Without a doubt, eBay has become one of the most popular places on the Internet to find the unique, unusual, collectible, and practical. But is buying there safe?

First, you have to realize that you are buying from individuals that have no connection to eBay except for using their venue to sell their goods. eBay as a company provides an excellent Frequently Asked Questions section about buying and selling, and also a good data base to search for answers to specific questions.

If you’ve found something you want to bid on or buy, first look at the seller’s feedback. Bear in mind that there are always “revenge” cases, so one or two negatives, especially from the same person, may not have a great deal of veracity. However, a feedback rating of perhaps 96% with several notations over six months about not receiving shipments, or goods that were not as listed, could be reason to look for another seller. Sellers may also choose to keep their feedback comments private, so you may not have insight into why the comments are negative. In those cases, err on the side of caution.

Because these are not businesses with reputations that you can track through sources like the Better Business Bureau, you may not want to deal with them directly by giving your credit card number to pay for your purchases. A far better choice is to use a service like Paypal, which allows you to pay for items on eBay with funds in your online “account”, by transferring money to Paypal from your bank account, or by using a credit card.

The advantages are that if you paid with Paypal, and do not receive your goods, Paypal will refund your money unless the seller can prove they mailed the item. If you used a credit card and did not receive your goods, you can apply for reimbursement through them.

It is wise, if offered, to take out shipping insurance both for breakage and loss, as well as to have a receipt that proves the value and when the item was shipped.

To open a free eBay account, click here.

To open a free PayPal account, click here.