How To Identify Good vs. Bad eBay Sellers.

Look at the seller's feedback: Know your seller (or get to know your seller). You should look at what items he/she has sold in the past. You should also look at the actual remarks left, not just the positive or negative feedback score. There a some sellers out there that are notorious for selling fakes who have 100% positive feedback ratings. This is for several reasons. Firstly, some buyers have no idea what they are buying and have never seen the actual thing in a store. Secondly, some buyers don't mind the fakes and would rather save a couple of bucks (although I am sure they look like crap when they get dressed in the morning because they are more concerned with the logos, albeit fake, than the quality). But, many times buyers are afraid to leave a seller a negative feedback because they fear the seller will retaliate and do the same to them. As a result a buyer may leave positive or neutral feedback for a fake item but say something like "I was not satisfied but seller issued a refund" or, "Not quite what I expected but the price was good." If you see a lot of this type of comment it's a warning sign and means you should investigate further. Perhaps send a message to the buyer asking him/her why they were unsatisfied with the item the seller sold.

Location: One warning sign is a seller listed in China/Hong Kong. Now, please note, there are some good sellers from there who do sell authentic stuff, but I have only seen a couple. The rest are all fakes. If you see China or Hong Kong in the location be very cautious, but remember, this is just a warning sign. There are also many sellers listed in other countries (such as Germany, UK, USA, Canada, etc) that also sell fakes. The reason so many China /Hong Kong sellers are dealing fakes is because many of the fakes are often made there and/or sold from there. The government has been pretty lax in such matters. That, in combination with the cheap labor makes it ideal for counterfeiters.

Communication: If you are not positive an item is authentic feel free to ask the seller any questions you may have. If the seller is responsive and provides you with the information you request it is a good sign. A legit seller should be willing to work with you to answer your questions and not yell at you for asking them.

The Seller's Other Listings: Check what else the seller has listed. Many sellers of fake designer clothing list many of the same item at once, including many in different sizes. If you see a seller selling 30 John Galliano tee shirts, it is cause for MAJOR suspicion. Also, even if you can't tell if the item you are interested in is fake you may be able to tell if the other things the seller has listed are (which would suggest all of them are fake). Also, be aware that in some cases an eBay member may buy a fake online, not knowing it is fake, then, re-list it either because they changed their mind about it, or they realized it was fake when the package arrived. If a seller is selling something they purchased on eBay check their feedback to see who they bought it from.