eBay was rated by The Observer as the # 1 site that changed the Internet, and is used by over 168 million users. It's perfect for used goods, but it's also ground for malicious scammers. Being scammed (paying for an item but not receiving it, or buying a damaged item, or receiving a counterfeit product) is a very rare circumstance that is generally easy to avoid.
Steps
Step 1. The first step is to check user feedback
You can find it on the "Read Comments" page to see any problems. Normally the problem is something along the lines of "arrived late", or if there is a serious problem, you can read the seller's explanation of the problem.
Step 2. Next, you should check how many items the user has sold
If the user just created an account, sold an item, and earned 100% feedback, it doesn't mean much.
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The number next to the seller's name is the number of items he has sold and bought, and the symbols next to the number represent the securities the seller has. If a user is a Power Seller, they are a trusted member of the eBay community, and excellent service can be expected.
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Step 3. Then you should check which payment methods the user accepts
If you only accept cash or money orders, then you should be a little suspicious. The safest method is PayPal. Withdraw money from your bank account and send it to the seller. In the event of a scam, you will be (partially) refunded by PayPal. The best part is that the seller doesn't get your personal information.
Step 4. All the above steps are to protect against non-receiving the item
Another risk is to receive a faulty item. The best way to avoid this is to pay close attention.
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Read all descriptions carefully. If the condition of the item is correctly exposed in the description, it is not possible to receive a refund.
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See all the photos. What looks like a reflection could be a scratch.
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Step 5. If you receive a wrong item, you need to contact the seller, request a refund, and send the item back
Step 6. If, despite all these steps, you have been scammed, or the seller refuses to refund, fill out a fraud report on eBay to get a refund and return the item, or if you have not received the item. they can get some of the money paid and the seller's account will be closed
Advice
- Many times items on eBay look better than they actually are. This is not deceiving with photography, but rather knowing how to take a photograph. Take any old item, place it on a decorative 'set', light it up with some lights, and it will look beautiful.
- Read all descriptions. If you skip over an important fact of the "condition" item, it's your problem.
- Often just sending an email and the seller will help you solve the problem. It could just be a misunderstanding. Also, in your "My eBay" there is a message center that eBay users can use. If you don't get a response from the seller via email, please check "my eBay Inbox".
- If you don't have the seller's address or real name but know the phone number, there are a number of websites that can help you find out who owns that phone number.
- In the worst case, if you have information from the scammer seller, make a call to the seller's local police department and explain the situation. This is forcing an officer to investigate what happened and see if a crime has been committed. [This works best in smaller towns.] Many times a police officer's visit to the vendor will invite him to rectify the situation.
Warnings
- Pay close attention to where the article comes from. If you see cheap branded products shipped from a seller in (for example) Hong Kong, you would be right to question the items authenticity. (E.g.: counterfeit branded products)
- Beware of high transport prices. You may have savings on the item, but pay a small fortune for shipping.
- If possible, try to see the other items the person is selling. Sometimes people sell cheap items with "penny auctions" to get high sales numbers, high approval ratings and feedback. Then they start selling expensive items when their trust has been falsely pumped.
- Be very careful if you are selling an item and the winner wants to ship a more expensive money order than the item sold, only to collect and ship the difference back. This is a well-known scam where a buyer will purchase an item and place a fake money order (usually from overseas.) Then, when you go to take the money order to the bank, you can end up being arrested for attempting to collect counterfeit money.
- If the deal is "Too good to be true," it may be. Sometimes the deal is too good, and it is likely to be a scam. Sellers should exercise caution when selling high value items on ebay - the higher the auction value the more likely fraudulent eBayers are bidding on the item.
- Sellers should also be very careful about who buys the product and then asks to receive it overseas. ("I am on a business trip to Nigeria and I need the item sent here by me" is a common ploy.)
