• 168 million registered users
• Over 60 million items listed on the site worldwide
• 5 million items listed daily
• eBay's feedback forum works effectively to provide information about users' trading history and to expose disreputable traders
• eBay currently has over 1,000 people worldwide with backgrounds in law enforcement, customer support, advanced computer engineering and analysis dedicated to making eBay one of the safest places to trade online
• eBay takes fraud very seriously and, in the UK, employs an ex Scotland Yard officer as liaison point for law enforcement agencies

• Have a clear understanding of what you are shopping for and be aware of the market price for the item.
• Review and study a seller's feedback according to the guidelines provided by eBay. Buyers should read through the comments and note the "member since" date and also have a look at the other items the seller has sold. Buyers can also contact other users who have dealt with a particular seller if that buyer has questions about the feedback to ensure the seller is reputable.
• Read the item listing carefully, especially the item description, payment terms, postage terms, and return/refund policies. Examine any photographs carefully to assess the item's condition.
• To avoid misunderstandings, contact sellers directly through the site with questions, including questions about the quality of the item, its origin, and its payment and postage terms.
• Consider traditional postage methods to ensure receipt of purchased goods in acceptable condition, including insurance and COD programmes.
• If there is any doubt about the transaction, use escrow services where available, which ensure risk-free transactions for a small fee. Be careful of fraudulent escrow sites - eBay recommends www.escrow.com.
• Do not deal with any sellers that insist on payment by Western Union or other money transfer services. There is a high risk of fraud associated with these types of money transfer services. If in any doubt, use credit cards with agreements that protect you against fraudulent transactions where available, or PayPal.
• Be wary of sellers who do not have reliable contact information or who do not respond directly to questions.
• Do not undertake transactions about which you would feel uncomfortable in your regular life off the Web. For example, you should verify the trustworthiness of a seller before sending cash (or cash substitutes, like wire transfers).
• Be wary of any offers made by a seller to sell their item without bidding or buying via the eBay site. Transactions that do not take place through eBay are not eligible for the safety-related services including buyer protection and dispute resolution.

• We encourage all users to visit the eBay Safety Centre, where they can not only find useful tips for buying and selling safely but also report any issues to our customer support team.
• eBay encourages open and honest communication and we know from experience that issues of this kind are often resolved by a simple phone call. To request the other user's contact information, buyers are asked to go to The Registered User Information Request page.
• If that fails, eBay recommends the use of SquareTrade, its preferred dispute resolution provider. SquareTrade offers two services: a free web-based forum which allows users to attempt to resolve their differences on their own or if necessary, the use of a professional mediator. It's free to file a complaint and SquareTrade will contact and encourage the other party to respond to the user's case. SquareTrade can help:
  - resolve understandings fairly
  - provide a neutral go-between for buyers and sellers
  - reduce premature negative feedback
  - generate trust in the eBay community
  
  http://cgi3.ebay.co.uk/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?UserinformationRequest
• PayPal will investigate any transaction where the PayPal service was used to send payment. In many cases, PayPal also may be able to provide reimbursement, if the complaint is filed within 30 days of date of payment. Information regarding how to make a complaint with PayPal can be found at
  www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/protections-buyer-outside
• Users are also encouraged to consider contacting their local police to report an incident, ensuring that they obtain a crime reference number. If a buyer does choose to contact their local police, eBay will gladly help the police with any inquiries they may have. The investigating officer should contact eBay through the webform at
  http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/contact_inline/report_listing.html.

• eBay offers its users a 24hr online support service
• eBay can respond more quickly and efficiently to its community via email, which ensures a superior service for eBay users and is one of the many reasons it has this type of support available
• You should contact customer support if you see any suspicious activity on the site

All press enquiries should be directed to Seventy Seven PR
eBay - ebay@77pr.co.uk
PayPal - paypal@77pr.co.uk

For eBay UK Motors PR enquiries, please contact:
ebaymotors@lexispr.com