How To Avoid Being Ripped Off on EBay (A Guide)

Hintza

Here are some tips and I hope some of the other old hands can add to it.

Who is the Seller?

Check to see how long they have been registered

Check to see where account is registered (ie UK or USA etc)

Tie that in with with where the item is located (eg registered in USA item location Cornwall does not add up)

Check feedback

How many fedback and what for ie buying or selling.

Be very wary of feedback in low teen this has sometimes been earned by seller buying 1p items. I find this level even worse than outright newbies.

What items has seller sold in past (eg second hand fluffy toy to 42" TV's does not figure)

Check feedback is not from dubious sources eg similar sounding account names, look back and check out some previous buyers.

Seller suddenly listing 100 expensive items with no history.

Has the account been dormant for a long time and suddenly becomes active



Postage and packing

Is P+P fairly priced is seller using an appropriate service for P+P (this can work in dodgy buyers favour)

When will item be posted? Check that they are not saying in 2 months time.


Cost of Item

Is the price of item reasonable based on previous sales of similar? If not why not? Why are buyers not bidding?

To good to be true BIN's

Listings

Read listings with a fine tooth comb and look for discrepancies in what seller says.

Is it a stock photo (to be fair if I sell new items I always use stock photos) but this can sometimes be a tell tale sign.

Look out for the words link etc (if you see the word link or something similar it will probably mean all you are buying is a link to a webpage that might or might not offer you the goods)

If seller says you have to contact them at an email address this is normally a sign of hacked account.



Payment Options

Is paypal offered? Does seller have buyer protection and at what level? (make sure the level is appropriate for what you are buying. However the maximum is £500.

Be wary of only cheques, cash etc especially if they are the only options offered.

Having Bought

Keep an eye on when you expect delivery, if that starts to get too long keep an eye on feedback looking out for rapid deterioration in feedback.

Communicate with seller and if no reply or evasive replies start a chargeback promptly. Dodgy sellers will try and empty their Paypal account and leg it before they are caught.

Other

Pull contact details and perhaps give them a ring if you are unsure of anything. If no reply or incorrect number start to get concerened. I would really only go down this route if a number of things didn't add up (nothing worse than painful buyers constantly on the phone.

Obviously cash on collection is fine.

If Unhappy with Purchase

Talk to seller, try and be reasonable (seller will possibly have buyers trying all sorts of scams). Don't start quoting the Distance Selling Regulations in your first missive. Assume seller is reasonable until you can prove otherwise. Do not leave hasty negative feedback (that is the quickest way to get a seller to say sod you and offer no further help)

If Happy

Please leave prompt (hopefully) positive feedback. Most seasoned sellers will not leave buyers any feedback until they have received it.

Top Tip

Good comms makes this whole EBay business fairly easy in the vast majority of deals. Poor comms lead to unneccessary hassle. If in doubt about anything ask before you bid.

If unsure about anything don't bid until you are happy. If seller doesn't reply to query in time don't bid.

And lastly don't log on and see an item ending in 30 seconds and slap a bid in hoping it will be fine.

soolin

Hintza..anyone would think you're fed up of answering the same questions :rotfl: I think I will bookmark your post and refer people to it in future.

frivolous_fay

Who wants to do selling?

*has a minor panic attack*

soolin

frivolous_fay wrote: »

Who wants to do selling?

*has a minor panic attack*

:whistle: you just want me to start the paypal argument again don't you.

:rotfl:

frivolous_fay

soolin wrote: »

:whistle: you just want me to start the paypal argument again don't you.

:rotfl:

No no, but it's been DAYS since the last feedback argument, let's do that one!

soolin

frivolous_fay wrote: »

No no, but it's been DAYS since the last feedback argument, let's do that one!

Um...I think I suddenly feel the need to go to Tesco instead...

Soo (wandering off and leaving this to fay and Hintza)

nightswimmer

Great list and well put together. :T

Hintza wrote: »

Look out for the words link etc

Not sure what you meant by this though?

Hintza

nightswimmer wrote: »

Great list and well put together. :T



Not sure what you meant by this though?

Have amended to clarify that thanks.

musemad

The sad fact is that people are greedy and the easy way to rip a greedy person off is to offer an item at much less than it normally fetches

Be it a widescreen TV
An expensive mobile
An antique
Music memorabillia
ANYTHING!
Just think to yourself and study very carefully b4 buying that item you think is a real steel.
Could be the last you see of your hard earned cash!!
:eek:

frivolous_fay

This is a
positive thread
thank
you

jonnym

this is a good sticky candidate, IMO....