If you have bid on an item, and the seller has 89 feedbacks, and 42 of them are negative.....
You might have ebay-enittis.
If you KNOW an item is only worth $5.99, but you get into a bidding frenzy and end up spending $79.95.....
You might have ebay-enittis.
If you win a bid, but get buyers remorse- and tell the seller your dog hit the buy it now key.....
You might have ebay-enittis.
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Ebay. It is a wonderful venue. You can buy things, you can sell things. But some people have entered the world of Ebay, and have lost something more sacred than their virginity- their common sense.
There are infomercials proclaiming the magic secrets of Ebay.  The only secret here is to sell a high priced book to thousands so you do not have to sell on Ebay anymore. I bought one of those "Secrets to Ebay Success" books when I first started selling, and there wasn't much in it that I couldn't find on the web doing some research- for free.
When you buy/sell on Ebay, do NOT check your common sense at the door, as so many do. This is a marketplace- not The Golden Kingdom of Wishes and Pixiedust. You do not go into Sears and grab a shirt for $10.99 and tell the cashier, "WAIT- I will give you $19.99!". You do not take that shirt home, and when you find out there is a small stain, call USA Today to tell the world how rotten Sears is- without attempting to return the shirt to Sears first.
Ebay is an OPEN marketplace. Not everyone selling or buying is as honest as Carol Brady. Use your common sense when buying and selling.

When Buying:
- Always check, and read someone's feedback. If you get a queasy feeling while reading it, do not buy the item.
- Always find out the complete shipping costs before you buy. A person should never buy an item for $3.99, and then complain about the $29.99 shipping cost. You did not do your homework first.
- If you are not happy with the item, email the seller before you pop a negative feedback. Too many people are too quick to mar someone's good feedback because they did not contact the seller first. Most sellers would have taken care of the situation to make the buyer happy.
- Do not buy something, then attempt to get out of the transaction by saying someone "accidentally" used your account and you did not buy it. YES, you did. It came through on your account, which you apparently did not sign off of when you left your computer. Buy the item, and resell it if you do not want it. A seller has to pay fees to list each time and your mistake cost them money. When you signed up with Ebay, you agreed to the terms, which binds you to purchase your bid. The rules have not changed.
- Before you bid, READ the listing- not once, but 3 times. I can't tell you how many people are upset after an auction, who did not read the listing, and "thought" it was something else. If the listing is vague, ask questions!
- Do not expect a positive feedback immediately just because you paid for your auction within five minutes of winning. That does not make you a great buyer, it makes you a quick payer. And paying is only part of the buying experience. Understand- the seller may wait until the sale is complete. Do you know how many scam buyers pay right away, and then wait a week and say they never got the item- then file a Paypal dispute and get their money back? And, they keep the item? These types of buyers need to have this reflected in their feedback.
- Always use the Ebay email system.

When Selling:
- If you are a new seller, and are thinking about inflating your shipping costs to make a few more dollars- don't. It is not worth screwing up your reputation.
- If you made a mistake listing something, and it sells, stand by your listing and do the right thing. If you have to take a loss, so be it. Next time you will list more carefully.
- If your buyer emails you with a problem, trying to hide and hope they go away is not the way to go. Respond to all emails.
- No matter what a buyer leaves you for feedback, never, NEVER reply to that feedback by calling them names or sounding like a fourth grade bully. You look foolish. Remain professional at all times, and stick to the facts.
- If you are listing an antique Tiffany lamp for $.99 with the hopes of creating a bidding frenzy, and it sells for $3.99- you have no one to blame but yourself. This is not a wise selling technique. Always list your item for the very least you will take for it- or if you must, use a reserve.
- One way or another- track your packages.
- Spend some time doing some research on the web and within Ebay itself. You can find the best times to end a listing, the busiest Ebay days, the hot items, etc...
- Keep your listings clean, neat and professional. A dozen blinking pictures, a rainbow of colors and listings that are as long as your arm should be reserved for selling things like cookies that look like Elvis.
- Always use the Ebay email system.

If you use the same basic common sense business principles that you would use if you were opening a brick and mortar store, you will have a much smoother experience. Ebay is a faceless community, and people know they can hide behind those selling i.d.'s. Some buyers make threats as if they had the Dream Team defending them. And some sellers get away with all they can just short of having their account closed. However, most buyers and sellers are honest, hard working people who are just trying to make this Ebay thing work. Keep the lines of communication open, be professional and courteous, and remember....

When you do something that is coarse or shoddy, you are not just messing with a user name. There is a person on the other side.
Common Sense. The one thing I wish you COULD buy on Ebay.