Avoid the eBay Scams
Published January 4th, 2007
One of the biggest fears people have over eBay is that of being scammed. Whether you are a buyer or a seller there is always a slight risk that all may not be what it seems. eBay tell us that only 0.01% of transactions ever have any problems but that is no compensation if you are that 0.01%. So what can you do to avoid being scammed?
There are some very obvious points if you are a seller such as never sending out the product until the cash is safely in your bank or Paypal account. One point that is often raised by UK Auction Line subscribers is whether you should wait to confirm that any cheques you receive have been cleared through your bank before sending the items.
Personally I usually dispatch goods as soon as I receive the cheque. This is pertly because most items I sell are fairly low value, under £30 and prompt dispatch of goods encourages good feedback.
However, if you deal in higher priced items it would only be common sense to wait. I can say that in all the time I have been selling on eBay I have never had a cheque bounce but maybe I have just been lucky. Again with higher priced items you should use a delivery service that offers some form of tracking system. For lower cost items I simply use the Royal Mails Recorded Delivery service. It provides compensation up to £28, requires a signature from the recipient and only costs 65p. If nothing else it stops the “I never received it†con.
If the item you are selling an item that could be broken or damaged in the post you should consider offering insurance and pointing out that if the buyer does not want it then the item is shipped at their risk. This way you cover yourself from people that may take advantage of you. It is also a good idea to clearly state your return and exchange policies to avoid disputes later.
As a buyer the best method of payment is through Paypal or if you are buying an expensive item you should consider using an escrow service. But you have to be cautious with these as many fake escrow services have been set up purely to swindle people. The only escrow service you should use is eBay’s own www.escrow.com. because this is a guaranteed and totally trustworthy. Do no send money by wire, bankers draft or Western Union because you will have no recourse if something goes wrong. I recently e-mailed subscribers of information about a free gift from Dave Guindon of his latest software program Feedback Analyzer Pro. This is a really good and useful tool for anyone who uses eBay but the reason I mention it here is because also included with the download are two videos on eof which is on the subject of avoiding being scammed on eBay. You could find this interesting. To download it go to http://findv.com/x.php?3e5
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