Buying a product from a seller on eBay means you are giving a stranger your money in hope that you will get the product. Regardless of eBay's guarantees to you that the item will be sent, nothing is for sure. How do you know that you are not just handing your money over to scammers?

You don't, that is why it is vital that you check an eBay sellers reputation. This is a summary of the eBay seller's history and will give you an idea as to whether you can trust them with your money.

When you purchase anything before seeing it you are taking a risk; it is in your best interest to minimize that risk where possible.

How to Check an eBay Sellers Reputation or Feedback Ratings

On the items description page, in the top-right hand corner, you'll see a box titled "Meet the Seller". It contains the seller's name, their feedback score and a positive feedback score.

Take note of the stars that they have earned. Depending on their feedback rating, all sellers will earn a star for their efforts. They are earned in this order; yellow, blue, turquoise, purple, red, green, shooting yellow, shooting turquoise, shooting purple and shooting red. Once a seller earns a "shooting" star they are considered an experience member and someone you can trust.

By clicking on the seller's name, this will take you to their "member profile" where you are able to get a more detailed explanation or their reputation. Here you will be able to see all the comments left by previous buyers, both positive and negative.

What to Look For When You Check an eBay Sellers Reputaion

You may think that if a seller has a high number of transactions beside their name that they can be trusted, this is not always the case. The important thing to look at is their feedback rating or percentage. Anything below 99% should be considered a red flag and further investigated.

Their first page of feedback will give you their most recent transactions. Are any of the comments negative? What do they say? Consider other 's experiences, you don't want it to happen to you too.

However, do not unfairly punish sellers. Some bad things may have occurred for them in the past but things have now improved. It may not even have been their fault; just a misunderstanding and the other party could not get over it.

On the other hand, when you check an eBay sellers reputation, do sit up and take notice if the seller has been left negative feedback in the past month or so.

About the Author

Connie McKenzie is a full-time work at home mom who devotes herself to doing the things she loves to do most. Get more eBay tips, download the free MYNAS! The Master Course at =>http://mckenziewebmall.com Before making any purchase be sure to check an ebay seller's reputation.