How to Tell if an Ebay seller is legit or a scam artist

Ebayer sellers, most are good, some are bad.

Buy something off ebay and haven't gotten it yet? Want to purchase an item but you're not sure if the seller is legitimate? Read these tips to learn how to identify good ebay sellers, and the scammers.

Things You'll Need

• Ebay account

Instructions

1. Check the sellers feedback. If its above 98% the seller is probably good. If the feedback score is below 90% stay away from this seller.

2. Look at how many feedback points the seller has. If they have less than 11 feedback points, you may want to hold off. If they have 10 to 100 feedback points they are probably trustworthy. If the seller has over 100 feedback points chances are very good they are legit and a very good seller.

3. Don't pay too much attention to negative feedback the seller has, as long as they have an overall feedback score of over 98%. On average an ebay seller gets 8 negative feedbacks for every 1000 feedbacks received. Some people just aren't satisfied no matter how good the seller.

4. See how long the seller has been registered, and from what country. Countries with a high fraud index are more likely to have fraudulent sellers. USA Sellers who have been registered for more than one year are more likely to be legit.

5. If you are skeptical of a seller, try to find the same item from a seller with better feedback. If you feel you have waited too long on a paid order, contact ebay and paypal, as they have buyer protection programs for this.

6. Pay a little extra for delivery confirmation when you order. Also buy insurance. These cost very little but are a great piece of mind when buying.

7. To be extra safe you can search the sellers username along with the phrase "rip off" in google to see if anyone is out on the web complaining about the seller.

Tips & Warnings

• Always buy delivery confirmation if available.

• Contact Seller first. Then try Ebay or PayPal. Sometimes the mail just gets slow.

• Never buy from a seller who has a feedback score of less than %85.

• Don't leave feedback until you receive your item.

• Never give a seller your credit card info through an email. They have secure third party systems such as PayPal for this kind of purchasing.