eBay Horror Stories And How To Avoid Them
If you have done even the slightest bit of research about purchasing items on eBay, you've probably read posts or articles telling stories of broken products, late shipping or even no items being sent by the merchant. Sadly, these stories are true. It is a shame, considering almost all of the merchants you will encounter are honest, reputable people who operating a real business, not an elaborate scam. Legitimate merchants and buyers share your frustration and wish these deceptive practices would stop.
Like any other unregulated environment, fraudulent and unethical people can unfortunately operate. But, there are steps you can take when entering an auction to reduce or even eliminate these problems.
Don't use your credit card directly with an eBay Seller. Set up a PayPal account. If a merchant insists upon being paid outside of PayPal, think twice. PayPal is the most widely accepted form of payment on eBay. PayPal allows you the option of linking your account to a credit card or bank account. Either way, your personal information cannot be obtained by the merchant. It is stored on a secured PayPal server built with firewalls that keep the server and the internet itself completely separate at all times. The only thing they will see is your designated email address. Setting up a PayPal account is easy: log on to www.PayPal.com for the details. You'll be up and running with an account in minutes. Depending on the type of account you choose, you can receive protection on your purchases of up to $2000.00.
Make sure you are dealing with legitimate merchant. The "Meet the Seller" section is critical to learning as much about the merchant as you can. Spend some time on this. Try to deal with merchants who designated as "Super Sellers". This designation is only given to the best merchants. They are the people who deliver what you ordered promptly and have a proven track record of customer satisfaction. You are in good hands if you bid on page with this designation.
Ask for shipping insurance. This is another sign of reputable merchant. Serious eBay business people will not object to shipping your item insured: most even do it as a matter of policy. Email the merchant and ask if it is not stated on the bid page. This will help to eliminate any potential problems if you receive a defective product.
"Sniper Bids" happen. You've placed a competitive bid on a product you want. You may have placed the highest bid on a product. You log off your computer with only minutes left in the auction, excited that you have finally purchased that hard to find antique. You check back a few hours later and realize you have lost the bid. A last second entry only a couple of dollars more than yours has won the auction. This practice is what is commonly referred to as "Sniper Bidding". It is frustrating experience for a buyer. Unfortunately it is something that eBay cannot control and is part of the game when bidding online.
eBay horror stories will no doubt continue to happen. Remember that almost all of the merchants are reputable people. If you take some time to research and ask questions, you won't have story to add to the list.
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