1. Reviewing the seller’s Rating
2. Asking the seller questions
3. Reviewing the sellers policies on shipping, payments and returns
4. Viewing the seller’s other items

1. Reviewing the Seller’s Rating.

Check a seller's Rating before you make a bid. You can see the seller’s rating on any of their ads, it is the number in parentheses after their user name on the right hand side (RHS) of the page in the meet the seller section. The rating is from 1 to 5, 5 being excellent and 1 being poor. If the seller has a rating of zero it just means that they haven’t been rated yet. For more information on ratings see our ratings guide. If a seller has no rating or a low rating, contact the seller before bidding or buying from them.

2. Asking the seller questions

You can message the seller with questions by clicking the “Ask seller a question” link found on the RHS of the ad listing under the meet the seller section.

3. Review the seller’s policies

• Shipping – Review shipping charges before you bid or buy an item from a seller, and ask to have your item shipped and insured in a traceable manner. See more information on receiving your goods.
• Payment – Consider paying with PayPal or with a credit card, as most offer consumer protection. Be wary of sellers who only accept one form of payment, especially when the seller exclusively requests cashier's checks, wire transfers, instant cash wire transfers (through Western Union or MoneyGram), or cash. Never send cash through the post, and use caution when paying with cash equivalents such as wire transfers. However, it is ok to pay cash when picking up the item in person. See more information on payment methods.
• Returns – Examine the seller's return policy carefully before you bid. The return policy should be contained within the ad listing. If there is no return policy or the details are not complete contact the seller before you bid or buy with any questions about the return policy.

Some questions you might want to ask include:
Does the seller accept returns, or is the item sold "as is"?
Under what circumstances can you return the item?
Do you have to return the item to the seller within a certain time period?
How does the seller provide the refund (cash, credit, reversal of PayPal/credit card transaction etc)?
Who pays for return shipping and handling?

View the seller’s other items
You can learn about sellers by viewing their other active listings. Does the seller offer any other items, or are they a one off seller. Do they specialize in one specific type of item or offer a range of items? To find other items the seller offers, click the "view seller's other items" link on the RHS under meet the seller on any item ad listing.