Before I start properly, I just want to state that I am writing this review from a buyer's only perspective - I have never auctioned anything myself, so I can't tell you about that process.

Well, a few years ago, I would never have dreamed of purchasing anything off Ebay! I used to be really worried about it, because I had no idea about buyers protection etc, and I was worried that I would pay for an item and then never receive it. I'm sure you will all be fairly familiar with Ebay, but it's basically just an auction site, and you can sell just about anything! From vintage toys, to clothes, to motorbike parts! If you want an item, I bet you can find it on Ebay! It isn't all about auctions though, you can also sell items for a fixed price if you don't want to sell it too cheaply, or you are looking to set up a little shop.

I am basically a new convert to Ebay, and can honestly say I've had nothing but a positive experience shopping on the site. In the past few weeks I have purchased items such as feather earrings, shoes, dresses, and the service I have received has been excellent. Now I'm sure there are going to be times when things do go wrong, but the great thing about Ebay is that if anyone tries to rip you off, Ebay will be there to protect you.

A friend of mine unfortunately got scammed a couple of years ago when he was trying to buy an X-Box via Ebay. Unfortunately the seller had no intention of posting the device to my friend, and he was of course extremely upset. He got in touch with the Ebay customer service team, and reported the seller, and because of Ebay protection, he managed to get all of his money back.

I think the majority of sellers are really honest because plenty of them are just trying to make a business. Every time you buy something on Ebay, you get the chance to leave feedback for the seller, whether that be good, neutral or negative. You also get the opportunity to leave a few words about your experience, how you found their customer service, and the quality of the product received etc. I'm sure they wouldn't like to receive any negative feedback as that would reflect badly on their business.

Out of all the items I've ordered, only the shoes had a fault. I got in touch with the seller right away, and they were absolutely brilliant, and offered me a refund straight away. The sellers name was Myfirstwish, and I would definitely shop with them again, as their customer service was top notch!

As for the layout of the site, I find it extremely easy to navigate. There is a simple search function near the top of the page, where you can just type in your keywords, and then you will get a list of relevant items. You can also use a more advanced search, which gives you certain categories to search in, but I rarely find myself using this function. The only thing I find slightly complicated is when you log into your account, there are so many pages to look through. I can imagine it being slightly annoying if you are a very new user.

One of my favourite functions is the ability to create wish and watch lists. The watch list is basically just for all the items you want to keep any eye on, and to ensure you don't miss the end of the auction if you wanted to place a bid - they even send you a reminder by email.
The wish list is my most used, as there are so many items I would like! You just simply click the 'add to wish list' button when you are looking at items, and then you have a page of all your favourites so you don't forget where you found them, and the seller who was offering the item.

All in all, I would definitely recommend giving this site a go. There are thousands of items, and I'm sure you will be able to find what you are looking for.