eBay has over 200 million users and unfortunately, not all of them are honest. Whilst there is only a small percentage of eBay users out there that are scammers, it is likely during your time browsing eBay you may encounter at least one.
eBay bans hundreds of scammers daily, but sadly they can’t catch them all, and sadly, many people become eBay victims on a daily basis. This is bad for buyers, sellers and also eBay. Luckily however, an eBay scammer is relatively easy to spot.
When looking at any eBay seller, the first thing you should look for is a good feedback rating. Negative feedback can happen unfairly, so if someone doesn’t have 100% positive feedback, read the negative reviews to ensure you don’t judge them too harshly.
The next thing to look at is the country of origin. If the user is from Nigeria and selling Nigerian handicrafts, then maybe it’s a legitimate sale. If they’re selling the latest iPhone, then chances are it’s a hoax.
Payment method
If someone asks you to pay with any form of payment that is not officially supported by eBay such as western union, you can be sure that they are trying to take your money. Don’t expect to get anything in return. PayPal is the preferred payment method because if you have paid via PayPal, and something goes wrong you can appeal for a refund.
Whilst there are many scammers and fraudsters out there, generally as long as you check feedback and try to be careful you will not have a problem. Sometimes the problem however is with counterfeit goods. If you receive what you believe are fake goods, then you have every right to contact the authorities as well as eBay because fake goods are illegal.
eBay scam artists or fraudsters don’t only bother buyers though!
eBay scammers are a problem for many sellers who are kind hearted enough to send goods before a check clears. The golden rule here is, use PayPal to ensure the safety of both parties. PayPal isn’t cheap, but it does guarantee a certain degree of safety.
Above all, most importantly you must look out for deals which appear too good to be true. These days there are a lot of pre-release cell phones out there, and there are many people gullible enough to believe that they are genuine and that once the auction ends they will receive a pre=release.
eBay sounds like a nightmare doesn’t it? In reality though however, problems are rare thanks to the fact many users are able to police eBay for themselves. This makes sure that scammers, fraudsters and cheats are all reported quickly. If you see one on eBay, the least you can do is to report it, keeping you and other people safe.
eBay is a great site to buy almost anything. Don’t be put off by the fact it may seem like a dangerous place to shop because generally it’s not. Have fun, and above all keep vigilant, there are bargains to be had everywhere!
Posted in eBay, How To, PayPal, Selling, Shopping | No Comments »
We thought we should post about this again because so many of you liked our last post about it. eBay has been around for years already, but the popular site has still to invent a spellchecker for listings. But then again they’re not a word processing company, they’re an auction site. If you’re a smart buyer then this gives you the perfect opportunity.
With thousands of incorrectly spelt listings on eBay, many listings don’t get nearly the visibility they should. As a result, if you know how to exploit this advantage, you can stand to make a quick profit!
Let’s face it. Not everyone on eBay can spell.
In fact, even those that can often make mistakes, and when you’re searching for a cat and end up looking at a sparkling new Mercedes with no reserve, you may initially have a laugh at the seller’s expense, but you also have an opportunity to cash in on his or her mistake by possibly winning an auction at a fraction of the price.
There are spelling mistakes almost everywhere in eBay and it is both a blessing and a curse.
It is such a big opportunity, there are now dedicated search engines that help you find auctions that have suffered the fate of being cursed with a typo. The TypoHound tool is one example, and it automatically generates all the possible misspellings of a word and then queries eBay on your behalf.
Alternatively, one of the easiest ways to start looking for incorrectly spelt auctions is by using the eBay search features directly. This is a great way to search as if you’re not sure on what you are looking for, you can look for auctions based on a number of factors.
What to Look For?
When you are busy looking for auctions that contain typos, then you should be focusing only on the title. This is how eBay looks at the item, so if a listing is entitled “2.0 liter Cat” then it will not appear in searches for a 2.0 liter car.
Typos are a great way to find auctions on eBay, and another great way is to look for listings that are in the wrong category. It’s an uncommon mistake to make, but people do make it every day, and listing in the wrong category can be even worse than typo.
When to Bid?
Even the most illegible eBay post will be seen by people as the auction expires. As soon as it hits the first page, people will start to bid, so make sure to treat this auction like any other, by bidding late and ensuring you don’t go over what you’re prepared to pay.
Start Looking!
The easiest way to start looking for typos is to think like a child. If you spell phonetically, then you will come up with a load of errors, alternatively, typohound.com is a free tool that can help.
Whilst spelling errors are a great way to win auctions for a bargain, you do need to be careful because as many others have found out, if someone is selling you a ‘Genuine Roleks’ yet can’t take the time to do a spell check, there may be something seriously wrong with the deal. Don’t bid blindly and remember some things are simply too good to be true.
Posted in eBay, How To, Shopping, Software | 1 Comment »