We want all your sales to be safe and successful. Here are some hints to help your sale go smoothly.

• Know how to obtain a buyer’s user ID, or contact information.

• Learn about limitations you can place on buyers.

• Review the Feedback of high bidders and buyers.The chart below explains the icons that a bidder may have next to their user ID.

Request a buyer’s user ID

• For privacy reasons, we limit the use of this feature to members who have completed a previous transaction with the member whose user ID is being requested.

• If you know only a buyer's email address and need to find their user ID, use the Find a Member feature. This feature is useful if you receive emails from buyers who have not specified their user ID and you cannot locate their listing.

• If we can’t find a previous transaction that you have in common with the buyer, consider emailing the buyer to request his or her user ID.

Request a buyer’s contact information

Like most people, buyers sometimes have emergencies, illnesses, or computer problems. If your buyer has mostly positive feedback with little or no mention of problems, be patient. Your buyer may not be able to respond to you right away for legitimate reasons.

• If you don't get an email response, you can request your buyer's phone number. Sometimes a phone call helps make communication easier.

• If you have you requested your buyer's contact information and it's not valid, please review our False or Missing Contact Information policy.

Limits on buyers

For each of your listings, you can limit which buyers may bid on or purchase your items. You can create your own list of eBay members who will no longer be permitted to bid on or buy any of your items. Before blocking a buyer, we recommend that you email him or her and clearly state why you will not accept bids or Buy It Now purchases from him or her in the future. Learn about managing bidders and buyers.

You can also set up buyer requirements for your listings by going to the Seller Preferences section in My eBay. These requirements are based on characteristics, such as the ability to exclude buyers who are registered in countries to which you don’t post, rather than specific user IDs.