Most of the transactions that take place every day on Yahoo! Auctions are trouble-free. Occasionally, problems arise between buyers and sellers. Fortunately, most of those problems are easily resolved.

Yahoo! isn't involved and doesn't participate in the transaction between buyer and seller. Yahoo! doesn't control the actions or behavior of participants in the auctions community. However, we can offer some useful suggestions for resolving a dispute.

• Talk it over: Buyers and sellers can often resolve a dispute by talking it out with each other. Most problems are the result of a misunderstanding. Often email communications are misinterpreted. Ask the other party for a phone number, and see if you can clarify, discuss, and resolve your differences in a telephone conversation.
• Rate the buyer or seller: The Yahoo! Auctions rating system is designed to remove buyers and sellers who have acquired negative ratings. The rating system only works if members actively participate in the rating process. This is your tool to control the quality of the membership in your auction community. Find out more about Yahoo! Auctions Ratings.
• File a complaint: If you feel that you've been a victim of fraud, you may qualify for coverage with the Yahoo! Buyer Protection Program. Under our protection program, fraud is said to occur when you pay for an item and don't receive it or you receive an item that is materially different than the item described on auction. Learn more about the Yahoo! Buyer Protection Program and the process for filing a complaint.
  If you're seller and you've had a problem with a deadbeat bidder, we encourage you to contact the buyer and attempt to resolve the dispute. You can also file a non-paying bidder complaint.
• Seek arbitration services: If the auction at issue does not qualify for the Yahoo! Buyer Protection Program, you may feel the need to use a third party to resolve your dispute. Please be aware that Yahoo! is not a professional arbitrator and does not offer this service.
  There are many excellent options for arbitration. You might want to look at the Arbitration Services category in Yahoo!'s directory for links to arbitrators and mediators.
• Report fraud: If you suspect that you're a victim of mail fraud (if you have sent payment and haven't received your merchandise), file a complaint with your local U.S. Post Office or Attorney General. Don't hesitate to contact the National Fraud Information Center.
  If you believe you've been defrauded by a business, you can contact the Better Business Bureau or the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. Also, you can file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the Consumer Response Center by phone: 202-FTC-HELP (382-4357); TDD: 202-326-2502; by mail: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580; or using their online complaint form. Although the Commission cannot resolve individual problems for consumers, it can act against a company if there seems to be a pattern of possible law violations.
  By taking action against fraud, you help to remove it from your auction community.