There has been a lot of debate on whether shopping on eBay.com is safe or not. For the most part, shopping on eBay can be
a great experience if you know the safety basics.
#1. Pay using your credit card through Paypal.com. Paypal.com gives the buyer protection and if something was to go wrong, most time Paypal will side on the buyer’s side and give you your money back. (Once you have a formal complaint and followed eBay’s and Paypal’s directions.)
#2. Never pay for your item by sending cash, wiring money, or transferring money in the
seller’s bank account. Perhaps the seller is honest and you would not have any problems… however why tempt fate? Put all the chances on your side and play it safe.
#3. You can often have a good indication of how trustworthy your seller is by looking at his feedback score. (Previous buyers have rated the transaction that took place with this seller.) If the seller has had many negative feedbacks, stay clear from this person. It is better to perhaps pay a little more by choosing another seller than to end up having a bad experience in trying to save a couple of dollars.
#4. Look at the
shipping costs. Some sellers will sell their item at a very low price to entice buyers… but will then charge a lot more on their shipping fees. This is how they attempt to make money. If the shipping costs are not indicated, always contact the seller to inform yourself on how much the shipping costs are prior to bidding on the item. It might save you from a bad surprise.
eBay also has a “community center” where you will find message boards. You can ask questions and other users (and sometimes eBay employees) will answer you. If you are not experienced in buying on eBay and you have a few worries or questions, message boards can be a good help.
Often times on eBay the rule of thumb is “if it seems too good to be true… it most likely is.” Have fun shopping (safely) everyone!