Ebay, Inc. is the largest and most popular marketplace on the Internet, allowing members to buy and sell almost anything. Launched in 1995, about 147 million people now use eBay. An estimated 430,000 people in the United States and the Uk make all or most of their living by selling on eBay. eBay's online



payment service, called PayPal, enables transactions nearly anywhere in the world.

eBay proclaims trust between buyers and sellers as the key to the success of the marketplace.

On eBay, the payment exchange is left up to the buyer and seller. Whenever

possible, use a credit card, because it protects you from losing your money

outright. If for any reason you don't get the item, or it arrives broken or in a

condition other than promised, you then have the credit card company on your

side. Don't jump in too fast. Take time to browse through lots of comparable

items, to get a sense of what's out there.

One of the most important aspects of purchasing an item on eBay is being sure about the item you want. Knowing the condition of a used item, the authenticity of a collectible or an item's model number are important factors that can have a huge impact on price.

eBay offers users many tools with which you'll be able to choose the perfect item for your needs:

Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram.

These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Spoof emails can be a major problem for unsuspecting Internet users. Claiming to be sent by well-known companies, these emails ask consumers to reply with personal information, such as their credit card number, social security number or account password.

These deceptive emails are called "Spoof Emails" because they fake the appearance of a popular Web site or company in an attempt to commit identity theft. Also known as "hoax" or "phishing" emails, this practice is occurring more and more frequently throughout the online world.

Start slowly. Begin your eBay adventure by buying a low-priced item.

Set the maximum price that you will pay for the item. Sometimes during an

auction, buyers get caught up in the "competition." If you think of the auction

in these terms, you could easily end up overpaying.

If you lose out to another bidder, don't take it personally.

Keep track of your eBay purchases, and how much you've spent on them. It's easy

to become wrapped up in the eBay game, and it can quickly eat up both time and

money.

Before you bid, look at the seller's rating. Have other buyers had a good

experience with this particular seller?

Be skeptical. Items are sometimes sold on eBay for more than their real value.

And although eBay has an internal police force that keeps an eye out for

cheaters, scammers do exist