Love Thy Sneakers: Buying on Ebay

I started buying shoes on eBay and I thought of putting up a quick post about how to identify a good seller. So without further adieu, I bring to you, my words of wisdom:

Make sure the seller has atleast a 99% rating
Read the sellers feedback - atleast the last 3 months feedback
Make sure he/she's done enough business. A seller with 100% positive rating with only one sale does not count
Figure out shipping costs
Consider what shipping options are offered. Most ebay sellers in the US use USPS and it sucks. Be sure to get tracking info. To be safe use Priority or Express shipping options. They are a tad bit expensive but totally worth it
Be aware of Asian sellers, a lot of fakes are made in countries like China and Taiwan. That said, there are a lot of legit Asian sellers too! so do you research before buying
Contact the seller if you have any questions. Ask for more images if the one they've provided is not good enough
Make sure the shoe is in mint condition, most sellers do mention that, DS = Dead Stock is good, this means the shoe was never used or even tried on
Make sure all communication and transactions take place on eBay website. To be eligible for a dispute claim the transaction have to take place on ebay using PayPal ONLY. If a seller suggests using any other mode just decline it
Last but not the least, eBay is safe, I had called for a pair that never came and I filed a complaint and got my money back within 2-3 days.