by Jasey Rae

Created on: September 27, 2009

With so many Ebay sellers nowadays, it is hard to tell which you can and cannot trust. New buyers don't know how to tell whether a seller is legitimate or not. This guide will give you tips on how to choose the right seller and not get ripped off.

1. AMOUNT OF ITEMS SELLER HAS FOR BIDDING
When you search for your item, check how many items the seller has up for bid. If he has a large quantity of one item up for bid, it is possible that the items could be counterfeit. For example, if you are looking for a Coach purse and the seller has about 10 purses up for sale that are the same, and they are very cheap, they are most likely counterfeit. It depends on the kind of items being up for sale. If the items are expensive and the seller has a bundle for sale, it must be fake.

2. CHECK THE SELLER'S FEEDBACK
If the seller has a lot of positive feedback, it is most likely that he/she is a legitimate seller and won't rip you off. Check how many items he/she has sold, and then check if the feedback is positive, negative, or neutral. If the seller has negative and/or neutral feedback, check the feedback comments and see what the buyer said. This is where you will get an idea if the seller is legitimate or not.

3. TYPES OF SELLERS
When buying on Ebay make sure you look out for 3 types of sellers: Sellers who never ship the merchandise. Sellers who accept really low bids. Sellers who use multiple user names. Think about how much the item you are bidding on costs, and how much the seller is willing to sell it for. If the bid seems too low, then you might be getting a counterfeit.

When buying on Ebay or any other auction site, you have to remember to research the seller. Don't just buy from anyone. If you see an item you want for cheap and the seller has not sold anything before, you shouldn't buy it. It could be a fake account used for selling one item. If you do somehow get ripped off, TAKE ACTION. First contact the seller and ask about your product, if you get no response, give them a negative feedback, and report the seller to Ebay. You can also issue a complaint with the FTC, the National Fraud Information Center, or, if the seller is a business, the Better Business Bureau.

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