Ebay

Online classifieds like Craigslist, eBay and Bonanzle are great places to find anything from a new apartment or sold out concert tickets, to gently used furniture or hard to find collectibles. In my case, I was desperately trying to find tickets to the sold out David Sedaris show in Seattle for my mom for Mother's Day. Lucky for me a Craigslist seller had just what I needed, four tickets, center section, eleven rows from the stage. Bingo!

I love Craigslist; I've used it to find apartments, tickets, art supplies, even my car, and thankfully I've always had positive experiences. It's only been the last couple of years that I've given much thought to meeting up with total strangers in pursuit of a deal. I've changed my ways after reading some of the recent headlines and now take steps to avoid putting myself in potentially dangerous situations. The buzz surrounding the recent murder of a Washington man over the diamond ring he listed on Craigslist made me want to share my tips for a safe and successful private transaction for whatever online classified you use.

• If possible, meet the seller in a public place, like a coffee shop, mall, grocery store or other highly trafficked location.

• If it is not possible to meet in a public place, for example, if you are looking at renting a condo or apartment, ask for a first and last name, phone number, address, and email address. In my most recent experience, I had to meet the seller at his house. Using the address he gave me, I ran an Intelius People Search by Address and a Property Report and was able to verify the seller's address and phone number. In this particular case, I took it a step further and ran a consumer background check on the seller to see if he had a criminal or civil judgment record. Fortunately, he checked out.

• Make sure the information the seller provides checks out. A Reverse Phone Lookup is a quick and inexpensive way to get more information about the seller and make sure the information they provide is consistent.

• Consider bringing a buddy, especially if you're unable to meet the seller in a public place.

• Tell a close friend or relative what you are doing, where you are going and leave the seller's information with someone else when you go to meet the seller. Arrange to call that person by a certain time to let them know the transaction went smoothly.

• If possible, do not enter a seller's home or vehicle. Wait outside, even if they insist that you come inside. Obviously, if you are buying a car or renting a place, you will have to go inside but make sure you bring a friend or relative.

• Only carry the exact amount of cash agreed upon for the sale and leave your purse or wallet in the car.

• Trust your gut. If something seems off or makes you uncomfortable, listen to your intuition and bail. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• Avoid sellers that can't meet face-to-face. NEVER wire funds via Western Union, MoneyGram or any other wire service and NEVER give out financial information like account numbers, social security number, and eBay or PayPal logins.

By simply taking the above precautions I was able to stay safe when purchasing an item from a private, unknown seller. Now I have great tickets, an online purchasing strategy, and an Intelius success story!

What do you do to keep safe when buying things posted in the classifieds, on EBay, or on Craigslist? Post your tips bellow to help us protect consumers!