by Eric Quaal

Created on: April 06, 2011   Last Updated: April 07, 2011

eBay has been a worldwide marketplace for buying and selling since 1995. It has attracted people from all walks of life. Whether they are trying to sell some of their old stuff or buy that last item to finish their collection, there are a multitude of people that visit eBay everyday. Along with all this popularity has brought the scammers and con men, trying to make a quick buck at the buyer’s expense. Luckily, there are a few easy way to make sure you’re not their next victim.

Look at Feedback

People who buy and sell on eBay rack up points known as “feedback score” for every transaction. Some have as little as three points while others have into the millions. This is a valuable tool for finding out the reputability and legitimacy of the seller you are interested in buying from. The first thing you should do if an item seems too good to be true is look at the seller’s feedback. In most cases, if the seller is a scammer, they'll have a lot of negative feedback and unhappy customers that reveal his scam. Look at this feedback closely and read through some of it. Once you view his feedback, if you feel that the seller is a little sketchy, you shouldn’t but from him because there is a good chance it’s a scam.

Read the Description of the Item Carefully

On eBay, typing in one word can generate thousands of items for sale. When scrolling down the pages after pages of results, your eyes are attracted to those with an interesting picture. However, pictures can be misleading. Although this isn’t always the case, some sellers try to get more attention for their item by adding a picture of more than what’s for sale. For example, if you were to type in “coins”. Thousands and thousands of results would come up. Some of these show pictures of hundreds of coins in a huge pile, when really all they are selling are ten random coins from the huge pile. If you were to bid on the picture alone, you would’ve got a surprise when you opened the package. Therefore, always read the description before bidding on an item.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions

Some of the items on eBay are very interesting and worth the money. However, not all of these items come with a detailed description of what you’re bidding on. Asking questions is a surefire way to either learn more about the item and bid on it, or discover that the item is not as it appears. Let’s say you’re looking for a vintage Shell advertising

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