Buy Safely On eBay

There are numerous viruses (spywares, adwares) in circulations that threaten to damage your computer or spy on your Internet activities. While there is no foolproof way to protect your computer, you can minimize your risk by installing virus protection software, by keeping the virus protection software up-to-date and by using the virus protection software to scan your computer frequently.

Spoof emails and Web sites can be a major problems for unsuspecting Internet users. Claiming to be sent by a well-known company, spoof email directs users to Web sites asking for personal information such as a credit card number, Social Security number, or account password. Never enter sensitive personal information (such as your password or credit card, bank account, and Social Security numbers) in an email. Learn about spoof protection by checking eBay's spoof tutorial http://pages.ebay.com/education/spooftutorial/

Whether you're on- or offline, you must protect your password. If your password falls into the wrong hands, your identity may be stolen and someone else may access your account. Create a more secure password by using a combination of letters and numbers. Change your password often. Don't share your password with anyone. If you're signing in to eBay, only enter your password at a URL that begins with https://signin.ebay.com/

Obtain and use the PayPal Security Key for an additional layer of password protection, authentication and security. The PayPal Security Key generates a new six-digit code each time you sign in. account protection. For an extra layer of account protection, add the code when you sign in to your eBay account.

Pay safely online by never using instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram International to pay for your eBay purchases. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $2,000.

Do not have a Paypal account? Best of all, it's completely free to sign up! To sign up or learn more, click here

Before you bid or buy on eBay, it's important to know your seller. Always look at your seller's feedback ratings, score and comments first to get an idea of their reputation within the eBay marketplace. That will help you make a smart online buying decision.

Always read the item description before placing a bid or buying it. The item description should help you make an informed decision about the product you are going to buy. It's always a good idea to look at the details of your shopping process such as the shipping costs, payment methods accepted, and whether the seller offers a return policy. Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

It's important to have all of your questions about the item you are buying answered. All eBay listings have a link in the Seller Information box to the "Ask Seller a Question" feature. This is an easy way to make sure that you know your product as much as possible before you buy.

An escrow service is a licensed approved company that collects, waits, and sends a buyer's money to a seller according to instructions agreed on by both the parties. Both must agree to use escrow before the escrow process begins. Typically, once the buyer receives and approves the item from the seller within a limited time frame, the escrow service then sends the payment to the seller. Escrow is available for almost any purchase, but typically is used for purchases of $500 or more.

Beware of the fake escrow services when you use them to pay for your eBay item. For eBay transactions, you should use eBay's only approved escrow company: www.escrow.com To avoid being scammed by fraudulent email from a fake escrow service, you should visit the escrow service's Web site to verify information you received via email.