1. •Pick a seller with a very high percentage of positive feedback. Most sellers have over 90% positive feedback. 90% is pretty good, but but plenty of sellers maintain higher ratings, so you can probably afford to be picky.
2. •Always read the written comments left by other buyers. Read the negatives, but also look for signs that the seller responds well to problems.
3. •Pick a seller with a star rating 4.5 or higher if possible. A 5-star rating is as good as it gets. Most sellers have earned at least 4.5 stars on average. The star rating is far less meaningful than the percentage of positive feedback, but still useful.
4. •Choose a seller that has at least 100 ratings, and several occurring in the last 30 days. A seller gets about 1 feedback for every 6 books sold. The number of ratings therefore gives you an idea of how active the seller is. More does not mean better, but it gives you an idea of how committed the seller is. If you want to buy from a less experienced seller, send an email first to make sure the book is available and they are prepared to ship it promptly.
5. •Pick a seller that offers expedited shipping, if you need it. Not every seller offers expedited shipping. Some offer it for certain books, but not others. If you are in a little bit of a hurry, you will probably want expedited shipping. Amazon displays the shipping options offered by the seller next to each and every offering.
6. •Pick a seller close to you if possible. It can easily take a couple of weeks for a shipment to go across the United States, so look for a seller no more than a few states away. If you are in the continental United States and you order from a seller in Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico, be prepared to wait several weeks to get your book, unless you pay for expedited shipping. If you are shipping outside of the Unites States, location is not important. (Apologies to the rest of the world that this tip is so U.S. centric.)
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