In my previous post, I explained three reasons why I still use Ebay and three reasons why people stop using Ebay. In the end it’s up to you if you want to use Ebay or not. But if you choose to use Ebay, here are 4 tips that I used to not get scammed.
- Look at the photos
- Read the reviews
- Negotiate the price
- Use Paypal if you can
Look at the photos on Ebay
Photos tell a thousand words. If the seller really wants to sell the product, they usually post a lot of photos trying to show the products properly. They will take photos from every angle, and show any flaws. This is where you can tell if the seller is a scammer or not. Scammers will use photos from google and not their own or they will only show you a part of the product.
It’s a hard pass if the photos seem suspicious. It’s such a hassle to get your money back later if the product does turn out to be fake. It is often very difficult to tell if the product is a counterfeit or not from the photos, but it’s worth looking closely and analysing the photos. Afterall, our goal is to get great and real products at a decent price.
Read the Ebay reviews
It is really hard to fake Ebay reviews, because you can only leave a review when you buy or sell a product. Unless the seller macros selling and buying $1 pen or something similar, it’s not possible to leave many fake reviews.
So, go and check their reviews and see if they are a regular seller of shoes or boots, or any products that you want to buy from them. If the seller has a lot of reviews of related products, it’s usually a good sign.
I would not mind one or two bad reviews, because we can all make mistakes. Sometimes, you will be late to the post office, sometimes you are too busy and sometimes you don’t know where the product is. However, I would pass on the seller with many bad reviews. It shows that the seller is not genuine or even a scammer. If it’s consistent, it’s not a mistake.
Negotiate the price
If you can, negotiate the price! The seller may want to sell off the product very cheaply. I know a lot of people who are trying to make quick bucks from Ebay. That means that they don’t mind giving you a tiny bit of a discount. Use this wisely. Don’t offer them the amount that doesn’t make sense, or don’t negotiate the price if you are not serious about buying the product. But if you are trying to buy the product ask them in a reasonable range.
Use Paypal if you can
Paypal gives a great seller and buyer protection. It’s much easier to get the money back if the seller does turn out to be a scammer. It’s rare that buyers are scammers, but it’s also easier to resolve any issues with Paypal in the middle. I know that Ebay can help too, but two companies as the middleman is better than one.
