6 eBay Buyer and Seller Scams to Spot and Avoid.eBay is an online flea market. This is an amazing site full of potential treasures, whether you’re looking for a hard-to-find video game or Justin Timberlake’s half-eaten French toast.
Unfortunately, it is also full of scammers who want to make money fast. While eBay provides strong consumer protection, you should be careful when navigating this online bazaar.
Forewarned is forearmed. Know what eBay scams to look out for and you can better protect yourself from malicious elements that want to make a living on your pennies.
eBay seller tricks to avoid
Be aware of any of the following eBay seller scams.
Incorrect name on shipping label
Most people throw away any mail they receive that isn’t addressed to them. Most people won’t open it, especially if it’s a package. Instead, they mark it as delivered in error. Fraudsters use this and send a parcel with the correct address, but with the wrong name on the label. Since most people return a package, a scammer could resell it.
If an eBay package is returned or abandoned, the seller can keep the money and the product – only to return it and sell it back to someone else. Once the transaction is completed in this way, the buyer cannot dispute it and therefore has no way to get his money back.
Beware of empty boxes
It seems that every year there is a certain product that is in high demand. It was Furby years ago. For several Christmas holidays, it was the Pie Face board game. An “empty box” scam is when a seller lists a high-demand item for sale. Since many people want it, most will buy it right away without reading the description.
The item will be listed at market value or higher, only for the buyer to know that the box is just empty. Unfortunately, if the description clearly states that the product is nothing more than a box, there is nothing the buyer can do. Be sure to read the description carefully before purchasing, no matter how badly you want something.
Beware of “unverified” elements
A common scam is that sellers list a high-value item for sale at retail price but list it as “unverified”. In most cases, it is sufficient to simply test the product before selling it. A product that is marked as “unverified” means that the seller is at least too lazy to make an effort.
On the other hand, there are legitimate cases where an untested product can turn out to be a quality find. The problem is, it’s hard to say for sure. When you come across this, check out the seller’s profile. If they have a low feedback rate, stay away. You should also look at their sales history.
Many scammers buy and sell products to themselves through secondary accounts to maintain a high enough review rate to make shoppers think they are legitimate. In such cases, there will likely be a large number of small purchases and sales.
eBay Buyer scams to avoid
Please be aware of the following buyer scams on eBay.
Customer claims that you only sent an empty box
Unlike merchant scams that use empty boxes, this is something you can fight. Be sure to take photos (with metadata included on your camera) to document the entire packaging and shipping process each time.
This scam works like this: the buyer will accuse you of fraud and demand that you send only an empty box. You can contact eBay and appeal the dispute, but if you do not have absolutely all of the documented steps in the process, eBay will rule in the buyer’s favor. eBay stands for buyers and this scam takes advantage of this fact.
Customers declare they never received the item
With eBay’s purchase protection policies, it’s very easy to claim that your package was not received and make you refund. However, you can request a signature upon delivery. This is actually required for any purchase over $ 750, but many sellers are unaware of this fact.
Be sure to track every shipment until delivery and keep documentation upon arrival. If you are shipping anything over $ 750, such as a computer or game console, be sure to ask for a signature upon delivery. If a person signs for a parcel, he cannot claim that the parcel was not delivered.
The buyer refunds the parcel with the damaged item
This scam is all too common. Someone buys a product like an iPhone and then claims it broke upon delivery. They will send it back with a broken iPhone inside, but it will not be the one you sent – it will be the phone they had lying around for that very purpose. They keep the phone for themselves and get their money back.
The best way to avoid this scam is to document everything you can about the product you are selling. Look for specific serial numbers, IME numbers, and even markings on the item or box itself. Take pictures. Have all of this information ready in case you need to dispute a refund from eBay. While not a guarantee, it gives you a better chance of fighting a scammer.
6 eBay Buyer and Seller Scams to Spot and Avoid