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April 5, 2005

Dear CNET members,
I frequently sell and buy on eBay, and even with a few hundred feedbacks under my belt, there are times where I still got burned on a transaction. Why? Because I broke the No. 1 rule in my book: read everything carefully, from the description to the shipping to other info. And if anything in detail is even slightly in question, don't be afraid to ask. I learned that doing a little homework on the eBay seller goes a long way toward preventing a bad experience, but what it really boils down to is using common sense. If you go by the old adage "if it's too good to be true, it probably is," you're almost ahead of the game. But let me stop here so that you can read the great tips provided in our Tech Nightmare series about eBay. And if you've ever experienced an eBay transaction that went south, share them with your community of members in the TalkBack section. And hopefully with us armed to teeth with your experiences and stories, we'll all have a smarter way to approach the eBay world.

Cheers!
Lee Koo
Manager, CNET community

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This week's hot topic:

eBay nightmares
The latest in our Tech Nightmares series really got you typing. While sharing your own horror stories, many of you offered great advice on how to deal with eBay auctions. Here are some of the more interesting tips you gave.

Look past the feedback
You find an active seller with a long eBay history and an impeccable feedback rating. They're selling a notebook at an amazing price. It should be safe, right? Not this time. By doing his homework, CNET member jchien saved himself from a classic scam.
Read jchien 's full post in CNET TalkBack

Sneaky shipping prices
Hiding the actual price of an item in its shipping cost is a classic eBay scam. As a longtime buyer and seller on eBay, CNET member marshallf3 gives great advice on how to avoid bottom-line surprises and why double-digit shipping costs are sometimes warranted.
Read marshallf3's full post in CNET TalkBack

Gone phishing
Phishing is another classic eBay scam: you get an officially looking e-mail asking you to log in to eBay, but in reality you're being sent to a fake site that's collecting all your info. CNET member Outlier provides this simple and effective way to fight phishing.
Read Outlier's full post in CNET TalkBack

Speak Up!
Want to share your eBay horror stories? Read "Tech Nightmares: eBay nightmares," then speak up in the TalkBack section.

TalkBack about your eBay nightmares!

CNET eBay resources:
• Sell smart on eBay
  From Insider Secrets

• Better buying on eBay
  From Insider Secrets

• Buying software on eBay
  From Ask the Editors

Quick Hits

Here are some great comments you've recently submitted on CNET. Keep the feedback coming!

• Enter the robots
   TalkBack posted in AnchorDesk

• Ten things I hate about the PSP
   TalkBack posted in Fully Equipped

• Never forget a login or a password again
   TalkBack posted in Killer Downloads

Weigh in on this week's hot topic:

Do you use eBay? If so, how often?

If you've never tried it,
why not?

What's next?

Want to sound off on a future hot topic? Dive into some of our community hotspots. Or if you have a special topic in mind, e-mail us.

• IM viruses
• Organize your pixs
• Internet phones

• Must have gadgets
• Fine tune your LCD
• eBay-savvy cameras

Hot Products
Along with sharing eBay horror stories, CNET members had plenty of new tech products to talk about this week.

Samsung YEPP YP-T7Z (1GB)
The latest flash-based player from Samsung offers some innovative features, and many of you took notice. The unit's color screen, minuscule size, and big 1GB drive were big points of praise. However, with an overall rating of 7.5, you also noted a few significant drawbacks, which included tricky controls and limited playback functionality.
Read User Opinions | Compare prices

Siemens SX66
You were in complete agreement with the CNET editors when it came to Siemens's cell phone/handheld hybrid, giving it an overall user rating of 6.7. You loved the phone's support for several wireless standards as well as its Web-browsing capabilities. But one complaint was constantly called out: it's just too bulky.
Read User Opinions | Compare prices

Apple iPod Mini (6GB, green)
The biggest complaints about the first iPod Mini have been squashed with the latest edition, and many of you are cheering. The clear points of praise fall on the player's bigger hard drive (now 6GB) and better battery life (now rated at 18 hours). The only common complaint is about something no iPod has: FM radio reception.
Read User Opinions | Compare prices

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