10 ways to avoid being scammed on eBay

It is important to remember that eBay looks a lot like a market. There will always be an unreliable boy in the corner, selling things that most people wouldn't touch. The problem is that, on the Internet, these people can be a little more difficult to detect. Here are ten tips to help you stay alert to scammers.

1. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is: this applies to everything in life, but especially for eBay. Things that seem too cheap are generally too cheap for one reason: it can be a complete scam or the items can be of very low quality. Research before going further.

2. Know the value of what you want to buy: there are people on eBay who regularly offer such high prices for used cameras that they could have gone out and bought them completely new. Check prices first.

3. Only bid for real things: eBay has many people trying to sell all kinds of schemes and scams. It is never worth bidding for these, no matter how cheap they may be.

4. Do not do anything outside of eBay: occasionally, people will ask you to send money outside of eBay, to avoid the fees that eBay charges sellers. Any money you send in this way is completely insecure, don't do it.

5. Be careful when sending payment: people can hack the accounts of others and ask you to send the payment to addresses that eBay has not confirmed that they belong to that account; You can send your money and receive nothing in return.

6. Watch out for sellers who suddenly change what they sell: sellers may seem to have made many transactions, when they have never really sold anything of value. If you suddenly start selling $ 1,000 televisions, stay away: you will most likely plan to escape with the money.

7. Be careful of the shilling supplier: if someone who does not seem to have bought anything before is constantly overcoming it on a certain item, suspect. It may be that a seller "makes an offer" to force the price of his item.

8. Do not use the seller's custody service: if a seller recommends a custody service, it is very likely that you own and manage it, and it is very likely that you will keep your money and send you nothing.

9. Pay electronically: you are more likely to recover losses if you pay with a credit card instead of sending checks and money orders. These low-tech payment methods cannot be traced so easily.

10. Buy from accredited sellers: each vendor has a number next to their name, which is their rating of comments.

On this last point, feedback ratings are the most important way that buyers and sellers can protect themselves on eBay, and you, as a buyer, also have a rating! Now that you will not be scammed, the next email will be about your rating and what you can do to make sure people know that you will not be scammed either.