Dealing with bad traders/vendors. [WAS: Sad auction story [exidy sorcerer]]

Sorry to hear about the original auction problem. Good luck getting a refund. That said, I'd like to offer some suggestions from personal experience to make online trading/buying less painful: - whenever possible, inspect the goods before buying. If too far away, ask for pictures (download them as insurance). If neither of these is possible, ask for a detailed description before buying. This will provide grounds for a complaint if the item doesn't match the description. - always keep all correspondence until a deal is completed to everyone's satisfaction. A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on. You need a paper (or e-mail) trail. - insist on getting a real world address and phone number from all sellers. Check that the phone number works. P.O. boxes make it too easy for unscrupulous sellers to disappear. - ask for references where feasible. If none are available, do a quick search on Dejanews to make sure the seller isn't a known bad trader. - if you have a problem, be polite with the seller, at least at first. Remember you want something from them. No one responds well to an email like "Where's my f**cking stuff, you rotten b**tard?". - Provide full details of the problem in every communication, and explain what you want from the seller. E.g. "I'm writing about eBay auction ######. You cashed my money order on the 7th, and you promised shipping within a week. It's now the 24th, and I haven't received anything. Could you please give me the the details of how the package was shipped, and when it was sent". - detail the resolution you want. "I will ship the item back to you at my expense, as soon as you return my money order to me." - if you get the runaround, or no response, keep trying, with measured escalation that shows you want to resolve things amicably. E.g. "Unless I receive proof of shipment by August 24, I will have to post negative feedback on eBay, and contact Visa to have my payment reversed. I would prefer to avoid that. Please send the shipment tracking number to ..." - To complain, use the easiest mechanisms first. If using an online auction house, use the complaint service provided, like SafeHarbor on eBay. If shipping was by mail, complain to the Post Office. If none of these works, turn to the courts, if feasible. Just my 2 cents. Mark.