eBay seeks to minimize trading risk and create a safe trading environment regardless of geographic distance and differences.

To manage risk:

• Review the seller's feedback prior to bidding on or buying an item.
• If you see anything that makes you uncomfortable, either avoid placing a bid on/buying an item or use an escrow service (if available).

In addition to the many measures that eBay takes to create a safe trading environment, there are two useful services that can help you further manage risk.

Escrow services
An escrow service is a neutral, trusted, third party who acts as an intermediary in a trade in exchange for a fee. The escrow passes payment to the seller and the item(s) to the buyer only if the item(s) and payment meet expectations.

Check out the Using Escrow section in Help for more information.

Dispute resolution services
If a transaction is not completed according to the agreement in the View Item page, it is critical that you email the seller to understand the basis of disagreement - the problem may be a simple oversight or misunderstanding. You and the seller should attempt to resolve the issue and complete the transaction. However, if this approach is not successful, dispute resolution services are available. For a fee, these services will work to help you resolve the issue.

Check out Square Trade to resolve an online dispute.