As we all know the potential to make an honest buck selling on eBay is becoming more and more limited. With eBay fee increases becoming more and more of a regular thing, many sellers are counting their losses and heading for the hills. An even more alarming thing has been going on via the auction site; the scammers and fraudsters are becoming much more technologically advanced. The only benefit I can see from the fee increases is all in favor of the buyer. By raising the fees the small time sellers and fraudsters will likely steer clear. However, it is disappointing to see it become more difficult for the little guy to get his piece of the action.

There was once a time when you could browse eBay listings with little to no worries - but I just wanted to warn all readers to be sure you look at every auction with at least a little bit of suspicion. When buying a high ticket item, be sure it's from a reputable seller with a good feedback score. Be sure to also pay attention to the shipping charges described in the auction. Many shady sellers will post valuable items with low buy it now prices only to turn around and make up their losses with outrageous shipping (which is against eBay policy by the way). A final thing to take note of prior to placing a bid or purchasing an item, is where the item is located. I prefer to purchase from U.S., Canadian, or U.K. based sellers. From my experiences many of the electronics and DVD's coming from places like China are inferior quality and often times are refurbished items being sold as "new." This isn't to say that all items coming from China are ones to avoid, occassionally you will find a great deal on a nice item, just try to use some common sense and follow your intuitions. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, then it's probably a duck. If an auction or a seller seem shady to you then follow your instincts because you're probably on the mark with your judgement. Don't hesitate to report an auction or a seller to eBay if you feel there is a violation or scam going on - this will improve the entire eBay community.

I hope this helps you avoid some of the potential scams out there waiting for unkowing innocent bidders to come along and get their pockets picked.