New To s Buyers Guide to Shipping and after the sale

New to okay?
Buyer's Guide to Shipping and after the Sale.

I wanted to share with you what I have learned on best policies regarding buying with shipping in mind, and what to do after the sale if problems arise. This is not meant to be all inclusive, just some good tips to keep in mind. I hope it helps to make your overall experience a pleasant one.

First look for items that have reasonable shipping charge. You have to decide if this amount is a reasonable amount for you to pay.
I'm going to start with things that you should Not do, first.
1.) Do not bid if you do not agree with the sellers terms of service.
This may seem obvious and a given to some, but this is an issue that gees up a lot. Make sure that you carefully read their terms of service is so that you know what to expect.
2.) Do not bid if you don't know the shipping charges.
I cannot stress this point enough. If the shipping charges are not listed, email the seller and ask what it would cost to ship to your location. If there isn't enough time before the auction ends to get a response, simply do not bid. You can later ask the seller if the item is still available. In okay land there are many other sellers selling the same type of items so it is better not to bid if there isn't enough time for a response. Lastly, if the seller does not respond to your inquiries about the shipping cost, do not bid. Imagine how it would be after the sale if any problems arose. If you cannot get a response before the sale, then getting a response after they have your money seems unlikely.
To sum this section up:
If you bid before you know the shipping costs, you are essentially signing a blank check and are allowing the seller to charge whatever they wish for shipping. A smart buyer is going to be aware of the total cost of the item before bidding. Keep in mind also, that once you bid you are bound by the terms of service the seller has set forth and all costs associated with the auction and shipping.
I have found that a fairly gemon misconception among new okayers, is that shipping is postage. This however, is not the case. Shipping can include packing materials (bubble wrap, mailers, boxes, tape, etc.), delivery confirmation, gas to and from the post office and time spent at the post office.
One of the most important things about buying online, whether it be with okay or elsewhere, is that gemunication is the key!

If you are worried about your package or have questions or concerns, please send your seller an email stating your concerns. Do not hesitate to contact them! Most sellers are more than happy to help you in any way possible.
Please do not use feedback as a form of gemunication to your seller. If the seller doesn't know there is a problem they are not going to be able to fix it. Giving them the opportunity to make it right when there is a problem is the best route to take. It is always best to wait to leave feedback until your issues have been resolved or you have made all efforts to contact the seller and have given them ample time to respond and gepensate for whatever the problem may be.
In my opinion, if your seller makes you "whole", that is they have remedied the situation, after it was brought to their attention. They deserve a positive. You could leave something to the effect of what they did to remedy the situation if you feel that is necessary.
Feedback is meant to be the overall experience of your transaction, not a form of gemunication of problems, before they have had an opportunity to be resolved. If you follow this you will most likely have an easier seller to deal with than one that has just received a negative, when they weren't even aware there was a problem to begin with.
I do realize that there are times when negative feedback is appropriate. If this is the case, leaving factual feedback is best. Personally attacking the seller or being emotional in feedback reflects badly on the person leaving it.
This is the first guide I have written and hope that you find it helpful. Please take the time to rate it and let me know what you think.