The majority of buyers and sellers at eBay are honest and reliable. Here's how you're protected with built-in safeguards every time you buy or sell:

• Instantly check the "reputation" or business practices of anyone at eBay. The Feedback Forum is a place where users leave comments about each other's buying and selling experiences at eBay. If you're a bidder, check your seller's Feedback Profile before you place a bid to learn about the other person's reputation with previous buyers. If you're a seller, do the same with your bidders.

• Every eBay user is covered, at no additional cost, by the eBay Fraud Protection Program. If you paid for an item and never received it (or if you received the item, but it's less than what was described), eBay will reimburse buyers up to $200, less the standard $25 deductible. Visit our Fraud Protection Program page for more details.

• SafeHarbor, eBay's comprehensive safety resource, is here for your protection. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes there is misuse on Bay. SafeHarbor springs into action and tries to resolve issues in many areas such as fraud, trading offenses, and illegally listed items.

• An escrow service can give you added security whether you're a buyer or seller in transactions involving expensive items. eBay's escrow partner, i-Escrow, will hold your payment and send it off to the seller only after you've inspected your merchandise and given your approval. As a seller, you have the same opportunity to inspect and approve a returned item before the buyer gets refunded.

• A dispute resolution service will work with buyers and sellers to help resolve disputes that may arise. SquareTrade, eBay's preferred dispute resolution provider, helps eBay users resolve disputes quickly and fairly.
  

If you need more help...
Check out the Help Basics section for friendly answers or find top eBay questions at the bottom of many eBay pages (such as search results or item pages).