Michael E. Marotta wrote:
10) Email the seller with questions or concerns

This is one of the easiest ways to avoid getting cheated -- email the
seller. Even if you know everything about the item in question, email a
question anyway. The rapidity, tone, and accuracy of the answer will
speak volumes about the integrity of the seller. I do this for every
purchase I'm remotely uncomfortably about. Sometimes the reply is
sufficiently scary that I don't bid. Sometimes they don't bother to
reply at all -- again, no bid. But if the reply is nice and
professional, I bid with confidence. I've never been "cheated" on eBay
(knock wood).

--
Bob