Features

1 - Don't rely on the feedback score alone

EBay sellers can often have hundreds of positive feedback comments, but you should always read their recent feedback. Five hundred 'positives' looks great, but if the last five comments were negative, they may not be quite the reliable trader they once were.

2 - Pay via PayPal

With PayPal, your payment is traceable and all purchases are insured for £500 against fraud, loss, damage and non-delivery. To make a claim, go to www.paypal.co.uk and click on Security Centre and then on 'Open a transaction dispute'. You may then need to log in, if you are not already. Finally, click on 'Report a problem'. Claims must be made within 45 days of paying for the item. There is a scam where a buyer asks you to cash a cheque for a higher value and take your payment out of it. This sounds like the risk is on the buyer and it is tempting to take the cheque and save on PayPal fees. However, banks may release funds into your account before the cheque is cleared - you then post your item off only to find the cheque bounces weeks later.

3 - Know your rights

If you buy from an eBay Shop at a fixed price, you've got the same statutory rights as with any other online retailer, including the seven-day cooling-off period during which you can return an item for a full refund. If you buy via auction, the cool-off doesn't apply; the law simply says 'buyer beware'. As long as your purchase arrives as described, you've little legal redress. However, you can lodge a complaint with eBay's Dispute Console; click on the link on the left of your My eBay page.

4 - Check goods quickly

As soon as your item arrives, open it and check that it's working and that everything is included. If it isn't, email the seller immediately. If the seller is uncooperative, file a complaint at the Dispute Console. The eBay team may suspend the seller from eBay.

5 - Deal with non-delivery the right way

First, consider that the item might have got lost in the post. If the seller won't answer your emails, click on the Safety Centre link on eBay's home page. Click on Report a problem and complete the contact form with the item number and details of what happened. Attach any emails between you and your seller. If the seller has been the subject of many complaints and the police get involved, eBay may not let you know what's going on. You may know that action was taken only when the seller is suspended.

6 - Deal fairly but firmly with non-payment

First, email your buyer, who may be ill or having computer trouble. If they don't respond, send a Payment Reminder from your My eBay page. If you still get no response, report the unpaid item in eBay's Dispute Console and file for a Final Value Fee credit. Your listing fees are repaid and you can re-list the item for free.

7 - Spot spoof emails

Spoof or phishing emails are a growing problem for big companies such as eBay and PayPal. They are sent by scammers who may plant viruses in an email's links or attachments. If you get an email claiming to be from eBay and asking you to enter personal details such as a password or bank number, do not respond or click on any links. If you're suspicious about any email claiming to be from eBay, forward it to spoof@ebay.com. See the Community Question and Answer Board for the latest security and phishing warnings (http://forums.ebay.co.uk/forum.jspa?forumID=7).

8 - Avoid fraudulent feedback

If an eBay member offers to sell you good feedback, they're breaking the rules. You should go to the Safety Centre (http://pages.ebay.co.uk/safetycentre), click on the blue 'Report a problem' button and let eBay know.

9 - Keep the taxman happy

Any profit you make selling on eBay counts as taxable income. EBay won't go voluntarily to the Inland Revenue with your details, but under the Data Protection Act the Inland Revenue can obtain details from eBay if they think that you are evading tax. See the government's guide to eBay and tax (www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/selling).

10 - Know where to find help

EBay's Help section used to be hit and miss, but there's now an invaluable A-Z index of every single topic, from creating an About Me page to using eBay on your mobile phone (http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/index/A.html). You can browse this index alphabetically, type in a search term, or just click the All link and read through everything.