>>>2) Never pay for the seller's insurance?

Insurance doesn't work. It is a gimmic for the seller to make more money. Only the seller is insured and only he may file a claim. It does absolutely nothing for the buyer.

If you are really concerned about actually receiving the item, ask the seller to ship with a tracking number. I have never heard of an item with a tracking number getting "lost".

4) Never pay by personal check?

>>>Some sellers do not take electronic payments and many do not bid because of it, thus price may end up low (and a bargan). Plus a check is very 'trackable'.

The folks who are bidding are correct. The seller won't ship until your check clears and once the check clears, you have no way to get your money back. Sooner or later, you will get burned with a personal check or money order. It is the chosen method of those less "reputable" ebay sellers.

The only thing you can track with the personal check is how much you got screwed.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season.