Easy steps to shop on eBay with confidence

eBay has almost everything you could be looking for. Whether you're shopping for something as simple as new socks or looking for something as specific as a vintage jacket from your favorite brand, eBay is the place to look. Despite the convenience of being able to get everything you need and want from the comfort of your own home – or wherever you are – online shopping can still be a bit daunting, especially when it comes to eBay. Being vigilant about navigating the web, distinguishing reputable sellers, and making safe and secure purchases may have kept you on the sidelines in the past, but now you can shop with confidence.

As an avid user, I've bought everything from auto parts to clothes, shoes and electronics on eBay, and you can too. You probably already have an item in mind that you plan to buy soon, so instead of going to the store, make another purchase on eBay.

Check out easy steps to shop on eBay with confidence below:

Find the perfect item.

eBay's home page has specific categories as well as suggestions to help you find the items you're looking for. No matter what you're looking for, you'll be able to narrow down your search by filtering a large number of relevant fields. If you know exactly what you're looking for, use the search box to enter keywords such as year, size, color, or even the item's SKU.

Look for the right offer.

Buy! You don't have to jump at the first thing you see. eBay is a huge marketplace, so it's very likely that you'll find more than one of what you're looking for. Some items may be cheaper, in better condition or take less time to arrive, so it's worth checking all of these before you buy.

See seller feedback.

In the upper right corner of each ad you will find seller feedback. This may be the first sign that the transaction will go smoothly. You'll see how the user has recently made other sales transactions and what buyers are saying about their experience.

Note the feedback number. Someone who has been an eBay user since 2005 with hundreds or thousands of feedback should be more credible than someone who signed up a few months ago with one feedback.

Feedback percentage is equally important. Users with 100% or close to 100 & feedback have a good experience with buyers doing the right thing.

Listing style affects how you should approach buying an item. Here is the procedure:

• Buy Now — If you want an item, you must pay the listed price in full.

• Or Best Offer - Users have the option to include BIN style listings of the "Or Best Offer" button. Use it! The seller can accept, counter or reject your offer. You are limited to how many times you can bid on one listing, so make what you think is a reasonable bid. Don't waste your bids on cranky shenanigans.

• Auctions - I find that bidding at the very end of an auction is the best way to get an item at a low price. Add the item to your watchlist and eBay will notify you when the auction ends. Come up with the highest amount you're willing to pay for the item and bid in the last minutes. This gives other bidders less time to outbid you, and you'll often win the auction for less than your highest bid.

You are protected! Shop with confidence.

eBay offers a money back guarantee to buyers. If the purchase does not go as planned and the seller does not cooperate, you will be able to get a refund without much difficulty.

If you don't have a PayPal account yet, sign up now.

PayPal makes shopping easy. You can link the account to your bank account, debit card, and/or credit card, so you won't have to enter numbers and expiration dates every time you make a purchase. Also, some sellers only accept PayPal payments, so don't limit yourself.

PayPal also increases the security of your purchase. PayPal is another layer of security for buyers. Using PayPal makes the process of getting a refund through eBay's money-back guarantee seamless, as PayPal will also advocate for the buyer.

You probably already have an item in mind that you plan to buy soon, so instead of going to the store, make another purchase on eBay.