I've been an eBay PowerSeller for over 3 years now, and I love PayPal because it's the easiest, safest, and most convenient way for me to get paid by unknown buyers out there.  But if you're a BUYER and you want to purchase something on eBay for more money than you want to lose from someone with less than a stellar feedback rating who insists on PayPal, check, or Western Union, DON'T USE PAYPAL!   You may think that PayPal is similar to paying by credit card because of the carefully-worded assurances and marketing messages employed by PayPal to build confidence, but the truth is IT'S NOT THE SAME!  I know from personal experience and a lot of research that YOU - the buyer - are much better protected when you pay with VISA or Mastercard or Discover or American Express than you are when you pay using PayPal.  Don't get me wrong - if you're dealing with someone trustworthy, then PayPal is definitely the way to go because it's fast, easy, and reliable.  But if you have even the SLIGHTEST DOUBT about a seller, then you need all the protection you can get against the transaction going awry, and credit cards offer by far the best insurance - because you can call whoever issued your credit card and dispute the charge, and they will FORCE the SELLER TO PROVE that YOU not only AUTHORIZED THE CHARGE but RECEIVED THE GOODS!   That's why as a Seller, I MUCH PREFER PayPal over credit cards (even though PayPal's fees are higher).  As a merchant who accepts credit cards, I get downright annoyed at the work I have to go to just to prove that some deadbeat buyer is trying to cheat me.  PayPal shifts the burden of proof to the buyer, not the seller, which is why I love PayPal as a seller.  PayPal protects me well against fraudulent buyers - but when I'm buying, I recognize that the protection against fraudulent sellers is not nearly as strong.  It's there, but it's time-limited and much more difficult to file a claim.  You have to carefully STUDY and LEARN what to do to get your money back from PayPal after a transaction gone wrong.

I once bought a laptop part from a company on eBay that had more than 3000 positive feedback, but about 2% negative.  It was not as described and not as they had said it was in answer to my questions, and so began my excursion into eBay / PayPal hell - trying to get a company who knows how to beat the system to own up to their obligations.  It was like a game of chess - they had an answer (sometimes outright lying) to every move I made to try to prove that they owed me either a refund or the right part.  In the end, I lost because they outwitted me by replying to the Dispute Resolution with just a period and waiting me out!  I'd tell you the name of that company, but they're now longer active on eBay.

So to protect myself when I'm bidding on or buying just about anything on eBay, I look at two important things in order to save myself time, hassle, and money: the seller's profile (feedback and About Me) and what forms of payment they'll accept.   

Feedback isn't the perfect way to tell if a seller is honorable and will honor their word for a simple reason: there is a HUGE difference between feedback received as a buyer and feedback received as a seller. Someone who never sells anything will always have 100% positive feedback because eBay now prevents sellers from leaving negative feedback for buyers. I made the mistake of buying something from someone who had a 280 100% positive feedback score - all from buying. He was a terrible seller - sending me something clearly used and even defective that he had sold as new. Now, when I buy something, I look carefully at their feedback received as a seller.

So to summarize:

- When buying anything on eBay, always save time and money by looking at a seller's feedback.  If it's less than 99% positive on at least 100 feedback as a seller, investigate further.  If the buyer doesn't also take credit cards, then resist the temptation to try and get a deal that's too good to be true - it probably is.

- Use PayPal for any eBay purchase where you can trust the seller (99% or better positive feedback over a year or more) or wouldn't be devastated if you couldn't get your money back.

- Otherwise, look for a seller who will let you use VISA, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express.  If they accept credit cards, and you have any doubts about them, then just pay them with a credit card.

I hope that my experience and perspective helps you make better purchasing decisions on eBay to get great deals from solid sellers and avoid getting taken by those disreputable jerks who exploit the system.  If not, let me know where you think I'm missing the boat - feel free to contact me via eBay.  If it has been helpful, won't you take a moment and encourage me to write more Guides by clicking on the Yes button below?  Many thanks and may your eBay adventure be as exciting and valuable for you as it has been for me!