is ebay too risky?

Question

it seems to be inhabited by scams and rip offs .

Answer 1

as long as you use your common sence and make sure things that seem to be good to be true are left alone and you check the sellers rating then you should be fine

Answer 2

All I will say is there is scammers on Ebay BUT there's scammers everywhere! You have to know what to look for.
Be very careful buying from sellers with low ratings and that don't accept online payments. Here's a tip when you're thinking of bidding on something firstly check all the available auctions of the thing you want,second check their feedback by clicking there score. This will tell you how many negatives they've had and for what I.E non payment or non delivery etc. Scammers sometimes take over honest members accounts and they are the ones to watch for. They sell high end electonics, mobile phones etc for little money and short auction times. This is just a few tips but take it easy and you should be fine.


Oh and just one more thing don't put so much trust in Paypal they're not a safe as people think.

GOOGLE this "paypal sucks" to see others who can tell you a thing or two about Paypal

Answer 3

Ebay is great provided you use the same commonsense that you'd use when you go to a market - if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Always use Paypal; only deal with people who have received a lot of positive feedback. Don't buy from people on other continents as too much can go wrong. I've dealt with some wonderful people on Ebay, both buyers and sellers. If in doubt about anyone's credentials - don't deal with them.

Answer 4

I have brought alot of things off ebay, I was suspicous about one buyer as they wanted to change payment method from Paypal to money sending service, like western union. I reported them to ebay and they were asked to leave. Other than that I have had no trouble and have some great things that I brought for a fraction of the retail price. I tend to only use paypal as it offers more protection than other methods. It is also free to set up an account which you can do on ebay. I will be doing my xmas shopping there as I am so pleased with my favourite sellers, that I go back to as I have used them many times. It is about common sense really.

Answer 5

It all depends on what your looking for. Yeah there are a lot of scams out there but if you want to buy something, check there seller feedback score.
I have bought from ebay hundreds of time without problems, but I always check there feedback rating.

Answer 6

You have to be careful with ebay, just like any other auction site. Always use paypal when ordering. ONLY. Do not send cash, checks, or western union. Check that your address bar says WWW.EBAY.COM and same with paypal, NOT a look-alike. ebay and paypal will NEVER send you an email asking for your account info. I've always been satisfied with my ebay purchases

Answer 7

Always check a sellers status before bidding and also check postage as some sellers whack on a ridiculous amount to bump up what they get for the item they are selling.
Good luck
Have fun!!

Answer 8

I have bought a lot from e bay and sold some things as well,got scammed once with a floor lamp i won,had no fittings! But have had no probs with all the other items I have bought.

Answer 9

as with everything you have to be very careful - we have generally had very good experiences, buying various things, from a Mercedes E class through to Magic Roundabout vintage items.

Always best to research what you are buying, incase you can buy it cheaper else where (and that does happen) - also, check out the seller - if possible arrange to meet them before the auction ends.

Genuine ebayers won't mind you asking a lot of questions.

Don't forget, always go with your gut feeling if you are going to be using this method of buying goods.

Answer 10

Yes, you should always be able to try it before you buy it. on EBay, you never know what your going to get. It's especially notorious for selling fake stuff advertised as the real thing! i.e. Coach Purses...