Check the website Take to consider the website’s reputation in finding a good online classified. Check the website if many people use this website as a way to buy and sell their products. Good basis would be: they can publish new advertisements everyday, they are information rich website, they can publish images of the product, the website has a high page rank, has a forum, etc. Item seller Look for some testimonial that a person has a good reputation. It can also help you to have a background of the person that will sell the product. Try to gather some information about the item seller to see whether if he or she is a scammer or not. Look for the quality of the items Gather information for the product that you want to buy. Learn to ask from others’ opinion and weigh it, so you will not regret later on. Gather information about the product by asking the item seller if it has a scratch, damage and defect. Check the item price Don’t forget to make a canvass if the price is too high or not. Check other websites to determine if the product is worth your money. Please be aware of hidden charges. Make sure you do not overpay. How old the product is It is better to know what is new and what is old. Make sure that the product is durable. Also you must be able to distinguish if the package has been repacked or repaired. Maybe if it is too old, it will easily get broken. Ask for a warranty A personal warranty is a good thing to have. But it all depends on the seller if he or she gives a warranty. Try to settle a return agreement or a new item replacement if you have any problem with the product. If possible, ask for a money back guarantee. Transaction Make things clear between both of you, especially when regarding transactions. If it is to be delivered, don’t approve to deliver it in your house without you receiving it. Make sure you have the time to accept the package yourself. This allows you check the quality of the product. Check the quality by carefully looking at all the aspects of the product like parts, damages etc. Make sure that you buy an authentic item and not a fake one. If you don’t like their service, let them know what the problem is. These will help them enhance their service. If you both agreed to meet at a certain place, the item seller usually is the one who goes to the buyer’s place. If both of you will meet at a certain place, be sure that you will able to test the product before you buy it, by this you will able to know if it is defective or not. It is a great idea if you are accompanied by a knowledgeable person. Raymond M. Crisostomo http://www.ozfreeonline.com