Unfortunately There are criminals and they ruin the eBay experience for many innocent buyers and sellers. I hope these tips will stop some of you from getting conned on the internet. I have used some examples that I have experienced or heard of.

For Buyers

General things to concider

1) Is it the actual item?

Beware what you are bidding on is is the actual item. In many auctions on eBay the auction is for a link, not for the actual product. I have already produced a guide on links and pyramid schemes. In many other auctions the item is not genuine. Examples are Oakley sunglasses and Gucci bags etc. I have also produced a guide on spotting fake Oakleys. Other things to look out for are copied DVDs or CDs. You know when they are fake when it says in the description that they are 'back-up files' and 'you should only buy them if you have the origional'. Don't buy them, you will be helping fraudsters!

2) Is there a photo?

If there is a photo is it one taken from the internet or is it one the seller as actually taken? If the seller has taken the photo himself/herself then the sale is more likely to be genuine.

3) Feedback

A mistake I made and it cost me £171.00, don't buy from sellers with a low feedback rating and lots of negative comments. I bought a phone from someone with two comments, one being negative. It prooved costly. You can usually trust shops, people with high feedback and when the seller is signed up with square trade.

4) Payment

When paying with PayPal you have some fall back if thing sgo wrong. There are fraud protection policies etc. However if you pay with other methods you may not be covered. If you don't have PayPal I would advise you get it. If you pay by other payment methods send it with insured delivery. Never send cash! Don't use any money transfer systems, it is the easiest way for fraudsters to get your details.

e.g. If you ring up and pay with credit card how do you know the person on the other end isn't going to use your details. The same applies for bank transfers.

5) Know what you are bidding on.

When you know what you want you should research it. Know you are not getting a fake. Read eBay's safety policies and ask questions. Genuine sellers won't be afraid to answer questions.

For Sellers

General things to concider

1) Non Payers

There is nothing more annoying than a non payer. In most cases they are people who are new to eBay, with a feedback rating of less than 20. In most cases you can e-mail them and explain what they should do and it usually works out. In other cases you may have to report them to eBay. You can block bidders with no feedback or no PayPal account etc. It is up to you, but remember some of them will be genuine. People are more likely to pay if they have PayPal.

2) When to send the item

Only send the item after payment is received or has cleared. You don't want to give them the item and not receive the money. I they want to return the item only pay them when you have received it.

3) Policy

Set out a clear returns policy and postage information. You want to make it clear to buyers the postage price and the returns policy so they can't accuse you of anything. e.g. you will only accept returns if the item is unused. This will stop them from using it for a week, getting bored and sending it back.

4) Insurance

Always offer insurance. If the buyer doesn't want it then get some kind of proof of postage, this will stop the buyer accusing you of stealing if the item gets lost in the post.

5) Be Honest

Be nice to the buyer and increase your feedback rating in case you have a difficult customer. I know as I have had a few in the past. Always describe the item fully and truthfully and everyone will be happy.

I hope this helps.