How can you make sure that you dont get scammed on ebay?
957753
You are protected with paypal, You can always claim your money back if you don't receive the item, always look at the persons feedback to see how reliable they are, buy low value items ie 99p to get the expereince of trading!! \n\nvisit www.moneysaving.com and look in the ebays board...... there is loads of help there - I am a board advisor :)
475446
send a report to Ebays fraud department, they are very good and deal with the police in handling these matters. awhile back here in the states that sent two men to prison for fraud on ebay... talk it over with the right people to see who can help you better \n\nthere is the department below
1166738
Try craigslist.com.  It's free.  Be sure that you include pictures and a lengthy description of your items.  Also, put your contact information (cell phone, home phone, etc.) on the ad.  I believe this shows people that you are legit.\n\nAlso, I've heard people complain about people trying to scam them on Craigslist.  For example, someone may contact you and ask if you would ship the product if they send you a check (or some other form of payment).  Don't do it.  Let people know that you only sell to local people (that you'll meet face-to-face).  It would probably be a good idea to specify that in your ad.\n\nI hope this helps.\n\nScott.....
600662
There are plenty of legitmate and safe (Yahoo has one, for example), but the bottom line is you want the one with the most traffic.  That's ebay...the 800 pound gorilla that can do what it wants.
783455
Contact the seller and see what happens there first.\n\nIf you contact eBay they'll just ask what the seller said about it.\n\neBay's suggestions:\nThe key to successful transactions on eBay is direct communication between buyers and sellers. However, from time to time, misunderstandings do happen.\n\nHere are some tips that can improve your ability to work things out with your buyer or seller:\n\n    *\n\n      Presume good faith from the other side. Don't assume that your buyer or seller is acting unfairly or unreasonably. Usually problems are a result of simple miscommunication or mistaken assumptions. Make it clear to your trading partner from the start that you see the situation as resolvable, and that you don't assume they've acted with bad intentions. They will usually reciprocate, and you'll work out the vast majority of problems.\n    *\n\n      Focus on the problem, not the person. Talk about the situation you want to resolve and potential solutions, not your assessment of your trading partner's character. It may feel temporarily satisfying to "tell off" your trading partner if you think they've acted in an inappropriate manner, but it almost always makes the situation more difficult to resolve.\n    *\n\n      Threats and insults almost always backfire. Every eBay member's reputation is dependent on feedback left by their trading partners. Threatening a member with negative feedback or insulting them usually stiffens their resolve and makes them less accommodating and cooperative. While leaving negative feedback is sometimes appropriate, resorting to harsh measures too quickly can make the situation worse than it is. Try to use negative feedback as a last resort.\n    *\n\n      Look for creative solutions. Think of solutions where both you and the person you're trading with get what you're looking for. Believing that any gain for you is a loss for the other side leads to a combative, me-versus-you situation. Instead, think about common goals you share with your trading partner. If the seller sells the item at a fair price and the buyer gets something they desire (which was why both of you came to eBay in the first place) then both of you go away happy.\n    *\n\n      Remember the broader picture. Instead of getting caught up in the emotions of the moment, remember this is just one transaction among many more to come in the future. Looking at the situation through the eyes of the person you're trading with may help you understand the perspective from the other side. Sometimes the "winner" can really be a loser in terms of wasted time and negative feedback. Keep your perspective and you'll be much better off in the long run.\n    *\n\n      Customer satisfaction is good business. Sellers, sometimes being accommodating to your buyer can be good for your business in the future. Research has shown that buyers are 10 times as likely to spread word of a negative buying experience, as they are to talk about a positive buying experience. Buyers are more loyal to sellers that they've worked with to resolve transaction problems than to sellers where no transaction problem has occurred. Consider your reputation as your most valuable asset. \n///
45367
eBay offers a list of buyer protection steps.  Did you pay using PayPal?  If so, they offer their own buyer protection.  Was their email correspondence?  Try emailing them there.  I would suggest taking a look at the list of actions you can take by following the provided link.  If all else fails, the last step is to contact your credit card company.  \n\nSecondly, be sure that you check user ratings and comments before purchasing anything from them.  I know I'm probably just stating what you already know, but you can often tell a lot about a user based on their ratings and reviews (and the longevity of their account, too!).\n\neBay has excellent customer support, so if all else fails, you should definitely contact them.  Even if a user is no longer registered, there is information on him or her in the system. Visit the "contact us" link from your 'My eBay' page for more information there.
575384
I have used eBay and PayPal for over four years now and have never been scammed as a buyer or seller (well, sometimes people win an item and then don't pay, but never ship anything  until you're paid).  I have no fear working with either eBay or PayPal.  Just keep your passwords private.  \n\nYou can generally tell if it's a real message if you receive it right after you completed a transaction on eBay or PayPal.  Also, real emails will never ask you to enter a passwork.  You can also tell it's fake if a link takes you to a web site that does not start with https://www.paypal.com (note the 's' in https://').  Phish emails are actually quite easy to ID.
1136040
Pay attention to the shipping and handling costs.  That is where the sellers get you.  PLUS, the sellers feedback is CRITICAL when buying a computer on ebay.  I have been using eBay since 1998 and it has always been dangerous to buy a computer on ebay if you ignore feedback and shipping costs.  PLUS...VERY IMPORTANT.  If the listing says something like "UNTESTED, SOLD AS-IS" or something similar to that, BEWARE.  That probably means they are selling you a DEAD machine or a machine with known problems they are masking themselves from to avoid a negative feedback comment.  BE CAREFUL.\n\nIf you are careful though, you can get some awesome deals on ebay.
146934
You should recieve it but be careful because there are many fraudulant activities going on with Ebay
984191
I get the actual real e-mails.  This one is a fake.  The domain name of the sender should also be "paypal" not "consulta..."\n\nPaypal will let you know when somebody has paid you (it will already be in your account).  After that, you can enter a shipping/tracking number if you want to but they don't force you to in order to keep the money (they use the tracking to inform the buyer the item is on the way and to resolve disputes if the buyer said they never received the itme).\n\nI'd send the e-mail along to the eBay Spoof E-mail people, spoofATebay.com (just change "AT" to @ and make sure there are no spaces).
228847
EBAY... buyer beware!
122053
PayPal itself is secure. Your concern as to whether or not you will receive the items is more a question of the trustworthiness of the seller.\n\nI have been using it for five years with no problems with PayPal. I have had very few problems with sellers, but the same problems would have existed whether I had sent a check, money order or cash. The problems are not with PayPal.\n\nOne thing to keep in mind is to view all emails regarding your PayPal account carefully. Many false emails are sent out claiming to be from PayPal asking for your account information. They may also provide a link so that you can sign in to "verify" your account - except that the link takes you to *their* web site that looks very much like PayPal's and they will have your password.\n\nThis process is known as "phishing", and it is simply someone trying to take your money. Please refer to the following:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing\n\nand PayPal's site:\n\nhttps://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/general/Privacy-outside\n\nBottom line is this - NEVER use a link to go to PayPal - always go there by using your own bookmark or by typing in the URL yourself. Only exception that I have to this rule is this: I will use eBay's links to PayPal, since eBay owns PayPal.\n\nI don't mean to scare you off. PayPal is fantastic, but with any emails you receive think to yourself - if I received a phone call with somebody asking for this information, would I answer it?\n\nHope this helps. Happy shopping!
581050
There's no way to know for sure if a person on Ebay is honest or not.  However, if you are buying from a person with a lot of positive feedback, it is unlikely that they will jeopardize their business's reputation for the sake of a single scam sale to you.  If the person has little or no feedback, it's anybody's guess.  \n\nThat and of course the old adage that if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.  Check with other similar items that have already sold and see if the asking price is out of whack with other "completed" items. \n\nOverall, I have had very good luck with people on Ebay, but just like Yahoo Answers, there's always a few people messing things up for everybody else. . .
986741
I don't think it sounds very fishy, it is a lot of work to keep up with ebay and listing and checking questions and answering.  Sorry I can't help you.  I am busy with my own ebay business and a second business also that I began only a couple of months ago and it's taking off on me.  I would suggest a family member or something along that lines to help you out.  I don't think you will find a stranger to trust you to pay them to work for you.  That's just the world today because there really are too many scams out there.  I wish you luck and don't let people get to you.  It never hurts to ask.
883157
Inform them that you have sent the payment.  Next, take that little stub (receipt thing) that you got with your money order and call up the financial agency.  Ask them if that money order was cashed or not.  If it was, you know the eBay seller received your money and is trying to cheat you!  Otherwise, simply tell the seller to be patient and to wait.  International mail takes time.\n\nIf eBay intervenes on this issue, make sure you have all your documentation handy.  Preferably a scanned copy of that money order receipt so you can prove to the eBay investigator that you DID pay for the item, and that the seller is not being patient enough.
164882
Alot of people get ripped off on e-bay. Its better to buy from some other place.\n\nContact e-bay and complain if you think he is trying to ripp you off.\n\nAlso do what ping ponger said..
120840
http://www.ebay.com is always a good place to look if you trust buying stuff like that over the internet.