Have you ever been ripped off shopping online?

Question

What did you think you were getting vs. what you got?

Or were you over charged?

I have heard bad things about shopping online. I'm into the whole ebay thing right now and that seems to be working out - although I just today recieved a fake Fendi purse! Not happy. But I haven't bought anything from an online store. Just wondering what people think.

Answer 1

Chulita, I'm the QUEEN of online shopping. I've never had a bad experience shopping from any online store. However, you have to check out a store that is 'unknown' to you. There's lots of ways to make sure they're reputable, including the BBB online, using sites such as Bizrate, Yahoo shopping, etc. that rate the online stores based on consumer experiences. Always pay with a credit card or Paypal. Look for the little 'lock' at the bottom right of your screen to make sure the site is SSL encrypted. Lots of this stuff comes from experience, but some is just common sense. You'll never have an issue with places like Amazon, Penney's, Circuit City, etc. You get my point.

As far as ebay goes, I'm an avid, rabid ebayer as well. I've only had 2 bad experiences on ebay out of over 400 purchases. In both cases, it was my own stupid fault. I bought from sellers that had very few feedbacks. There's lots of scams out there just waiting for babes in the woods. You HAVE to pay attention to the seller's feedback rating! READ the feedback and make an intelligent decision. Ask the seller questions before you bid, if you have ANY doubts or questions. There's a link right on the auction page to do so. If the seller doesn't respond to your satisfaction, don't bid. Designer products on ebay are notorious for being fake. ASK the seller, outright, if the item is genuine. Carefully read the COMPLETE auction description, terms, etc. Usually, there's a clue in there for you. Pay attention to the shipping costs. Some sellers will try to really screw you, so when it seems like you got a really good price, turns out they want $20 to ship a $2 item. Also, use Paypal on ebay and always pay with a credit card if you're at all doubtful about the seller. You can always do a charge-back that way, if you get ripped off, then Paypal will have to deal with your CC company and the seller. No hassle for you. Avoid money orders and personal checks. You have no recourse in those situations.

Lastly, keep in mind the old addage:

"If it seems to good to be true, it probably is."

Happy Shopping!

Polly
p.s. Just bought my hubby a FAB pair of brand new $400 retail Luchese boots off ebay for $140! LOVE ebay! :-)

Answer 2

I never got ripped off on eBay.

I do a lot of shopping online.

I did an auction from The Good Guys website. I bid on a computer DVD recorder. I won. I paid by my debit card. The charge which showed up was not from The Good Guys, but another company. I got the item in a very timely fashion.

A few days later, maybe a week, there was a charge from a similarly named company for under a dollar.

I filed a complain with my bank (a Regulation E) to get my money back and IMMEDIATELY canceled the debit card.

Had I left it open, my bank account would have been drained.

Answer 3

I was ripped off on ebay once. I paid my money and never received my item. Seller would not email me no matter how many times I emailed him. I have never been ripped off by shopping at an online store. However I only shop with reputable stores. I do not shop at online stores that are not well known to everyone. It's just a little rule I follow. But I do believe I am still at risk for being scammed one way or another. It just goes with the territory I guess.


Also - When shopping online I only use my prepaid debit card. I never use my debit card that's linked directly to my bank account. Western Union has a prepaid debit card that costs $3.95 to add funds to. I add the amount of the purchase I plan on making then use that card to make my purchase. I would rather pay $3.95 extra to add funds to my prepaid card than to wake up one day with an emptied bank account. I think that would make me vomit a little. ;-)

Answer 4

No, but I'm very careful. You have to shop around as much as possible. I always check Amazon, Shop.com, Shopzilla along with ebay. I just bought a video game on Amazon that was cheaper than anything on ebay, including shipping! Just watch the shipping costs before you commit to anything 'cause that's usually where they'll get you if you're not careful. Use a secured payment method like PayPal if the seller is obscure. I've done a lot of my Christmas shopping online and got free shipping from Amazon, Toys R Us and Best Buy. Good luck!

Answer 5

I buy often on line. Never been ripped off. I do, however choose, companies I know and trust, like amazon, sears, staples, office depot. I have purchased through eBay as well and if anything...the quality of the merchandise and or packaging was a little suspect but not enough to constitute a rip off situation.

Answer 6

Well I found out that e-bay can be very misleading. What the picture shows is not always what you get. I won't order from them again. Now I'm leary of ordering on-line anyway because someone got my credit card number and ordered some stuff in my name. It caused an over limit fee too.

Answer 7

A few times. It's best to read reviews on the online stores at eopinions.com before making a purchase.

Answer 8

Symantec ripped me off when I tried to get the new Norton Antivirus. I kept trying to ask for help or get my money back but they never did. Avoid using Symantec products. They are jerks and thieves.

Answer 9

yes i bought a iomega 160g removable hard drive for $399 then i found out it was only 299.95 at a computer store but forgot where from

Answer 10

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I know one site which is : http://www.deals4india.in

Its a good site, where you can search discount coupons and deals of your need