How To Avoid Buying Knock-offs On eBay

When I'm looking to get a good deal on an item I really want I often check two places right off the bat, Amazon and eBay.  Amazon is a great place to check pricing and availability of almost any item you're looking for.  Amazon is great but I often am able to find better prices on eBay but there is also a greater chance of purchasing a knock-off item on eBay.   You have to be careful.  Here's a few tips that should help you avoid buying knock-offs on eBay.

• Compare Pictures - This one is pretty simple but is pretty easy to fake.  One thing I tend to be wary of is stock pictures of items.  If you are buying a product that has a picture up (stock or otherwise) compare it to the picture of the item on Best Buy, Amazon or the manufacturer's website.  If the picture the seller is using is of the actual product (or a stock photo of the actual knock-off) you might be able to identify differences between the items.  If you see any difference you might want to look for another item.  
• Review Seller Feedback - Seller Feedback score can be your best friend when shopping on eBay.  I tend to look at anybody that doesn't have a 100% score to be on the safe side.  The negative scores are occasionally minor customer issues but you'll also see if the person is not happy with the item they purchased.  It's a great resource for all eBay shoppers.
• Check Quantity and Price - If a seller is offering an item at a price that seems too good to be true there is a good chance it is a knock-off.  If a seller has a large quantity of these items then that also makes it more likely that the items are fakes.  For a seller to get their hands on a large quantity of items from the original manufacturer and be able to sell them at 50% of the manufacturers price is highly unlikely.  
• Search The Web - If you find an item that you think could be a knock-off do a quick search on the web to see what else is out there.  Go to Amazon, Google Shopper and anywhere else you want to check to see what the going price is.  Also, check for the item and put wholesale at the end of it.  There are a ton of websites that are selling wholesale lots of knock-off items at low prices.  If the item you are looking for shows up on one of these sites at an extremely low price then that should set off an alarm.

I hope these tips can help you avoid making a purchase you regret.  eBay can be a fantastic place to get great deals and taking the steps I outlined above will help you insure that you are happy with your purchase.  Let me know if you have any questions and good luck.