Ebay Shy to Sell Again After Being Scammed
eBay is a legitimate shopping resource, and most people have good experiences while using the site. Even so, in that location are many eBay scams that you demand to lookout man out for to protect yourself.
Whether you buy or sell on the site, you should know about major eBay scams so you don't become a victim. Here are the virtually mutual eBay scams to know nigh: some that bear upon eBay buyers, others that threaten sellers, and even 1 that applies to all eBay users.
eBay Scams to Avoid as a Heir-apparent
In general, eBay buyers have less to worry about because eBay tends to side with the purchaser in disputes. Buyers don't need much evidence to claim foul play—in most cases, eBay volition accept y'all at your word.
Simply in that location are still a few ways you tin fall for a scam as an eBay buyer. Here are a few to sentinel out for.
1. Seller Runs Off With Your Money
This scam is unproblematic: you send payment and cypher happens.
For well-nigh listings, the eBay Money Back Guarantee protects you if the seller never actually ships yous the item, or sends y'all something that's cleaved. But at that place are several categories of items that aren't covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee:
- Vehicles
- Real manor
- Digital content
- Websites and businesses for sale
- Classified ads
- Services
- Some kinds of business equipment
Note that nearly of the best-selling items on eBay don't fall nether these categories. Rather, these tend to be high-value transactions, typically in the range of thousands of dollars. It's reasonable for eBay to make exceptions for these kinds of items.
How do you stay condom from this? Even if you cheque a seller'southward feedback and it looks overwhelmingly positive, you can't be sure that the item yous're eyeing is legitimate. They might exist playing the long con: building up a spectacular rating over tons of tiny transactions, then scamming y'all out of this 1 huge transaction.
All yous tin can do is avoid shopping in categories that aren't covered past eBay'southward Coin Dorsum Guarantee. Make certain you understand the terms on that folio so you're protected if a seller doesn't hold up their end of a deal.
ii. Seller Ships With an Incorrect Name
In this scenario, the seller puts up a normal listing, usually with a Buy Now option but not always. When yous purchase it, the seller properly ships the packet to your address just intentionally uses an incorrect name, making you lot recollect that you received someone else'south package.
Being a good denizen, yous return the package to the post function or shipping company. Unfortunately, this marks your bundle equally "Refused" or "Returned," which voids the eBay Money Dorsum Guarantee. Information technology states that refused deliveries are not covered unless the detail arrived with additional shipping costs because the seller didn't apply enough stamp.
The money that you sent to the seller is now theirs to go along, and you lot have nothing to bear witness for it. The worst role is that this counts as a resolved dispute, and you can't get out feedback after dispute resolutions.
There are no perfect options to avoid this scam. The best one, which might be ethically gray, is to open up all packages that come to your house as long as the post-obit are all true:
- You lot're expecting a bundle
- The accost on the delivery matches
- The tracking number says the item was delivered
In such cases, it's reasonable to open the packet. eBay says that if a package arrives empty or was damaged in transit, you should yet accept the delivery; you can then study that the particular doesn't match the listing.
3. Misleading Listings for an Empty Box
This is a common scenario where a seller puts up a listing, usually for a hot new item (like the latest game console). Its cost is fix far below the market value. The hope is that y'all'll come across the listing and get so excited by the cost that y'all blitz to purchase it earlier someone else does.
Unfortunately, the listing clearly states that the seller is just selling the box for said detail. When it arrives, you open the package with excitement—simply to realize you just received a box and you lot've been ripped off. This is as well common with used video games, where people country that the listing is just for the transmission or box.
To avoid this, never blitz to buy items on an open marketplace. Always read a listing thoroughly before committing, which will help you avoid making a stupid fault.
You might be able to dispute the purchase if the seller intentionally hides the fact that it's just a box. But if the outset line of the item description explicitly states that the listing is for the "box only" or contains "no game," then you lot likely won't win a dispute.
eBay Scams to Avert equally a Seller
Sellers definitely deal with the majority of problems on eBay. It's far also easy for scammers to hit sellers without much fear of repercussion. To stay safe when selling on eBay, y'all'll demand to exist able to spot these problems before they happen.
ane. Buyer Offers to Overpay
In this scenario, a buyer contacts y'all and offers to pay a lot more than coin than you're request for your item. They'll transport an empty cashier's check or a bogus personal check, neither of which will clear. By the time you find it'south phony, you've already sent the item and information technology's also late.
This ane is easy to fall for because the promise of extra money is hard to resist. Who wouldn't be enticed by the offer of $500 on a laptop listed at $300?
To keep yourself protected from this scheme, never send items until you take the money in hand or in the depository financial institution. Note that when you deposit a check, it may announced in your bank account right away simply tin can take up to 2 weeks to show as "bounced." To be rubber, wait until you are certain that the cheque was valid; yous may want to contact your bank to ostend.
For maximum safety, you should never have checks of any kind on eBay; only take payments through the platform.
A similar scam as well happens exterior of eBay, so keep your eyes peeled for information technology. Any fourth dimension someone wants to send you more money than necessary (or "accidentally" sends too much), and then requests that you pay some of it dorsum (or ship it to someone else), you can be sure the bank check is bogus and won't clear. They simply want to accept the existent money you send them.
2. Buyer Wants to Settle Outside eBay
If your listing is an sale, you may get a buyer who offers to pay an immediate amount as long every bit you close the list and settle outside of eBay. You oblige. It seems similar everything went fine, merely shortly they'll mutter to eBay that your item was defective, simulated, or non-real.
You can effort to dispute it, merely eBay won't help y'all. eBay can't know about annihilation that happened outside its own systems, so eBay's policy on selling outside the platform is articulate: the company will only aid you if all communications and transactions went through its services.
Thus, you should never agree to work outside of eBay, even for a quick buck. When communicating with buyers, e'er do so through eBay's channels. That way, if something happens, eBay tin hands check the buyer'due south messages for offenses like intent to defraud.
3. Buyer Claims Yous Shipped an Empty Box
This scam starts out as normal: a buyer purchases one of your listings, then yous send the detail as usual. When they receive the detail, they open an eBay dispute and merits that you sent them an empty box. eBay forces a return, then the buyer ships back the empty box, keeping the item that was inside.
To sidestep this, always cheque a buyer'southward feedback history, which may indicate potential problems. If you lot contact eBay, the company will tell you lot to appeal the dispute. You lot'll need all the evidence you can gather (such as photographic proof that you actually shipped the item)—anything less than comprehensive proof will likely lead to a rule in the buyer's favor.
To be safe, ever photo the entire process of packing and aircraft every item yous sell through eBay. Having photo metadata that proves the time and location is even better. The more than proof you keep, the more evidence yous have in case of a scam. As a terminal-ditch effort, you can contact the post office and ask them for the weight information on the parcel, which volition prove that you didn't send an empty box.
iv. Heir-apparent Threatens Refund With Broken Replica
In this scam, you lot're selling a used item that's in relatively loftier demand, such every bit an iPhone. The heir-apparent purchases it from you. Merely unbeknownst to you, they really have the same item—except theirs is broken or damaged.
You ship your working item, they receive information technology, and and so they complain to eBay that you sent a defective item. If you can't prove that you sent a working item, they'll get their money back and you'll be out what y'all shipped.
To protect from this, record all unique details of the item before you send it, such as the serial number, IMEI number, and anything else. This may not ever be possible, but when it is, it can aid you win any disputes—these unique identifiers won't match upwardly with the phony broken item. As above, taking photos can save you hither too.
v. Buyer Claims "Detail Not Received" to PayPal
When selling with PayPal, you are covered by PayPal Seller Protection. However, for eligibility, you must have proof of delivery for all items. For transactions nether $750, delivery confirmation is enough. For anything over $750, you must accept signature confirmation of commitment.
Scammers know that near not-business concern sellers on eBay aren't enlightened of this prerequisite. Thus, the scammer volition buy an item worth over $750 through PayPal, then claim the item wasn't received. If you lot can't provide signature confirmation of commitment, you have no protection.
To fight back, ever track your shipments. And for sales over $750, ever become signature confirmation of delivery. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind and protection against scammers.
6. Buyer Issues a Chargeback
Whether using a credit carte or PayPal, buyers tin can e'er opposite a transaction using a chargeback. A chargeback is essentially a forced refund: the bank (or PayPal) cancels a transaction, taking the coin back from y'all and returning it to the buyer.
In add-on, you'll commonly get hitting with a chargeback fee. In the US, PayPal'due south chargeback fee is $twenty per transaction. Banks typically have a chargeback fee between $15 and $25 per transaction.
Unfortunately, chargebacks are notoriously easy to initiate. A buyer but needs to heighten suspicion that you've done something incorrect, and nearly banks (and PayPal) will tend to go through with it, no questions asked.
PayPal Seller Protection does guard you lot against frivolous chargebacks, and then make sure you adhere to all its rules to stay protected. As for banks, all chargebacks are followed up with an investigation. If you can testify documented proof that the transaction was valid, you may be able to overturn the chargeback.
Annotation that if a heir-apparent politely requests a refund and you tin't convince them otherwise, it's e'er in your all-time involvement to issue the refund. If they're desperate, they'll resort to a chargeback and you'll accept to swallow the fees.
An eBay Scam Everyone Must Avoid: Phishing
In this common scenario, y'all receive an email that looks like an official notice from eBay. It might ask you lot to have i of many actions: review your security details, update your password, or ostend a recent purchase or sale. What'south important is that the electronic mail includes a link to log into your account.
This fraudulent link takes you to a copycat website that looks like the existent eBay website. You lot try to log in, but it doesn't piece of work. Too late! The website now knows the login credentials you only typed in, and the scammer will use it to access your actual eBay account.
This technique of impersonating a website and getting y'all to give up your login credentials is called phishing. Larn how to spot a phishing email so you lot never fall for one of these again.
As a general guideline for safety, never click on links in emails. There is no good reason to do this. Even if the link looks legitimate, it could be phony. Fake links are extremely easy to insert, and you can never exist sure an e-mail is real since electronic mail headers are simple to spoof.
To exist safe, e'er type in URLs by paw, use a bookmark, or search Google (for well-known websites).
What Is eBay's Customer Service Number?
In the event y'all run into an eBay scam, you'll want to get in contact with eBay's support team. The only number that eBay keeps listed on its site is i-866-961-9253, though the company notes that this is only for people who experienced fraud. Scams autumn under fraud, so give this number a phone call if yous autumn for something.
Otherwise, sign in and visit eBay's Customer Service habitation. By clicking the Contact the states push button at the bottom, yous can go further help with your specific issue. Your options to speak with eBay's team depend on what you lot select.
Staying Safe on eBay
Nosotros've looked at some of the most common eBay scams. Whether you're buying an item or looking to sell, you must be able to spot these tricks. There's e'er a small risk when ownership something on a marketplace like eBay, but knowing what scams people most ofttimes utilize to take advantage of others puts you a pace alee.
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