personaly like is the one where the ebay user asks why I haven't paid for the Boat, Car, or other item I know nothing about.  Incidentally, under the Users Name, there is a note saying "you have "0" bids with this user" or something simular. 

Think before you bid and you will not regret doing so.