Some tips for safe buying on ebay : eBay Guides

Hopefully you will never fall victim to a scammer, here are a few tips to help you avoid being scammed

People are desperate for cheap goods , and the scammers
know this, in fact they count on it.

There are however a few things you can do to avoid being caught out.

Please remember this doesnt apply to all sellers, and at the end of
the day its down to the buyer to take some reasonable precautions.

Here are a few tips

1: Look for £500 buyer protection on the listings, this wont appear
unless the sellers paypal account is fully verified and the seller
has 50+ feedback.
this is a bit unfair on a new seller, but its done for the buyers
protection.

2: Check and see how long they have been registered, and how long
they have been selling this item for.
if its a high value or very much in demand item like a lappy or an
ipod, yet for the past 4 weeks they have only sold cheap items like
clothes etc, be aware this could be a "hijacked" account.


3: check how they got their feedback, if its mainly for buying very
low value items, this is also a indication of a scam.

4: do they only accept paypal? of paypal and uncrossed postal
orders?, if so this is another sign, it means they dont want anything
to go through a bank account that is traceable

5: Have they sold more than £6,000 worth of goods in the last 30
days?, use goofbay to check, if they have and they are NOT VAT
registered, this is yet again another sign of danger ( it doesnt
always follow that £6k per month is over the vat threshold, but
better safe than sorry)

6: Dont be impatient, if they are listing that must have laptop at an
incredible price, WAIT, do not agree to buy, if they are legit they
will have more, just simply watching a seller for 7 days before
committing to buy can save you getting scammed.

7: Avoid any listing that tells you to email them and gives an email
address in the listing for you to contact them with


8: Avoid any listing that states "we are not responsible for goods
lost in the post"

9: Avoid any seller that contacts you and suggests paying by any
method NOT listed in the auction.

10: Check the price of the goods that other sellers are selling at,
if its much cheaper from just one seller, use caution with that
seller.

11: research research research, check their feedback, how they got
it, how long they have been registered for, and if you are still not
sure, dont be afraid to go onto the community boards, especially Q&A, ( Qestions and Answers) many there are experts at spotting scammers, and will take great pleasure in outing them.

12. Be vary aware of  consumer electronics listings with the words Police or auction in the titles.

These are not for the items themselves, but links showing you where you can buy these goods at cheap prices.

However you have to ask yourself  "If these laptops and other items are so cheap and so easy to get hold of, why isnt the seller selling them instead of the information?".

If you look over to the right, you will see that this guide has been worded in such a way to bring these listings up.

Go and have a close look at them, they are NOT for the items themselves, but for the information on where to buy them, which 99% of the time is just a waste of your time and money.

13: Watch out for "pre approved" bidders only on highly desirable items like Mobile phones and laptops.

This isnt always a scam, it might be the seller trying to avoid being ripped himself, or it could be a scammer trying to get you to contact them, so that they can make you an offer away from ebay whjere you have very little protection at all, if any.

14: If you are asked to be a pre approved bidder, and they make you an offer away from ebay, walk away, its a scam

15: If  you get an email that looks like it is from paypal, and it says something like "The funds have been agreed, please supply us with a tracking number for the goods you have posted, once twe have confirmed this number, your account will be credited with the payment", this is another scam, the money always goes into your paypal account first, paypal NEVER require a tracking number before sending you funds.

16: If you are selling a desirable item, such a Mobile or laptop or the latest games system etc, be very careful about people who are registered in one country, and ask you to ship to another completely different country.

If its a newly registered user, I would advise waiting at least 7 days before shipping the item, that way you can monitor their feedback for a negatives warning others they are scammers

There are a few other warning signs, and no doubt others will be
along to tell you about them.

I have no wish to put anyone off of  buying on ebay, when it all goes
well its a fantastic experience for both buyer and seller, but please
dont jump at the first offer you see, do some checking or asking,
that way you will minimize any heartbreak

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