Is it possible to get scammed on eBay?
I was just wondering if it was possible to get scammed off eBay. Like you buy an item and never get it? I am clueless about eBay and don’t quite know how to system works. Can’t the seller just not ship the item over? Is there any protection against this? What can be done if such things happen? I’m under the impression that if the item is too cheap, PayPal would not bother about it.
Can anyone explain how it goes?
Absolutely! Here are some tips to avoid being scammed as a buyer:
Study the seller’s feedback page. To see this page, just click on the number in parenthesis beside the seller’s name.
Never, never, never buy from a seller with zero feedback. Although everyone has to start somewhere, a zero feedback rating is a huge red flag. Anyone selling on eBay should at least have some history even as a buyer. Find another seller offering the same item who at least has some history on eBay.
Look at how long the seller has been an eBay member. You will see a notation that says, "eBay member since XYZ." You will be safer to buy from a seller who has been on eBay for several months or years, as opposed to one who just started selling last week. Many scam artists sell legitimately on eBay for a short time to establish a history, then "pull the rug out from under" buyers after they have had a few sales. Look for established sellers with a long history on eBay – it is just the safest route.
Look at the seller’s feedback comments. Not only should you consider whether the comments are positive or negative, but actually read the comments. The comments themselves will provide valuable information about experiences of other buyers. You may see comments like, "Took a long time to arrive, poor communication, item was broken, seller won’t refund."
Look at the sellers DSR (Detailed Seller Rating). DSRs give in-depth ratings of the seller’s performance on shipping time, shipping costs, communication, and item description. For example, if the seller has a low rating on item descriptions, you will know that he is not being honest and forthright about what he is selling.
Read the item description completely. Understand the seller’s policies regarding returns, damages, and lost packages. Look for sellers who are willing to work out problems and accommodate customers. Avoid sellers who make statements like, "not my responsibility, we can’t, we won’t, all sales final." Those kinds of comments are a recipe for disaster.
Read the seller’s About Me page if they have one. The About Me page will give you more information about the seller and may help improve your comfort level in dealing with that person.
Ask questions. Always ask questions and wait for an answer before bidding or buying. If the seller doesn’t answer, don’t deal with him. If he isn’t going to acknowledge your email as a potential customer, he probably won’t follow up or help you later if needed.
Go with your gut. If something doesn’t seem right, trust your intuition. There are plenty of other sellers to buy from!
You have to ship it to them and sometimes they don’t pay after it’s shipped or they pay woth a fake check wich happens all the time so you have to be smart!:)
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It is possible.
Yes that has happened.
Yes the seller can just not send the item.
there is some protection, but not very good.
Niether paypal nor ebay will bothere about it if under 100.
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I once purchased a cellphone and the seller never send it to me. I filed a report with eBay but I never got my money back. May be an isolated case. Good luck!
References :
Absolutely! Here are some tips to avoid being scammed as a buyer:
Study the seller’s feedback page. To see this page, just click on the number in parenthesis beside the seller’s name.
Never, never, never buy from a seller with zero feedback. Although everyone has to start somewhere, a zero feedback rating is a huge red flag. Anyone selling on eBay should at least have some history even as a buyer. Find another seller offering the same item who at least has some history on eBay.
Look at how long the seller has been an eBay member. You will see a notation that says, "eBay member since XYZ." You will be safer to buy from a seller who has been on eBay for several months or years, as opposed to one who just started selling last week. Many scam artists sell legitimately on eBay for a short time to establish a history, then "pull the rug out from under" buyers after they have had a few sales. Look for established sellers with a long history on eBay – it is just the safest route.
Look at the seller’s feedback comments. Not only should you consider whether the comments are positive or negative, but actually read the comments. The comments themselves will provide valuable information about experiences of other buyers. You may see comments like, "Took a long time to arrive, poor communication, item was broken, seller won’t refund."
Look at the sellers DSR (Detailed Seller Rating). DSRs give in-depth ratings of the seller’s performance on shipping time, shipping costs, communication, and item description. For example, if the seller has a low rating on item descriptions, you will know that he is not being honest and forthright about what he is selling.
Read the item description completely. Understand the seller’s policies regarding returns, damages, and lost packages. Look for sellers who are willing to work out problems and accommodate customers. Avoid sellers who make statements like, "not my responsibility, we can’t, we won’t, all sales final." Those kinds of comments are a recipe for disaster.
Read the seller’s About Me page if they have one. The About Me page will give you more information about the seller and may help improve your comfort level in dealing with that person.
Ask questions. Always ask questions and wait for an answer before bidding or buying. If the seller doesn’t answer, don’t deal with him. If he isn’t going to acknowledge your email as a potential customer, he probably won’t follow up or help you later if needed.
Go with your gut. If something doesn’t seem right, trust your intuition. There are plenty of other sellers to buy from!
References :
http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/
Yup. It is certainly possible to get scammed on ebay. Sellers can not ship your item, could send you something totally different, the item could be "not as described," or (for certain designer brands) it could be a non-authentic item. Checking the feedback of a seller is one of the first things you can do to prevent this. I’ve been an ebayer for 11 or so years, and I’ve seen all sides of the spectrum. However, I’ve rarely had a problem with Paypal refunding my money if I make a claim – I know it happens, and it’s a mystery to me why they decide against certain cases.
One of the things you can do is to use your credit card to pay through Paypal. That way, if there is a problem and Paypal refuses to do anything about it, you can dispute the claim through your credit card company. You fill out a form to explain why you think the charge isn’t correct (didn’t receive, not satisfied, etc) and they will contact Paypal on your behalf and go through the process to see if you have a valid case. They give you a longer window of time to do this than Paypal does, and are usually a little more on your side as their customer.
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