My name is Ruth, and I'm terrified of eBay.

I have a list of things I want to buy; a digital camera; a snowboard; the entire DVD collection of Directors Cut Quentin Tarentino flicks. I've searched stores in three different cities, but regardless of how many HMVs, Radio Shacks or Future Shops I hunt through, the best price I've ever found has been on eBay.

There have been a few times that I've been perched on the edge of my seat, watching the minutes tick away with a credit card clutched in my hand, knuckles white and my brow furrowed in distress. Should I do it?

With only a minute and a half remaining, I can't decide whether I should do it. My camera will cost $500 more if I go to Best Buy, but I just can't find it within myself to trust Seller_Man_85 from Dayton, Ohio. Sure, he has a gold star rating, and people have given him a nearly perfect score. But I know, from the pit of my soul, that Seller_Man is just waiting for me to send him my hard-earned money so he can screw me over and laugh about it over a beer that I paid for. He has spent the last four years building a blemish-free ranking just to get me. Cons, the whole lot of them.

I realize that my fear of eBay is unfounded. I know many people who have bought items cheap and expensive, one-of-a-kind and mass-produced, and had nothing but positive experiences with their purchases. I've even dabbled in online buying on sites like Chapters and Old Navy and had no problems getting my merchandise.

But for some reason, I just cannot cross that line between franchise seller and personal seller. It doesn't make any sense.

I really want to be able to let go of my eBay fears and make the plunge to cheap merch and great deals. As badly as a smoker wants to quit smoking; this is how badly I want to buy something on eBay.

So, I ask you this; is there a secret to getting over my eBay apprehension? Does anyone have any tricks that could help me let go of the horror? Is there a book I can read? (I bet there is, and I can probably get it on eBay…)

Please help me.

Had a good experience with an expensive eBay purchase? Got ripped off by Cheapstuff185 from Winnipeg? Email your experience to overcaffinated@hotmail.com
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