So you're ready to get started with VideoAdds. Let's say you have something to sell. You'll find a buyer, no sweat; but what happens about the payment?

There are lots of sites online, from eBay to Craigslist and more, where people send money back and forth. And, most of the time, it works. Once in a while it doesn't. By and large, most people are honest. Once in a while someone isn't.

And we want to make sure that you follow some basic rules to keep yourself safe.

1. Use PayPal: Yes, there's a fee. But it's a small price to pay for protection for both buyer and seller. PayPal is currently the safest way to send and receive money.
2. Unless you have an actual storefront, don't put your physical address online or have it show up anywhere in your video. Don't record yourself standing in front of your house.
3. If you have arranged to meet with either a buyer or a seller, don't do it at your home. Meet instead somewhere else--a coffee shop, outside a library or municipal building, etc. Supermarket parking lots have video cameras and would-be thieves are well aware of that.
4. Don't take personal checks. Just don't.
5. Watch out for a common scam where buyers send personal or certified checks for more than the sale price, and ask you to wire back the difference.
6. Consider only giving out your cellphone number, which doesn't trace back to your home address. Or set up a Google Voice account: Google Voice numbers are free, and you can program yours to forward to your phone, masking your actual phone number.
7. If you mail something, get a tracking number so that you know the person on the other end has received it.
8. If someone does come to your home to look at something, make sure that you're not home alone; have a friend or family member with you. In the same way, if you're going to someone's house, either bring someone with you or let someone know where you're going.

Chances are that everyone in the VideoAdds community is on the up and up. We certainly like to think so! But these are wise precautions to take when handling any financial transaction.