Before you make your purchase, check out their shipping options before deciding which to use. Sometimes there is very little difference in cost between a method that takes six days and one that takes 10, but the six day option may have a delivery confirmation, which the retailer will have to produce in the event of a dispute. Alternatively, if you are buying items from a source like eBay, you may want to take the insurance option for the same reason – so you will have protection in case the item is not delivered.

After ordering, make a note of how long their site suggests delivery will be to your area. Remember that time period is usually estimated in business days, which does not include weekends or holidays, all of which can delay a parcel. Allow a couple of days to pass beyond the estimate, then contact the seller with all your order details including the number, items, costs, etc. They will research it from their end, and may provide you with a copy of their invoice showing the parcel was sent.

Ask for directions on how to proceed if the item does not arrive at all. Most retailers will be glad to provide directions on how to apply for a refund, and what to do if the item should turn up after a refund is made.

If there is a dispute with the retailer about the refund, you may wish to speak with your credit card issuer, and forward them any proof you have that the item was ordered, what the amount was, and any emails that show the lack of cooperation from the retailer.

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.

Let’s say you’re after a collectible item like a Kliban cat teapot. If the auction expires in six days, and there are already two or three bids on it, you know this is going to be a popular item and may require some strategy in bidding.

Should you bid your maximum amount right off the bat? That depends on whether you’re going to be around to up the bid at virtually the last minute. If not, then go ahead and put down the max. Other bidders who are just testing the waters may up their own bids, and after being shown they are outbid, will drop out of the running. Otherwise, it’s generally best to wait to bid until the auction ends, to keep prices from going to high and help ensure you’ll get the item for the price you want it.

The alternative is to make note of the time the auction ends, and “sit” on the item, refreshing the page constantly for the last few minutes, to see how high the bid has gone. Some bidders are very adept at entering a new bid, and slipping it in under the wire with only seconds left. eBay offers features like reminding you of which items you’re watching and can even remind you on your cell phone, if you’re so inclined.

When bidding on small items, like a necklace or craft supplies, most bidding increments are in .25 or .50 amounts. Make your bid an odd number that falls in between those figures, so that if you bid $6.93, and someone else starts out at an amount that ends in .25, .50, or .75, they will be forced to bid in that increment, and may very well give up at $6.75.

Now that you have some great bidding strategies to start with, open your free eBay account today!

One good example is mystery shopping. This is a service run by a company on behalf of corporations or chains, who are checking on the quality of the various branches.

Many home-based moms are attracted to the idea because you get paid for shopping, dining out, or staying at hotels. But some of them end up paying for the secret to getting this cushy job, when there is none. All you will get for sending your money, is a list of firms that legitimately hire mystery shoppers, or instructions on how to surf the Net for mystery shopping jobs.

And that, you can do yourself. There are many legitimate mystery shopping offers and many firms will allow you to apply online, and after passing their qualification tests, you’re in. Without paying. But don’t count on it for the big checks that the scams say you can get.

If you want more information on legitimate mystery shopping, check out the Secret Shopper Club. This guide really focuses on how to find the best paying mystery shopping jobs that you’ll enjoy the most. This guide is written by an experienced mystery shopper who is now sharing her secrets. It’s not simply a list of companies you can work with, but real tips on finding the right jobs.

Or, how about free offers? Who doesn’t like to get a makeup kit, perfume, etc. for absolutely nothing? If the offer is on the website of a major retailer or manufacturer, it’s likely valid.

First look at the page itself. Is it well done? Are there grammatical and spelling errors? Some say to beware if it just a one or two page site, but many above-the-level companies use this style, so that is not a sure clue.

Instead, look more closely at the site. Do you find a lot of paid ads or links on it for other products/sites? Then what you have come across is generally one of two things: either someone who is gathering your information to sell, and there is no free offer, or someone who has set up a page to make money from clicks on the other sites/links, and the form actually leads nowhere. Either way, you’re the loser.

If you’d like a legitimate free offer, click here.

You might consider creating a folder in your browser’s Favorites section, that will allow you to bookmark such things as the tracking page of vendors who offer that feature. Then you’ll be able to access it instantly when checking on the status of your order and shipping.

When you have placed an order, most sites will provide an order number at the end. Write that down and keep it in a safe place. If you’re not sure they provide that, and want to have a back-up record, you can take a screen shot of the final order page which shows your items, and the amount paid. To do this on a Windows OS keyboard, press the “Prt Scr Sys Rq” button, and open a word document. Right click on the blank document and use the “paste” function. It will reproduce the image on your browser screen. Save this in a special shopping folder on your hard drive, and name it with the store and date, for example Green Things 010906.

You likely won’t need that, but it’s nice to have if, for some reason, there is no other acknowledgement of your order, such as when you have made an error in your email address Normally, you will receive some type of email notification that will give the items ordered and total, plus the date shipped. Create a folder in your email program for such receipts, so that it will be easy to locate should you have to contact them about the item or delivery.

The first is from a “pity me” person, a widow, orphaned child, disabled soldier, etc. who has had to flee their country and now can’t access the family’s millions in a bank there. But you can! Then they’ll ask if you would be willing to help them hire a lawyer or pay a middleman anything from a few hundred to thousands of dollars to get the money out of their country and into yours, and for that they will give you half the funds.

Then there is the surprise relative/family friend you didn’t know about, who has just died in Lagos, or Zambia, or other unrealistic place, and left you several million, but the estate costs to process it are XXX dollars, and if you will just forward that to this law firm, they’ll transfer your funds immediately.

And of course, there is always the lotto! With such things being so popular in America, it’s no surprise that this is the latest phishing scam, but like all the others, it involves paying out money in order to get the prize.

Most of these originate from foreign countries, with the majority from places like Nigeria. While you can report them to the FBI, through their Internet Fraud site, there is nothing they can actually do, since the FBI has no authority in Nigeria, and the Nigerian government is making no move to crack down on these people. It can however, aid the FBI in tracking a particular scheme so they are able to warn others.

It’s a shopper’s haven, and heaven in many ways, since stores are open 24/7. Even if you need more information, you can email late at night, and get a reply the next day. Short on time to get something? Many retailers will offer a variety of shipping options from USPS to courier delivery for an extra charge.

Most people find that they can save both time and money by shopping online. For one, you aren’t driving around to several malls, fighting crowds, and paying for gas and still not finding what you want. It’s less stressful, and takes less time to surf the Internet for what you want, and then do some price comparison to get the best buy.

Remember though, that you may still have to pay tax if that retailer is in your state. There are also shipping, and sometimes handling charges that can raise the price significantly. But you can also save on these by ordering several items from the same store, particularly if you’re shopping for clothing, or gift items for the holidays.

It’s as simple as doing a little “window” shopping while the laundry is in the washer, and making note of the store name and price, or else book-marking the site for a return visit.