7. The item's location is in the U.S., so the seller MUST be in the U.S.
No. The seller could just be lying in the ad and emailing you later to send your money to the UK or Romania OR the seller could be using a person in the U.S. (without telling the truth to the person) to help him e.g. Internet jobseeker or relative or visiting foreigner student (look at update)
8. Ebay says they will suspend me if I don't enter my correct password into the email. Look under Phishing emails at my website. Whatever emails you're getting are coming from the scammer!!
9. My Credit Card company will suspend me if I don't enter my correct password into the email.
Look at #8.
10. It's o.k. that my password is my pet's name.
Get a better, hard to figure out password, since account hijackers try guessing easy passwords of ebayers to get into their accounts.
11. Paypal says they will suspend me if I don't enter my correct password into the email.
Look at #8.
12. I got ripped off by the scam seller. Ebay & paypal &/or bidpay will give me the scammer's info if I tell them.
Wrong. Too many people get ripped off on ebay and ebay & paypal & bidpay basically put up roadblocks, not willing to give up the scam seller's info unless you can get a subpoena from Court with it. This is one GOOD REASON who should have followed the instructions under "Contact Info" section beforehand AND followed the instructions under the "Evidence" section so that at least you would have had something to show the police and the Court.
13. Once a scammer is kicked off ebay, they can't come back again because ebay will be watching.
Ebay does nothing to track them. Ebay does not block I.P. addresses from certain ISP's or other countries that are rife with fraud on ebay. The scammers can get on with another stolen CC or hijack another account and they're up and operating again.
14. Sellers on ebay go through strict verification such that they must have up to 70% cash deposited with ebay for each item (based on market value) they list to sell up to and including having to go through a PERSONAL INTERVIEW in San Jose, CA and be identified by a notary and go thru tests for DNA and finger printing up to and including ebay calling sellers once every week to check if they are who and where they say they are.
Most sellers on ebay go thru no verification except entering a CC number onto their website. A rare few undergo more verification VOLUNTARILY but ebayers have gotten scammed even by the few sellers who are "verified".
15. A seller is limited to running only a certain number of auctions depending on his feedback.
NO. A seller can run as many auctions as they want even if they have 0 feedback.
16. If I get results from a search engine, any of those businesses is reputable to deal with.
No. A scammer can instantly put up and pull down a website and even have his "company" website look professional with "satisfaction guaranteed" and bogus or copied contact info as well as a phishing website where you enter your CC info and private/financial info.
17. My seller is from the UK. That's an o.k. location since the UK is not the third world but a progressive advanced country.
No. There are minorities wihin these advanced countries that can scam you too. In addition, remember, it's harder to call the police on someone outside of the U.S. than it is inside.
18. Square Trade will help in resolving problems. I should pay $20.
Unless your seller is honest and wants to settle with you, forget it. Ebay can't force the seller to resolve problems if the seller doesn't want to. Your $20 goes down the drain.
19. I bought a watch (valued at $15 outside of ebay) for only $5 at ebay but seller charges s/h $100.
FEE AVOIDANCE. Report to ebay and if ebay agrees, they'll cancel the auction.
The seller can charge just about anything reasonable for s/h (which is a good reason to look at the s/h cost listed on the auction ad and to check feedback regarding the seller's s/h practices before you bid). But, unless your item is delicate like glass or heavy or large or expensive like an expensive Swiss Watch, s/h doesn't justify $100 even if you toss in ebay seller fees, seller finder fees, car gas and labor and box/styrofoam/bubblewrap costs.
20. I paid by paypal. Paypal may not be able to get my refund from paypal if what happens: (the answer has more than 1 choice)
ALL OF THE ABOVE. Ebay only covers "ITEMS YOU CAN TOUCH." Paypal may tell you that you have a lot of protection using them via your paypal account, but that's INCORRECT. You're better off using Paypal VIA YOUR BUYER-FAVORABLE CC or debit card. Most times, the scammer has already drained his Paypal account of your Paypal account transferred $'s. Paypal will tell you they can only "recover" $.01. Paypal doesn't make judgments on misrepresentation and as long as the scam seller sends you something via delivery confirmation, Paypal won't interfere. YOUR BEST PROTECTION AGAIN IS VIA YOUR BUYER-FAVORABLE CC or DEBIT CARD.
The 4 lines above are all examples of how paypal will NOT rule in your favor with the clause "ONLY IF SIGINIFICANTLY MISDESCRIBED." Because you didn't read the TOS clearly and were basically tricked, the fault is YOURS, not the seller's or ebay's since the seller is giving you exactly what he stated in the auction. Sad but true:-(
21. How can you tell Feedback padding?
Seller bought and/or sold cheap items in the past e.g. 1 cent cooking recipes.
22. How can you tell Feedback shilling?
23. Most high priced items on ebay that sell for low prices, especially with BIN, are fenced in some way and scams in some way.
True.
24. Seller says he'll give me a tracking number once I pay.
Scammers can use a stolen CC to get a tracking number by "buying" from a retailer or seller with a CC and so that's the tracking number you'll be getting. OR, scammer can send you a rock.
25. What's the BASIC computer protection software I should have?
They're not 100% protection for the newest trojan, virus, worm, spyware, keylogger, etc. developed by hackers and spyware developers, but they protect you a hell of a lot more than having no or very little protection.
Having a hardware firewall is MUCH safer but expensive if you can afford it.
You may want to switch to a more secure browser like Firefox and to a more secure computer email like Mozilla's Thunderbird.
Even better, you may want to switch to an Apple computer.
26. Ebay & WU emailed me that it's safe and guaranteed to buy from this guy.
HELLO!! IT'S THE SCAMMER EMAILING YOU!! No matter how legit the email looks or how good the html coding, a legitimate company (e.g. ebay, paypal, your bank, your CC companies, etc.) will NEVER ask for your password. If you think they do, phone them up at their world well-known phone number listed with the phone operator. Ignore the email and its contents which is just one big LYING scumball trick. Look at #8.
27. I can throw away any printed records of emails and printed auction ebay ads after I receive my items.
NO. Especially if it's high priced, you may find out later you're part of a Triangulation or Fencing or Stolen Goods scheme. Keep auction ad printouts and letter copies and money order/payment copies as records including Contact Info for your reference and defending yourself with the police and other businesses that come knocking later.
28. I'm checking up a business to see if it's a scam business or bad business. When looking at Better Business Bureau or other agency/website ratings, if a business has a SATISFACTORY rating:
a) the business is a good business that follows ethical/legal practices
29. Most people on ebay leave negs when they are deserved.
No. I never did except once on another i.d. I was so afraid to leave negs and neutrals because i had made a mistake before as a newbie Ebayer on another seller and and also, because most sellers are honest and also, the sellers on the ebay forums always tell us we should defer to and settle with the sellers first before negging. Also, look at the "Risk-game of ebay" page under NO NEGS DOESN'T MEAN OK SELLER:
30. It helps me bidding to know about all the:
YES
31. My friend got a deal on a Macintosh computer. He's not that smart, so I can get one, too.
NO, you can't get one that easy. He was either incredibly LUCKY or bought at a PREVIOUS ANCIENT(8 to 10 years ago) TIME PERIOD when scams were rare or bought in A CATEGORY where scams were rare or he CONSULTED someone who had expert knowledge of ebay and its scams and/or he CONSULTED someone who had expert knowledge of the Macintosh or any combination of above.
These days, you have to do detective work backwards and forwards on the Seller's feedback, Contact Info, any and all frauds existing on the Internet and ebay, experience or knowledge you have or can acquire from people who are knowledgeable of that item. Even these precautions are no guarantee you won't run into scams or misrepresentation.
You're better off getting a cheaper brand computer or saving your money at a reputable large online retailer or your local reputable store rather than losing all your $$$ to an ever-present ebay scammer.
32. My feedback will suffer if I don't pay, even though I suspect fraud. So I should pay?
NO. Contact seller by phone and check contact info.
If the phone number is wrong, report it to ebay to kick him off. Other grievances can be 1) only accepting money wire transfer, 2)acct hijacking, etc. Check this sellers' OTHER BUYER FEEDBACKERS as to the CONTACT INFO THEY USED WHEN THEY DEALT WITH THIS SELLER, their experiences, etc.
While i don't encourage being a deadbeat and 3 NPB's will kick you off of ebay with your user i.d., it's your money. If you're not sure and Ebay doesn't NARU them, take the neg and explain your side in reply. You can always start another i.d. and start again from 0. Negs hurt sellers worse than buyers because buyers can be picky about who they buy from but sellers can't be too picky or they lose a chance at a sale. REMEMBER, IT'S YOUR MONEY AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE YOU'LL GET IT BACK IF SELLER RIPS YOU OFF!!
33. It's my first, 2nd, or 3rd NPB and it's the end for me? But i think it's a fraud. But i'd better pay the scam seller anyway?
Look at above question.
b) the business has passed all the good business & customer service guidelines set forth by that agency or ratings site
c) the business is a bad and/or scam business
d) you don't know what type of business you're dealing with yet and so you still need to do more research
