I'm trying to buy a pair of shoes (Jordan 11's) and I'm not sure if i can trust sending my money to whoever and getting new shoes in return instead of some old raggedy converse or something
128465
typically ebay is a trusted site.. side on caution if you don't feel comfortable though
341794
Possibly through a 3rd party like Paypal.
9328
You don't, unless the woman is a friend of yours.  It would be totally impolite to ask a stranger to let you try on their shoes, even if you were another woman.\n\nWhat you can do is ask where she got her shoes, and then go there and get a pair for yourself if they're still in stock (or have a female friend pick up a pair for you if you're too embarrassed to do it yourself).
633591
Only if they are non profit and you got a receipt. Then you could claim it if you itemize. Otherwise just wait for karma to mail you some luck and kindness down the road.
394885
Hi Trishka,\n\nBelieve it or not this is common practice and is not necessarily dodgy. Check in the address bar, is the address https:// and not http://? HTTPS means the transaction is a secure one. If you're unsure about the company you're buying from, a quick google search of the company name will reveal everything you need to know
431530
That is something you get to decide.\n\nOnce the item as been "sold", you are responsible to contact the buyer and arrange payment.  Most common method is a money order.  The buyer purchases the money order for the amount of the sale (shiping, etc) and sents it to you.  Then you mail the item.  Recommend you NOT take presonal checks as they can bounce, while a money order will not.\n\nOr you can set up a PayPal account.  When you set up an account, you give PayPal the information for your bank account.  When the deal of completed, the buyer contacts PayPal and has them transfer the sale price from their bank account to yours.  So as the money shows up, you ship them the item.  There is a small fee (something like 3%) to use PayPal.
17216
Sounds like you're getting scammed. Does someone want you to wire them money?
413277
This has got to be a huge fraud.\n\nAnyone who asks you to send money to them before they can send money to you...should be sending up BIG FAT RED WAVING WARNING FLAGS.\n\nPost more info in the question (by editing it)...I bet we'll find a weblink that nails this person in short order.
522039
You should ask the seller first. Ask them how they acquire the stuff, what is the condition, is it used or not, etc.\nBeware of scams, usually goods that come from China or Africa are fake. Make sure that the seller accepts paypal as the paying method because it is safe and includes insurance in case the item is not delivered.\nYou can also use escrow service to protect your transaction. Again, you have to ask the seller first if they agree before using the service.\nRemember, don't pay if the seller choose Western Union or Moneygram as the payment method. It's a scam! Because it is not traceable if you use this payment method.\nMy advice, if the price differs far from the retail price. I can say that the stuff may be not original, refurbished, broken or may be it's a scam.
481964
ask to the person you bought
392123
Usually the easiest way to tell is the price, if it is way too cheap and they are selling  a ton of them its probally bootleg, also a good way to tell with clothing and shoes is that they will list the seller being in hong kong, china or asia. since thats where the highest quality bootlegs come from
410579
Have you heard of buySAFE? They will guarantee the sale for you. But I seem to recall that they take 1% of the transaction as their fee for the service.
415777
well you simply dont ship it until you receive funds, make sure its through paypal. dont accept a cashier or bank check, they look real and can fool the banks as well until weeks later when they retract your funds. Just get a shipping confirmation, when the item is delivered he will have to sign for it, its only a few dollars, and well worth it
375286
ITs possible that the reciepient, cannot trace who send the money to them...coz you will give some reason to the counter...you just tell them that this is a gift or you dont want them to know who gave or send money to them....just gave them the number where they can contact you incase the money rejected.  Or you can gave some alias.
13439
you might just want to get a new pair of shoes, once they get dirty, they never are the same
113010
do not open. or if u do, dont contact them by sending a reply. its fraud, and u could lose money. trust me.
38575
let the buyer beware. You can do some homework. Does he have any feedback? positive or negaive? can you purchase item through Paypal? that will give you certain rights, but there may be dollar ammount limits. Ebay has a safeharbor that allows you to resolve many problems with buyers. Is the item underpriced to coax you into buying it, or is it in line with other vendors? Is the seller insisting on cash in the mail? Don't do that! Not traceable! I suggest you take your time. I've bought some pricey items there, never had a problem, I've also asked many questions to the sellers, including for more photes, to authenticate the item being what it is listed as, shipping costs, and more details.  Earnest sellers want to please you and show you exaclty what they have to offer. \nI have also had a few items that were not up to specs. Communication with the sellers, in a non-threatening but assertive way usually can get the problem solved, but on a few occasions I had to use e-Bay's and PayPal's dispute resolution centers. \nAdditionally, I rate any ebay experience, and if it is not satisfactory I reflect that. I report abuse and wrongdoing to try to prevent it from happening again.\nI've been very happy with ebay.Good luck!