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So you bid on an antique handmade German violin and got a factory-fresh one made in Taiwan. You thought you were buying a hard-to-find Disney classic on VHS but got a home-burned DVD with the title scrawled in marker. You snagged a great deal on a portable DVD player at $100, only to find out that all you've purchased is a URL where can get a $200 discount on one. (Don't laugh--this happened to one CNET reader.)

1. Read the description carefully. If information is missing, ask the seller questions about it. No photos? Ask the seller to e-mail you some. If the item is a camcorder, a laptop, or a video console--some of the items most prone to fraud--check with the manufacturer to find out if the seller is an authorized reseller of such goods.

2. Do a price check. Use sites such as CNET Shopper.com to find out what these things cost in the real world. If a product typically retails for $1,000 and the seller is accepting winning bids of $100, there may be something amiss.

3. Check the return policy.

When buying a high-ticket item on eBay, look for the PayPal Buyer Protection icon. Your purchase may be insured for up to $1,000. Click to enlarge

If the seller doesn't have a return/refund policy or it says something like "all sales are final," check the Seller Information for a PayPal Buyer Protection icon (a tiny blue-and-white shield with a check mark on it). If there's a dispute, PayPal will intercede and refund up to $1,000, if necessary.

4. Don't get faked out. If the "Gucci" shoes you think you bought are really labeled "Gootchie," you know you got a knockoff. It's illegal to sell stolen or counterfeit goods on eBay, so be sure to report it to eBay (using its contact form) and the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. You could also demand a refund from the seller, but don't expect much of a response.