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I have been an e-bay member for several years as both a buyer and a seller. I have only had two bad experiences with the items I purchased. One was a ring that looked great in the picture and description--but was a VERY cheap item when it arrived. I reported this to e-bay and the seller was removed due to many reports of this type from other customers as well. The other problem I encountered was with a seller that did not deliver the item--they were removed by e-bay as well. Overall the items I have purchased have been exactly what I expected and I have been very pleased with the service and response to problems or concerns from the e-bay support staff. It is a great medium for hard to find items and a great place to sell things that you no longer need or want. My husband had taken a rail buggy as trade for some construction work--and it spent the next several years setting in my front yard. I advertised it as "Yard Art Looking For A Home" and a man from South or North Dakota bought it and came and picked it up--we live in TN. I have sold many large and small items and have met some really nice people. We have purchased clothing, horse tack, computers, monitors, video games, toys, shoes and many other items at great prices.

Set your top price and let the bid assistant do the work or if you enjoy the thrill of last minute bidding--then enter your own bids. READ the descriptions carefully to be sure of shipping costs or hidden costs in the listing. If you are not sure about something--push the ask the seller button and submit your question BEFORE you bid.

Feedback is important--look at the % of Positive Feedback on a seller before you bid. E-bay removes sellers with more than 10% negative feedback in a given period--so you are fairly safe if you pay attention to the %.

Paying through Pay-Pal allows you a secure method of payment that can be tracked. But I have paid and received cash for some items--especially large items that are picked up. Pay in a way that feels comfortable to you.

Do not let a seller raise the shipping price after the close of an auction--this is illegal--report it to e-bay. Honesty is a large part of buying and selling on e-bay. The staff tries to keep people honest and make the experience great for all.

If you have never tried e-bay, you are missing out on a wonderful chance to purchase some great items at unbelievable prices. Check it out!