It's a good idea to take precautions when using Yahoo! Auctions to buy and sell your items. There's always some risk involved in transferring goods and payments between two parties. Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind. These tips are not designed to scare you, but to encourage you to be smart, use common sense, and have fun.

Know who you're dealing with.
In Yahoo! Auctions, transactions are between buyers and sellers, so it's important to know who you're dealing with. Deals should only go forward if buyers and sellers are comfortable with each other and with the terms of the sale. Check out the buyer/seller ratings. Read through the comments to see how they have handled other transactions. Be sure to read all the comments, and check back throughout the course of the auction because comments and ratings can change. If a buyer or seller is new to Yahoo! Auctions, ask for information that can be verified, such as an address or home or work phone number.

Use the Question & Answer form.
This is located on every active auction listing page. As a bidder, you can ask the seller any question you have about the item. If the description is unclear, ask the seller for more information. It is very important that you know what you are bidding on and the terms of the sale before you place your bid.

Keep records of all correspondence.
Keep all email, notes, shipping documents, and payment information. Be sure to print a copy of the auction. This is your responsibility. Yahoo! does not provide user information or copies of old listings.

Use common sense.
If an item seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do some research. For example, look at similar auctions listings or classifieds ads to learn the going rate for the specific items or services that interest you. Bidders should be cautious if the seller requests money to be sent to a different location than the address on the auction itself. It might be more difficult to resolve disputes with sellers that are in different states or countries than where the buyer lives. Yahoo! Auctions does not endorse or verify the information contained in any auction. Your best protection is common sense.

Evaluate your payment options.
A deal should only proceed if the buyer and seller are comfortable with each other and with the terms of payment. The buyer and seller should agree on a return policy, as well, in case the buyer is not happy with the item. If an item is expensive, don't send unsecured money or merchandise.
Here are some payment and delivery options that can help protect the buyer and the seller:

• Escrow services: Escrow services such as Escrow.com protect both parties from credit card fraud, offer sellers protection from a claim of non-delivery, and give the buyer an opportunity to inspect the product and return it if it's damaged or not as described.
• COD: Cash on delivery ties the payment to the delivery of the merchandise.
• Person-to-person payment services: Person-to-person payments can take place online or with a check. There are built-in protections for both parties with these services. Protections may vary depending on the service. For more information on the pros and cons of different payment options, see the FTC Guide to Online Payments.

Shipping the item.
As a seller, you're not obligated to ship your item until the payment has cleared the bank. Also, when shipping your item, we recommend you obtain a tracking number or a confirmation number from your delivery service.