To all my friends and visitors:

What are some of the easiest way to bid
and buy safely on ebay?

**Beware of the fact that unfortunately scammers do exist. ALWAYS, ALWAYS CHECK FEEDBACK. Be aware that feedback will rarely be perfect, especially if sellers remain steadfast in their ethics and do not give in to scamming buyers (as in my case). But, all in all, feedback should always be checked, in doing so you will be able to get a very good idea of what your seller is like and whether or not they are trustworthy.
If their feedback is blocked you can still see how many positives/negatives they have, but be on your guard.
There may be a legitimate reason it is blocked temporarily (ie. when an unethical ebayer leaves an uncalled for negative), but realistically 99% of the time, feedback should be open to public viewing. 

**An added protection feature that ebay provides to protect buyers is that you are given the ability to be able to check to see if the seller is 'verified'. When you look at your seller's feedback you will see a circle with a red check and a dot in it next to their numerical feedback. If they have verified their ID by going through additional steps & providing further information regarding their identity this sign will be there.

**Do not EVER EVER pay for anything using
Western Union Instant Money Transfers or cash. 
With these methods of payment,
you cannot retain
any proof of your payment,
and will have little to no
remedy for transaction problems.
Paypal does offer buyer protection for your purchases
and is your best and easiest protection.

*Trust your instincts! If you ever have a bad feeling about something, trust that feeling and don't bid or buy from that seller. There are many unethical people out there who have figured out ways to steal from honest hardworking people.

**Also, remember to leave feedback for your seller
so that others can also feel safe in their
transactions in the future.
This is also a record for you to easily access
that seller's auctions again if you would like
to purchase from them again. 

So be careful and let's all work to keep ebay a
fun, friendly and safe place to visit!

SO LET THE FUN BEGIN!