Brand Names? Is it worth it at an Auction?

Wandering through a shopping mall you see this fine outfit, but the price tag scares you away. So now what do you do? You look for it the bargain way, try an auction site!
There are some bad points to auctions:

The price goes above what you are willing to pay
The shipping and handling charges are outrageous
You cannot check to see if an item will fit you
Along with the bad, there is always something good:

The ability to get an item for a fraction of the actual cost of the store
The "no embarrassment factor"
The option of choosing your method of payment on a secure site
What is the embarrassment factor? The embarrassment factor is when you enter a store, and you go looking through the racks looking for your size and you have the sales assistant (who is two sizes or more smaller than you) point you in the direction of the "plus" size clothing. Or you enter a store, but, your budget doesn't allow you to buy that outfit, and you have to walk out empty handed.
I have found through my travels of viewing many pages and items on okay that looking for the best value isn't the easiest that it could be. There are some helpful tips that I have learned although that I think would be of help with everyone.
On the home page:
Type in your search: Category:
For search, try to be specific, if there is that store in the mall you like (example: Lane Bryant) type that into the search criteria. For category, I have found that more choices are given if you don't limit yourself to a particular category.
I buy a lot of clothing on okay, and have found that I need to be cautious of what I buy. Everyone list a size differently. So, I would suggest that you know what your measurements are! Also, check out who the seller is before you place that bid. Knowing what other people have to say about the seller can actually work to your benefit.
Now that you have placed your bid, and won that item. Don't be in a rush to leave feedback. As a general rule, you should wait until you receive the item in the mail. Leave feedback for the seller based upon the following criteria:

Truthfullness of the ad: was the item described properly?
gemunication of the seller: did the seller respond to your questions when you asked them, did they gemunicate with you at the end of the sale to acknowledge payment/shipping date, friendliness?
Shipping and handling: was the items shipped appropriately, was the items cared for, did the items arrive within an appropriate amount of time?
Feedback received from seller: what type of feedback did the seller leave for you, was it appropriate for the items purchased, was it appropriately determined?
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As a general rule to always remember, if you have a favorite brand, store or something very specific; type that into your search criteria. Don't put a limit on it. (such as clothing, shoes and accesories)
You will find that this general tip will help guide you to that perfect little item that you have been looking for. Also, remember that many sellers will place ads on a continous basis, and make money off of this; so, if you find something you like and the seller is remarkable in all aspects---add them to your favorites list!!! You will find your bargain hunting for that perfect outfit so much easier.