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10 Things to Do to Avoid Being Ripped Off on eBay

By Clint Herman

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 13Jul2008 Word count: 609 Viewed: 351 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

You need to remember that eBay is a marketplace and there will always be slimy eBayers lurking around trying to rip other eBayers off. The trouble is that these people can be a hard to spot online. Below are ten tips to help you stay a step ahead of the rip-off merchants.

1. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is: This is very practical advice related to more than just what you do online, but it especially good advice for eBay. If you come across an item that seems too cheap then it's probably priced this way for a reason. You might have just found a scam or the item might just be in bad shape. Thoroughly investigate the item before you buy it.

2. Know the value of what you are looking to purchase: This relates to the 1st tip. There are eBayers who regularly bid items up to a price that is so high that they might as well have gone out and bought the item brand new. Check completed eBay auctions to get a good idea of a good price to pay and check off eBay to find what a similar item is selling for new.

3. Limit your bidding to "real" things: eBay has plenty of sellers who are trying to pawn all sorts of schemes, scams and strange things. The chances of getting cheated on these types of auctions are so high that it's not really worth it.

4. Don't make a deal outside eBay: Occasionally people will ask you to send them money outside eBay, to avoid the eBay fees and/or PayPal fees charged sellers. If you send money this way then you are taking a risk because your transaction will be entirely insecure.

5. Be cautious where you send payment: People hack into others' eBayer accounts, and when they do, they will ask you to send your payment to an address that is not eBay confirmed, which means is doesn't belong to that account. If you send your payment under these circumstances then you might not receive what you paid for.

6. Look out for sellers who suddenly change what they sell: Sellers can look like they've made lots of transactions, when really they've never sold anything of worth. If they suddenly start selling $1,000 flat screen televisions, take note because there is a chance the eBay seller is planning to run off with the cash.

7. Shill bidding: If an eBayer who doesn't seem to have bought anything before is constantly outbidding you on a certain item, be suspicious. This person might be a seller who is "shill bidding", which means he is bidding on his own item to force up price.

8. Don't use the seller's escrow service: If an escrow service is recommended to you by a an eBay seller, it is possible that is owned and run by that person. If this is the case, the seller just might keep your cash and never send you what you bought.

9. Pay online: If you pay electronically, you greatly increase your chances of recovering any losses. Pay using a credit card via PayPal, for example, instead of sending out a check or a money order. These low-tech payment methods can not be easily tracked.

10. Buy from sellers who have a good reputation: Every eBay seller is rated via eBay's feedback system. It's very easy to check this, as the overall feedback appears next to the eBayers name. Clicking this link can give you more detail on the seller's past transactions. The higher the seller rating, the more you can trust them.

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