Download Article
Steps for safely shopping & paying for your items
Download Article
Fraudulent activity is something that eBay has been combating since its inception, and 1 of the ways in which it does this is by creating awareness about how to buy on eBay safely. There are some safety concerns such as making secure transactions that are common for online purchasing in general, whereas other issues such as validating a seller's identification are more specific to online auction websites such as eBay. Ebay's goal is to gain the buyer's trust and it does this by monitoring for fraud on a regular basis and offering a buyer protection plan on purchases of $25 or more.
Steps
-
Read the details of the item carefully. Look at photos of the item if they are available. Develop a clear understanding of what is being sold so you don't end up buying something you don't want. [2] X Research source -
Check the condition of the item. Make sure it is not damaged (unless you wish to purchase a damaged item for parts). -
Review the bid policies. Here are some policies that you should check for on the item's page.- Refund Policy: It is better to buy a product that offers full refund including return shipment.
- Shipping: Find a product with low shipping cost otherwise you will end up paying much more than what you anticipated.
-
Ask the seller if there is something about the item or policies that you need to clarify.
Advertisement
-
Look at the seller's rating (under the seller's username). The seller should have a high positive feedback rating (preferably at least 90 percent). It is safest to purchase from top-rated sellers (with a "Top-rated seller" badge next to their name). [3] X Research source -
Click on the seller's ID number (next to the seller's username). This will take you to the seller's feedback profile where you can see detailed feedback ratings and comments made about the seller. [4] X Research source -
Browse through other items that the seller is selling. Don't buy from the seller if you see suspicious activity, such as valuable items being sold at very low prices.
Advertisement
-
Give the seller a chance to resolve the issue first. Ask him or her why you haven't received the item or why it is not as you had expected. At times, there may be a delay or mix-up during shipping and sellers are usually very cooperative because they want to keep their customers happy and avoid negative feedback on eBay. [6] X Research source -
Contact eBay's customer support department. There is a customer support link at the top-right corner of the website. Report the issue clearly and politely. [7] X Research source -
Reverse your payment if possible. Some credit card companies will reverse transactions on your account balance if you report them as fraudulent transactions. You can use the "Security and Protection" link on the PayPal homepage to try to get a PayPal transaction reversed and report fraudulent transactions.
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Search
-
QuestionDo you recommend buying a used phone on eBay?Brehima Traore is an Electronic Repair Expert specializing in sharing information about smartphones. Brehima has a follower base of over 59,000 YouTube subscribers and over 150,000 followers on Instagram. His most popular videos highlight phone camera and screen replacement tips.If it will be used as a phone, the best place to get a used phone is eBay. The price is going to be lower than what you will pay generally and, also, it is going to be less than what you're going to pay if you were to buy the same phone used from any of the manufacturers. You will have to talk with the seller by message and ask him any questions that you have and he will have to give you a satisfactory response for you to proceed in buying that phone. Also, the best thing that you can do is to ask for additional pictures of the areas where the phone is generally going to have damage.
-
QuestionIs it possible to order from eBay and pay cash on delivery?Community AnswerNo. You have to pay right after you purchase it online.
-
QuestionHow would I know if the item is just like the same one on the pictures? Some say "the images are for reference only, please take the item you get as standard."VienoCommunity AnswerI would never buy from a seller who disclaims the pictures. However, if you're willing to buy from a seemingly clueless seller, you can always open a SNAD (significantly not as described) claim and are likely (though never guaranteed) to get your money back if the item looks significantly different from the pictures.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
- ↑ https://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/protect_your_information.html#protect_account_info
- ↑ https://www.popsci.com/avoid-ebay-scams/
- ↑ https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ebay-online-shopping-tips/
- ↑ https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ebay-online-shopping-tips/
- ↑ https://www.popsci.com/avoid-ebay-scams/
- ↑ https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/resolving-issues-sellers/resolving-issues-sellers?id=4011
- ↑ https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/resolving-issues-sellers/avoiding-seller-fraud?id=4024
- ↑ https://resolutioncenter.ebay.com/
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 132,693 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "I read a lot of things I did not know, which were very informative, and gave me confidence to buy from eBay."
Advertisement
"I read a lot of things I did not know, which were very informative, and gave me confidence to buy from eBay."
"Buying safely online helped the most. Good tips."
