So, you've seen an item that you really want. It's going for a good price, you're going to bid on it but you stop - is this seller reliable? Here are some things you should consider so you know whether the seller is reliable or not.

1. Feedback: I would avoid buying from someone with a low amount of feedback, but if they have 100% positive you can be fairly sure that they are a good seller. One thing to check here is where their feedback came from - if Joe (5) has all 5 of his comments from Bill (5) you could be worried - if they have low feedback, you want to hope what they do have is from reliable people.
If they have a feedback rating below 100%, always check out what brang their rating down - www.toolhaus.org is handy here -because sometimes theyre rating was lowered even though they shipped a replacement, returned the money etc. As a rule of thumb, I avoid bidding on anything when the seller has less than 95% feedback.

2. Listing: You can tell a lot about the item by how it has been listed. Look for clear, informative information; whoever wrote this is the person you will be dealing with throughout the transaction! Also, read the listing very carefully; we all know the story of the guy who bought an Xbox box. Be sure to read, look at the pictures and ask a question to be sure you're getting what you think you're getting. It's often a good idea to ask any questions you want to because it also gives you an idea of their response time.

3. Other Bids: If an item is going for a great price and has a few minutes left, don't rush in; see if you can figure out why no one else has bid on it. It may be that it's an ebook, an item with high postage costs, a seller with low feedback etc. A bit of healthy competition doesn't nescesarilly mean it's a safe item, but it's a good sign.

I hope you have enjoyed my guide! If it gets many hits I'll do some more work on it and write some more.
Happy Bidding!
-Sam Mclean