Buying Safely on eBay

Here's the first key point to buying safely on eBay:

Always read the entire item description carefully before you bid or use Buy It Now.

The item description has so much useful information. It will tell you not only about the item itself, but also about other important information like:
• What are the Postage & Packing costs?
• Where is the item located?
• Will the item be sent internationally? (There may be extra charges)
• What payment options does the seller offer?
• Does the seller have a return policy?

When you're the high bidder, you're agreeing to make a purchase based on the contents of the listing, so please make sure you know and are happy with all the relavant details.

Here's the second key point to buying safely on eBay:

Always review a seller’s Feedback before you bid or use Buy It Now.

A seller's Feedback reflects the experiences that other buyers have had when trading with them. Read the seller's Feedback before you bid or Buy It Now on eBay to evaluate:
• The number and percentage of positive Feedback
• The type and value of items sold
• Comments included in the Feedback — both the comments left about the seller, and comments left by the seller.

If other members have had similar successful transactions with this seller, you can be more confident that your transaction will also be safe.

So, what's a good feedback score? A seller must have at least 98% positive feedback to become a PowerSeller. It may still be safe to buy from sellers with feedback scores below 98%, but you should read their listings carefully before you bid, and use the safest possible payment method.

Always use a safe payment method to complete your transaction

The safest payment options are PayPal or credit cards for those sellers who accept credit cards directly. (The seller will never see details about your bank account or credit card when you use PayPal.)

Not all sellers accept PayPal or credit cards. If a seller doesn't accept these, other payment options may include: personal cheques, banker's draft's or postal orders but they don't provide protection if you receive unsatisfactory items. The most risky forms of payment are cash and “instant money transfer” services like Western Union or MoneyGram - we recommend that you don't use these for eBay transactions.

A seller should never ask you to pay using a method not included in a listing you have won. If the seller said "PayPal, Credit Card or Cheque" in the listing, but later asks you to pay by cash or "instant money transfer" don't do it.

Some members have reported receiving offers from sellers to complete their purchase outside the eBay online marketplace. These sellers also insist that the buyer pays with cash or by instant money transfer services. Such offers pose serious risks to buyers. Completing your purchase outside the eBay online marketplace may be unsafe, and sending cash or using "instant money transfers" is always unsafe.

When you buy outside the eBay online marketplace you also lose the benefit of eBay services including:

• Purchase protection
• Access to seller contact information
• Feedback

Sending money to pay for purchases through direct bank-to-bank wire transfers is usually safe, and often happens for high-value transactions. Sending money to pay for purchases through instant money wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram is always risky when using eBay because:

1. Generally, you have no recourse if you pay with instant money services and the item is not delivered as promised. Sending money through these services is just like sending cash and there is no way for you to get your money back if something goes wrong.

2. Items paid for through instant money wire transfer services are not covered by any buyer protection.

Buying safely includes communicating safely. The safest way to communicate with your seller is through “Ask Seller a Question” on eBay. Copies of the emails will be sent to My Messages, and you have the option of hiding your email address if you don’t wish to share it with the seller. Also, if you communicate with a seller through eBay's "Ask Seller a Question" system, eBay may have the ability to warn you if something goes wrong with the seller. You should be wary of any eBay seller who asks you to use another form of communication.

Sometimes you might bid on an item, but not win it. If for some reason the winning bidder doesn't complete the transaction, the Seller can offer you another chance to buy the item. This is called a Second Chance Offer.

A copy of any real Second Chance Offer will appear in My Messages on My eBay. It will have a blue background with a message saying, “eBay Second Chance Offer for Item…”. If you receive a Second Chance Offer in My Messages with a different subject line (for example, “Message from eBay Member”) — it's a fake.

It is also a fake Second Chance Offer if you receive it to your personal email address and you can't find a copy of it in My Messages. Don’t respond to the sender, and please send us a copy of the email using using our online form.

eBay does not hold money for the seller in any type of "protection account." If you receive a message from a seller stating that they "have money held in an eBay purchase protection account", it is not true and could be an attempt to defraud you.

If you receive a message or offer of this kind, please forward it to us using our online form.

When a seller is suspended by eBay, their eBay status changes to “No longer a registered user”. Winning bidders are not obliged to complete transactions for items listed by a suspended seller.

Correct. John should always read the entire item description and consider all the information before he bids or buys. The item description can be packed with useful information such as condition of the item, postage costs and the seller's return policy.

Correct. Before bidding, John should look closely at the seller's feedback, considering such things as amount and percentage of positive feedback, the value of items on which the seller received feedback, and the details of feedback comments. These can help him decide whether he wants to do buy from this seller.

Correct. By using PayPal to make his payment, John keeps his credit card or bank account details private. The seller will never see this information.

Correct. Jessica should not accept this offer. Offers to complete your transaction outside our online marketplace poses risks to buyers. They are not eligible for eBay services like buyer protection, feedback and requests for contact information.

Correct. Even though you need your items quickly, you should not send money through an instant money wire transfer service. Sending money through these services is just like sending cash and there is no way for you to get your money back if something goes wrong. Also, you won’t be eligible for purchase protection if you use this payment method.

Correct. The most secure method of communication with a seller is through “Ask Seller a Question”. When you use this, copies of the emails will be sent to My Messages, and you have the option of hiding your email address from the seller. In addition, eBay may have the ability to warn you if something goes wrong with the seller.

Correct. All Second Chance Offers will appear in My Messages and come directly from eBay with a blue background stating, “eBay Second Chance Offer for Item…”. If a copy of the message does not show up in My Messages with the appropriate subject line it is a fake, and should be forwarded to spam@ebay.co.uk.

Correct. eBay does not hold money provided by a Seller in any type of "protection account." If you receive a message from a seller stating that they "have money held in an eBay purchase protection account", it is not true and could be an attempt to defraud you.

Correct. Todd does not have to complete the transaction. If a seller is suspended, the high bidder is no longer obliged to complete the transaction.

The correct answer was D. You should always read the entire item description and consider all the information before you bid or buy. The item description can be packed with useful information such as condition of the item, postage costs and the seller's return policy.

Before bidding, John should look closely at the seller's feedback, considering such things as amount and percentage of positive feedback, the value of items on which the seller received feedback, and the details of feedback comments. These can help John decide whether he wants to buy from this seller.

Jessica should not accept this offer. Offers to complete your transaction outside our online marketplace poses risks to buyers. They are not eligible for eBay services like purchase protection, feedback and requests for contact information.

Even though you need your items quickly, you should not send money through an instant money wire transfer service. Sending money through these services is just like sending cash and there is no way for you to get your money back if something goes wrong. Also, you won’t be eligible for buyer protection if you use this payment method.

The most secure method of communication with a seller is through “Ask Seller a Question”. When you use this, copies of the emails will be sent to My Messages, and you have the option of hiding your email address from the seller. In addition, eBay may have the ability to warn you if something goes wrong with the seller.

All Second Chance Offers will appear in My Messages and come directly from eBay with a blue background stating, “eBay Second Chance Offer for Item…”. If a copy of the message does not show up in My Messages with the appropriate subject line it is a fake, and should be forwarded to us using our online form.

eBay does not hold money provided by a Seller in any type of "protection account." If you receive a message from a seller stating that they "have money held in an eBay purchase protection account", it is not true and could be an attempt to defraud you.

Todd does not have to complete the transaction. If a seller is suspended, the high bidder is no longer obliged. to complete the transaction.