You finally found what you are looking for. You have only 30 minutes left on the auction to obtain it. You are ready to just bid whatever it takes to win it. Hold it a minute…did you check their positive feedback? Sure you did and its great, so why shouldn’t you buy their product?

I was just recently scammed by someone on E-bay who appeared to have positive feedback. I’m an honest seller and a Paypal supporter that has purchased many items on E-bay without a problem. In my haste I went forward and bid on my item that was listed by a seller mygaminghaven. After the auction closed I wanted to pay via Paypal and realized they do not accept Paypal. I signed up for Bidpay as they requested thinking it offered the same protection. Now I have no item, the seller has disappeared and I have a pile of paperwork to fill out with my credit card company.

Here is how you can avoid my mistake:

Step 1 - Check how long the seller has been on E-bay, but don’t judge just yet

Step 2 - Check their feedback. You want to compare their seller feedback to the number of buyer feedbacks received. In my case the buyer feedback was higher and was for items that were 1 cent to 25 cents. The seller was able to increase their positive feedback, in a short time, with minimum cost in order to appear reputable. Many of the parties he/she purchased from are no longer registered with E-bay as well.

Step 3 - What payment methods do they accept? Compare these payment methods to the above steps to get a real sense if this listing could be fradulent activity.

Step 4 - Another item that would make the transaction more comfortable is looking for a completed About Me or My World page about the seller. Some honest people do not have them, however, a dishonest person holds many E-bay names and does not have time to complete them as they disappear as fast as they appear.

Step 5 - If you have the option, pay via Paypal. Your item is protected, the process is streamlined and easy to follow. If you pay via money order or Bidpay you will need to do the homework yourself if a bad transaction occurs with the seller.

I hope these steps will help you avoid what has occured to me. Luckily I have purchased a new game for my son through an honest seller and I paid with Paypal.

Happy Bidding from Happy Jack Ventures - John & Karen