If you know anything about gaming you will know that the xbox 360 will be almost impossible to get hold of this Christmas. In fact the only place you will probably have success is eBay. As long as you are prepared to pay.

This is fine as at least if you want an xbox the chances are you will get one. However, this causes a problem. There are scammers out there to fleece you out of your hard earned cash.

While browsing the xbox 360 listings I noticed an alarming amount of auctions simply selling a picture of an xbox or an email address. The worst thing was some of these items were bid up to over £300. Obviously there are going to be some very disappointed people out there and this will only damage eBay's reputation. However, the listings clearly state what the item is and some would say if you are stupid enough not to read the item properly there is no wrong doing. I would have to disagree as the titles are misleading and it is a scam.

So what can I do to avoid being scammed?

· First of all make sure you read the item description carefully, especially the title.

· Check the seller’s feedback, if they have made their feedback private this is a sure sign of a scam. Also a low rating should be approached with caution.

· If the eBay account is new be suspicious.

· Check the sellers other items for sale. Most sellers will only have one xbox for sale. More than one could be a sign of a scam. Unless the seller is registered as a business seller.

· Use the 'ask seller a question' feature. A genuine seller will respond.

· Use PayPal for payment. This protects you as a buyer.

· Use common sense. If it looks too good to be true it probably is.

As long as you are careful you should have no problems and you will get that xbox 360 in time for Christmas.

Good luck!

John Thornhill trades on eBay under the username planetsms For more advice on how to succeed on eBay visit http://www.planetsms.co.uk

• Silent Auctions – All Done? All Done? Sold!


• Ebay Selling - Adding Auction Audio Gives You The Edge You Are Looking For


• Ebay Selling - Outsell your Competitors by Adding Audio to Your Ebay Listings


• Four Ways to Set a Starting Price for an eBay Auction


• Starting Your Own Online Auction Business


• Starting an Ebay Business --- An Online Business Model that Works


• Internet Marketing Resources


• Having Trouble Finding Items to Sell on eBay? Heres a Great Solution


• Selling Ebooks on eBay: Building Bridges with Great Sales Copy


• Online Flea Market Sales On The Rise: Good News for Online Wholesalers