Many persons wishing to buy or sell on ebay for the first time have told me of terrible stories they have heard from unhappy buyers and sellers. Some might be true, but the majority of buyers and sellers are honest people like you.

I reassure them, because I know different. All it takes is a little time to actually read the comments others have written about a potential person or business they are contemplating.selling to, or buying from.

Feedback is like a pedigree. Whilst it is freely given, (good or bad,) it is also a controlling factor for all those of us on ebay. Nobody wants negative feedback and we wear our positives like a badge of honour. A negative is a slur on our outward persona, it hurts.

Those new to ebay are more inclined to give negative feedback because they have not discovered how the system works, and so they do not value it. That is one of the reasons sellers are wary to have dealings with a person with zero feedback. I try to welcome them and explain when things go wrong, rather than ignore or stop them bidding. We were all new once, wern't we?

An old story says it all:

In the city of Baghdad there lived a wise man named Omar. Many came to him seeking his counsel which he gave freely, seeking no reward. A young man who had spent much but received little came one day and asked him. "Wise one, what shall I do to receive the most for what I spend?" Omar replied "A thing that is bought or sold has no value unless it contains that which cannot be bought or sold. You must look for the priceless ingredient."

"But what is the priceless ingredient?" The young man asked

"That is simple" Replied the wise one. "My son, the priceless ingredient of every product in the market place is the Honour and Integrity of those who sell it. Consider their name before you buy".