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How do I protect myself from fraud before I bid?

Before bidding on an auction you may want to ask yourself the following questions and consider the answers.

1. Does this person have any feedback?

If he has lots of positives you can be sure he is a legitimate seller and won't simply take your money. However be sure to check his negatives too to see what kind of person you are dealing with. Note: In this case you'll want to be looking for feedback as a result of selling an item. Positive feedback for a purchase doesn't help to determine if this guy can be trusted as a seller.

2. How long is the auction posted?

We have found that those wishing to commit fraud will list items for a short amount of time, often only 1-3 days. This allows him to get his money as soon as possible and reduces his chances for exposure. If this is a short auction it may warrant a bit more scrutiny.

3. Are there no pictures or is the picture stolen from another auction?

Those unscrupulous individuals intent on committing fraud never take their own pictures because SURPRISE they don't have any items for sale in the first place! That's not to say that having no pictures is necessarily bad. Just check the seller out a little more closely before you bid. Comparing the auction to the other items on this list is a good way to do that.

4. Is the item described well?

Make sure that the item has an actual description. Does he say how much use the item has had? Does his description match his picture? A description that basically states that it’s a great fish is no description at all.

5. Is the price too good to be true? Does this seller have a large number of items with prices that are well below their normal selling prices?

When a person falsely lists an item for sale he doesn't really care if he gets full price because, again he isn't really selling anything. Low prices don't always mean fraud but drastically low prices warrant a closer look before you bid. Ask the seller about the item in a case like this. The more difficult and technical the question the better. If you don't get a reply it would be wise to pass on this auction.

6. Can and does this seller answer questions in a timely and courteous manner?

Asking questions about the item is one of the best ways to screen the good sellers from the bad. Most sellers wishing to commit fraud won't bother answering and in that case it may be best to move on. Again the more difficult and technical your questions the better, make sure this seller knows what he is selling.

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Article # 63

Created:
02-29-2008 12:11pm

Last Updated:
02-29-2008 12:11pm

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