Is it Safe to Shop on eBay and is There a Lot of Fraud on eBay?

It is hard to say how much fraud actually occurs. I don’t expect eBay to put out a report any time soon citing the number of fraud claims that are made each year. There have also been a lot of stories in the press about people having really bad experiences on eBay

So there is an element of risk when making a purchase on eBay. However, if you take some precautions you can minimize that risk of your eBay purchase.

Before you bid on an item take a look at the sellers feedback score. The feedback score is a measure of the sellers reputation.

Feedback is a little bit tricky if you are not used to it. EBay feedback has two main components. There is the feedback score which represents the number of people that left positive feedback. There is also the positive feedback percentage which is the percentage of unique people that left positive feedback.

Another dimension of feedback are the comments that are left by other people that have completed a transaction with the eBay member.

If the seller has a negative comment, you don’t necessarily have to rule them out.. Read the comment and then a make a judgement call. As a general rule we prefer to buy from sellers that have a feedback number of over 100 (the higher number the better) We also look for a feedback score of 98% or higher.

Even if the eBay member has a good feedback rating such as a high number and good feedback percentage, it is still a good idea to take a quick glance at the comments. You want to see if the seller has a received a few negative comments recently. Here again make a judgement call but if you spot a trend there might be something wrong.

We always pay by Paypal primarily because it is just fast and easy. Another benefit is that if you do not receive your item you can file a claim for up to $1000. This provides some additional protection. Keep in mind that if you have paid by Paypal and there is a problem with the eBay transaction you will have to go through the claims process to have the issue resolved.

However, prior to filing a claim try and work out with the buyer first. In addition, really try and work out your differences prior to leaving negative feedback. If you immediately leave negative feedback you have actually given up some of your leverage.
eBay buying and selling strategies Discover eBay selling tips and secrets as well as advice on how to buy and avoid fraud.

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