Offered here are a few tips for auction buyers to make the process of bidding a smoother and more pleasant one.

Know the auction site...the rules of conducting business are different from site to site. Read through and understand them completely before bidding.

Know the item you are bidding or want to bid on. Research a bit and be comfortable the the item in the auction ad is exactly what you think it is. It may sound trite, but many buyers caught up in the auction spirit overlook small details or assume things that aren't factually stated in the listing. If you have any questions or concerns about an item, email the seller BEFORE placing your bid.

Research the seller...check the sellers feedback rating. Are there a lot of negative or neutral comments? Look at the sellers present and completed auctions. Has he or she sold these types of items in the past? How long has the seller been selling on that particular site? Look at their personal or, on Ebay, About Me page if one is available. From the answers to these questions you should be able to form some impression of how the sellers conducts their business.

Know the terms...if the seller does not clearly spell out the terms of sale on their auction listing then you should email them prior to bidding. You should know - before bidding - the shipping cost and method, payment types accepted, when payment is due, and any state tax or any other costs.

Know your limits...the number one cause of buyer remorse is getting caught up in the auction process and spending more than planned. Decide on the value of an item and set you spending limit. If you're not sure you can stick to it then consider proxy bidding. By proxy bidding you enter the maximum you want to pay for an item and the computer will incrementally increase your bid as needed to win up to your maximum amount entered.

Look at the sellers other auctions...if he or she is selling a few of the same item do you really want to get in a bidding war over something you may be able to get at minimum bid next week?

Go beyond the basic search...some sites, again Ebay in particular, will let you search for words not just in the auction title but also within the auction text. Though most never use this function, it will pull up more search results.

Try misspelling words in your search... an incorrectly listed item, such as Murano glass incorrectly spelled as Morano in the headline, will likely turn up fewer bidders. You can often pick up some good bargains this way.

Look beyond the obvious places...if you're browsing a specific category for a particular item you may consider also looking in some totally unrelated categories. Ebay has thousands of categories and occasionally items can show up in the strangest places. I once got a great deal on some baseball cards I found in the home food storage category.

Snipe if you can...sniping is the term for getting your bid in at the last possible minutes (or seconds) of an auction. It takes a bit of self discipline and practice, but can also be fun and rewarding. You can also buy software that will do this for you.

If you feel you been defrauded by a seller, you can go to our Fraud Prevention page for some basic information and resources.