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| Buying Safely |
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KNOW YOUR SELLER
Before you bid or buy on eBay, it is important that you get to know as much as you can about your seller. Always check their member profile, and particularly their feedback ratings. Don't just check their feedback score or % of positive feedback - check the comments that other buyers have left, and whether they have experience selling items of a similar type and cost to the one you're interested in. You can find this information in the "Meet the Seller" section, in the top right of the page on which the item is listed.
If a buyer leaves an unfair comment, a seller has the chance to respond, so read both sides and make up your own mind. You should be able to build up a fairly good picture of your seller using this method, and it should support you in making an informed decision when choosing who you will buy from.
In the "Meet the Seller" section, you can also see how long a seller has been registered on eBay, and look at what other items they have for sale. Or try their About Me page. Some sellers put a lot of time and effort into providing a lot of information about themselves, so this is a great place to start.
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KNOW YOUR ITEM
Make sure you read the item description fully before you place a bid or commit to a Buy It Now sale. The item description is the part of the page where sellers tell you about the characteristics, condition, etc., of the item they are selling. Make sure you check the things that are particular to that item - for example, if you buying clothes or shoes, check you've got the right size. If it's a collectible book, check the printing date and edition, or if it's a digital camera, check the model number, and make sure it has the features you require.
Other things to consider when you are checking the details of the item include P&P costs, what payment methods your seller accepts, and the details of their returns policy, if they offer one. If there are details you need to know, use the "Ask Seller a Question" feature. You will find this on the right-hand side of the page on which the item is listed. All sellers can be contacted by email, and some by Skype, depending on the category. Good sellers will be happy to help and should respond within a day or two. Also, study the photographs closely, and if you can't see the item properly, you could always ask the seller to upload more.
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CHECK THE BUY SAFELY BOX
You will find this to the right of the page on which the item is listed, under the Ask Seller a Question area. This will allow you to check the seller's feedback score and comments, and will give you details about whether the item is covered by PayPal Buyer Protection, and what returns policy is offered. This information is invaluable when it comes to comparing sellers and making informed buying decisions.
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SECOND CHANCE OFFERS
Second Chance Offers can be sent to any one of the losing bidders if the winning bidder does not complete a purchase or if a seller has more than one item available. Some buyers who have bid on but not won an item, have reported receiving fake Second Chance Offers from sellers both in their personal email accounts and in My Messages.
You can make sure a Second Chance Offer is real by following these 4 steps:
- Go to eBay
- Click on My eBay at the top of the page
- Sign in
- Go to My Messages. (You will find a link towards the top left-hand side of My eBay) Make sure the Second Chance Offer appears in My Messages with a blue background and subject stating, "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item...". Legitimate Second Chance Offers are forwarded to you directly from eBay with this subject line.
eBay will NEVER forward a Second Chance Offer with the subject line, "Message from eBay Member". If you receive an email claiming to be a Second Chance Offer with that subject line, it's fake. Do not respond to the sender. Forward the email to spoof@ebay.co.uk or spoof@ebay.ie and we will investigate.
Find out more about Second Chance Offers |
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
