Shopping on eBay should not be intimidating. I get questions and comments all the time about scary experiences on eBay. If you follow a few simple rules, you should be safe in your purchases on eBay.

First of all, sellers are on eBay to make money...remember that Nothing is Free! No matter what they promise that you will get free, nothing, I repeat nothing is free!

Checking Out Your Seller:

• Always start your search by checking the feedback number and score of the seller. It will look like (545) 98.9%, or something similar. Click on the feedback number to see what people are saying about that seller. If other buyers have commented that shipping is really slow, then you may want to avoid that seller, and move on to the next one. Most good sellers will ship their items within 2 days maximum of receiving your payment.
• If the seller has received a lot of neutral or negative feedbacks recently, then you may not want to deal with that seller. Believe me, it is not worth the aggrevation of dealing with a bad eBayer (seller or buyer). Do not put yourself through it. I personally will NOT purchase from a seller with less than a 98% Feedback score. Do yourself a favor, Move on to the next auction.
• Check for a return policy. Very important that you can return your item if it was not what the seller advertises. Make sure that you have an option of returning a bad item. Good sellers will honor their items.
• Check to make sure the seller uses PAYPAL. Paypal Will Return Your Money If Your Seller Is Dishonest! I can not stress this one enough, DO NOT buy from a seller that does not use Paypal in some fashion or another. Sellers that only accept Money Orders are often shady, that's why mainstream buyers avoid them. Keep in mind, some sellers use Google checkout or Auctiva or some other guaranteed system for credit cards, but all of these accept Paypal, and Paypal is guaranteed to return your money if your seller is dishonest.
• Lastly, be sure to read the sellers rules on payment, shipping and returns. This is important information, and if you bid on the item, you are bound by those rules, even for hidden costs the seller may have in there. ...example: Required Insurance Cost...

Check the item:

• Check to see if the item is used or new BEFORE bidding. Do not get surprised after you've won that pair of underwear that they were advertised used, and you thought they were new. Check First.
• Check for every option on the item. If you are buying a camera, make sure that the battery is included with the charger and the manuals. Make sure that the memory card is included or not. Items that are not included can be costly. Sellers do not always list items that are Not included, only the ones that ARE.
• Check to see if insurance is included, extra, or even offered. Sellers should not be held accountable for Postal mistakes.
• Make sure the item WORKS! Check the description carefully to ensure that the seller has stated the item DOES WORK!

Bidding on Your Item

• Ready to Bid? If you are happy and comfortable with your seller, and the description looks good, lets bid! Start with a bid that you are comfortable with. Place the maximum bid you will be comfortable paying for that item and leave it. The biggest mistake that buyers make is to make incremental bids, which drive up the price of the auction item and end up paying more for a used widget, than if it was purchased NEW! Now as a seller, I shouldn't say this, after all, I am here to make money, right?
• Figure your shipping into the price you are paying. Keep also in mind, you ARE SAVING GAS MONEY by having this delivered to your house.

Talking with your seller:

Do not be afraid to ask your seller a question. Be sure to ask a day or two before the item auction ends. The seller sometimes is flooded with emails, and it takes a while to answer them all. If you do not receive an answer within 12 hours, then I would not use that seller again. Most sellers will answer you back the same day or next morning.

Winning Your Item:

• Okay, you've won your widget, now it's time to pay. If paying with Paypal, make sure that your address is correct with eBay so the seller can ship your item to you! I have had a few people that emailed me weeks later to say that their address was wrong and they didn't receive their item. Sorry, I sent it out to the address that was given me by eBay and Paypal, as a seller, I can not do anything about that situation. make sure your address is Correct!
• If paying with a Money Order, which some sellers accept, as I do, then complete the checkout process, and choose money order option to let your seller know how you will be paying. If you do not complete the process, your seller does not know what's going on, and could file a dispute after 7 days of non-payment.
• Make sure you send the Money Order out right away. Sellers only have to hold your item for 7 days before they can re-list at their option and file a dispute against you. Do not let this happen. Communicate with your seller.
• Ask the seller to let you know when they ship the item. Good sellers will let you know.
• Do not ask for tracking unless it was offered, or you pay for it. Tracking cost extra for sellers, and unless it is offered, do nto expect it. Pay extra if you want it. Tracking is only good to let you know if the item was delivered.

Receiving your Item:

Oh At last, you receive your item. If it was everything you had hoped for, let the seller know how happy you are, LEAVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK! Sellers love Feedback, I know I do. I read every one, and answer some back.

If you have a problem:

Contact your Seller Immediately! Do not automatically leave bad feedback. Sellers will sometimes take offense, and will not help you any further. Talk with your seller, and work something out. Usually I will refund or replace the item if the buyer is unhappy.

If your seller does not respond to your emails within 24-36 hours of reporting a problem with your item, file a dispute with eBay/Paypal on the item first. This will let your seller know you mean business and you will get their attention. Still, DO NOT LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, yet. Save that until last. Some sellers do have problems, so save the feedback until all is said and done. When you work out a deal with the seller, or you get your refund, leave feedback accordingly as to the entire transaction.

Personal Note: Everything I have writen here is only from personal experience on eBay. Many of these points come from actual questions asked of me, or problems I have faced. I am no expert, but I have yet to have a bad buying experience that I did not work out to my satisfaction. I hope these simple guidelines have helped in some way. Visit my site, check me out, send me an email. Thanks, Luke.