Do you shop on eBay? If so, you are one of many who love to shop on ebay. Ebay has constantly grown in recognition over the past few years and is likely to continue to do so. An online auction site that allows sellers to post just about any type of item for sale, ebay generates millions in sales every year.
Nevertheless, you still have to use caution when shopping on ebay and here are a number of tips to help you protect yourself when you decide to begin shopping online, whether it be on ebay or other shopping sites.
Your sign in nickname is one way to guard yourself from giving too much information to ebay sellers before you have won or purchased an item.
Your personal information should only be given to a seller after you have won the item they are selling online. This can keep some of the less than honest ebay users from exploiting your information. Keep in mind that almost all ebay sellers are going to be honest and easy to deal with because ebay does their best to weed out any dishonest member/sellers.
Keep any personal financial information about yourself off line also. You won't want to give out any more information than is necessary to make your payment after winning an item. While the simplest way to pay is to use paypal, many sellers will accept personal checks or money orders but the safest way to pay is through paypal as you do not have to give out your credit card numbers etc. This keeps you from having to give out any of your bank account or credit card information and is the safest way to pay for any item online.
Pay close attention to shipping costs when considering bidding on an item or buying an item that is listed as a buy it now item. Many times an ebay seller will choose to sell an item at a very attractive price while charging a huge shipping cost. Always make certain you know what the shipping charges are going to be ahead of time before placing a bid or purchasing a buy it now item.
You may find a few sellers who do not list the shipping costs upfront and after you have won an item and are responsible to make the payment they will add on shipping and sometimes these can be higher than expected so if the shipping is not listed but you still want the item, contact the seller to confirm shipping before bidding.
Always check out the feedback for any seller before buying from them too. Although there are sometimes some negatives, these may just be from people who complain about anything and everything so be sure to look at the positive comments to get a better idea of how the seller is rated. Be aware of any new ebay seller who has negative feedback at the start and use caution when bidding on items.
Use your best judgement and remember that if something looks like a scam, it most likely will be. Think ahead and keep yourself from being scammed if you believe that there is any sign that this may not be an honest seller. Just keep shopping and you are sure to find what you are looking for.
Phishing scams are one more thing you need to be conscious of. Many scammers are able to create fake ebay emails and or paypal emails that look like the authentic thing. I have in fact had this happen to me so I know it is really taking place. Do not sign into your accounts from these emails or you risk giving the scammer all of your information and access to your accounts.
You should always sign in from the actual website and if you think you have received a fake email get in touch with paypal or ebay to let them know about the email. Any messages that are actually from ebay can be accessed from your ebay account once you have logged on from ebay.com.
While it can be scary it can also be quite exhilarating to bid and win an item on ebay. Ebay is a great site for buying and selling items online and you shouldn't let fear keep you from shopping on ebay. Remember the above tips and you can enjoy you online shopping on ebay or any other online shopping site without any difficulty.
Nevertheless, you still have to use caution when shopping on ebay and here are a number of tips to help you protect yourself when you decide to begin shopping online, whether it be on ebay or other shopping sites.
Your sign in nickname is one way to guard yourself from giving too much information to ebay sellers before you have won or purchased an item.
Your personal information should only be given to a seller after you have won the item they are selling online. This can keep some of the less than honest ebay users from exploiting your information. Keep in mind that almost all ebay sellers are going to be honest and easy to deal with because ebay does their best to weed out any dishonest member/sellers.
Keep any personal financial information about yourself off line also. You won't want to give out any more information than is necessary to make your payment after winning an item. While the simplest way to pay is to use paypal, many sellers will accept personal checks or money orders but the safest way to pay is through paypal as you do not have to give out your credit card numbers etc. This keeps you from having to give out any of your bank account or credit card information and is the safest way to pay for any item online.
Pay close attention to shipping costs when considering bidding on an item or buying an item that is listed as a buy it now item. Many times an ebay seller will choose to sell an item at a very attractive price while charging a huge shipping cost. Always make certain you know what the shipping charges are going to be ahead of time before placing a bid or purchasing a buy it now item.
You may find a few sellers who do not list the shipping costs upfront and after you have won an item and are responsible to make the payment they will add on shipping and sometimes these can be higher than expected so if the shipping is not listed but you still want the item, contact the seller to confirm shipping before bidding.
Always check out the feedback for any seller before buying from them too. Although there are sometimes some negatives, these may just be from people who complain about anything and everything so be sure to look at the positive comments to get a better idea of how the seller is rated. Be aware of any new ebay seller who has negative feedback at the start and use caution when bidding on items.
Use your best judgement and remember that if something looks like a scam, it most likely will be. Think ahead and keep yourself from being scammed if you believe that there is any sign that this may not be an honest seller. Just keep shopping and you are sure to find what you are looking for.
Phishing scams are one more thing you need to be conscious of. Many scammers are able to create fake ebay emails and or paypal emails that look like the authentic thing. I have in fact had this happen to me so I know it is really taking place. Do not sign into your accounts from these emails or you risk giving the scammer all of your information and access to your accounts.
You should always sign in from the actual website and if you think you have received a fake email get in touch with paypal or ebay to let them know about the email. Any messages that are actually from ebay can be accessed from your ebay account once you have logged on from ebay.com.
While it can be scary it can also be quite exhilarating to bid and win an item on ebay. Ebay is a great site for buying and selling items online and you shouldn't let fear keep you from shopping on ebay. Remember the above tips and you can enjoy you online shopping on ebay or any other online shopping site without any difficulty.
About the Author:
Looking to find the best deal on learning to sell on ebay, then visit my jam packed ebay to find the best advice on ebay buying selling for you. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.
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