Buying on eBay: Things I have learned

This is by far and away the most important factor in any purchase. I would avoid, without exception, buying ANYTHING of value from a seller with a rating of less than 30 to 50 feedback score. Sadly there are many people who have listed expensive items on eBay, sold them, collected the money and disappeared with no product shipped. Here the old addage "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" definitely is worth keeping in mind. I have been on the receiving end of this myself and it is an experience to be avoided.

2. Feedback of the buyer.

This gives you more detail on the level of satisfaction of buyers with that seller. Anything less than 98% is not acceptable, especially if the seller has a high feedback score. Also, scroll down through the feedback comment pages and have a look at the comments, especially any negative or neutral ratings. Avoid slow shippers, poor communicators, and people who do not offer a return policy.

3. Ask questions of the seller.

When buying on eBay it is perfectly acceptable to ask sellers questions about their return policies, shipping costs, handling costs, warranties on the items and the like. The seller should be clear on all of these issues. The best scenario is where the seller is selling you an item with a return policy if used, or a warrant AND return policy if new, particularly with expensive items such as solar panels.

One particular thing to look for here is whether the seller will accept a return from an item damaged as a result of mishandling in the post. If you take the registered post option this will be a far smaller problem as the postal insurance should cover the damage.

4. Trust your instincts.

If a seller seems dodgey, steer clear of any sale. This impression could come from any number of factors; maybe they have no rating but are selling heaps of expensive things at low prices, or selling things at a way too low price. The effort sellers put into their auction or store ads is also some indication of the seller's quality, but again tread with caution. It's worth taking a little more time in order to make sure you get a genuine deal.

5. Pay with Paypal.

I feel a bit off recommending this since when I sell on eBay I prefer not to be paid by Paypal; they also charge the seller a fee. However, the benefit for you buying on eBay is huge; Paypal offers a Buyer Protection scheme for Australian eBay purchases up to $3000au, with similar schemes operating worldwide. A friend of mine had to use this due to being scammed, and she was reimbursed by Paypal for the lost money, a sum of $au 400. Beware of any seller that is not prepared to accept Paypal payments. Paypal has the added benefit of you not needing to give the seller any account or credit card details, and for buyers there is NO COST associated with your Paypal account.

Paypal is owned by eBay. Your Paypal account can also be used for just about any type of online payment now, so looking into setting one up is a definite winner.