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What is the big deal with Ebay and PayPal?

     Ebay - Ebay is one of the best things that have happened to the internet. It is a marketplace where buyers and sellers get together from across the globe. You can buy or sell almost anything. For the most part, it is perfectly safe. There are always a few bad apples that give the service a bad reputation, but there are avenues to dispute any problems and Ebay takes abuse very seriously.
     You may browse the website without signing up or logging in, but if you want to bid or sell something, you must create an account. You can check out the history of a seller and judge their reputation by looking at their "feedback". Each time an item is sold, the transaction has been completed, and the item has been received, the buyer and seller are asked to provide feedback on their experience. Feedback is either positive, negative, or neutral. It is measured on a percentage basis, so if a seller has 2000 feedbacks, and a 99% positive, you can be fairly sure that he or she is reputable. Go there NOW.

    PayPal - PayPal can be viewed as an online internet Bank. You can send money to, or receive money from anyone with an email address. 1000's of online businesses accept PayPal, as well as most merchants on Ebay. To send money to someone is totally free, but to receive money, PayPal take a very small percentage. For example, to receive $25, PayPal deducts $1.03.
     To sign up, you must show that you have financial responsibility by submitting your checking account numbers, then verifying a couple small deposits PayPal makes in your account. This shows you are the owner of that account.

IMPORTANT: Be very skeptical of any emails that claim to be from Ebay or PayPal. Do not click on links in emails. Do not give out person information. Even if the emails look genuine, go to the respective websites to verify information. Fraudulent and fake emails that try to gather your personal information are scams called phishing!