Buying on eBay Is (Not) Safe. You Should (Not) Read These Before Buyi…

Ebay, the biggest (and one of the oldest) online auction sites has grown really big in the last several years, and because of that, it may be a little riskier to shop at. Some will try to use eBay for selling all kinds of stuff, even masked in a form of some popular product.

You might even end up with a knock off iPhone instead of the real thing. When you try to contact the seller, he doesn’t reply and basically, you lose your money. Here are some tips to prevent these scenarios from happening.

Take Care, Don’t Accept Stock

First off, answer this question: do you really need to buy that thing online? Sure, a smartphone pouch is fine, but do you really want to buy a $2000 computer on eBay? Wouldn’t you feel more secure if you gae a couple of hundred more to get a brand new, guaranteed computer on a proper web shop? It’s your money so take good care of it.

Once you get to the product you want to buy, there are some thing on the actual listing which you should examine. Find the information regarding shipping and return policy. Once you know the item can be delivered to your country, move on and take a look at the item itself. If you need any more photos of it, feel free to contact the seller. Don’t accept stock photos of the item, ask the seller if he can hold it in his hand or something like that.

Use The Sense, Luke

Common sense is a great factor with any online auction. A laser printer for only $50? Apple’s iPad for $100? Don’t you think that these offers are too good to be true? Well, in 99.9% of cases – they are. Don’t even consider those. Find a product with a normal, average price and try to bid on that one.

Now, before you bid or buy an item, it’s time to get know the seller. Check out his profile page and his feedback the previous buyers had left. If it’s above 99.5%, you’re good, since you should avoid anything below that mark. Yep, this feedback percentage is taken really seriously and it’s probably the most important indicator of how honest the seller is.

The last resort

You’re now ready to make your purchase – just one more thing – your delivery address. Some sellers will ship the item to the address listed in your PayPal profile, so make sure they’re all set up properly.

If you’re unsure about anything or if something seems suspicious to you, I’d recommend that you take extra caution or ask someone more experienced to give you some advice. Don’t agree to anything beyond eBay’s terms like giving the money in some other way than PayPal or buying an item directly from the seller etc.

Ebay now has a Buyer Protection program in case you get tricked, but you’d better be out without any of those situations. Do you have any tips or maybe a bad experience buying things on eBay?