General Tips & Helpful Hints re: Online Buying/Selling/Trading. Much of the information I provided is straight from eBay but is applicable in any transaction whether online or not. Some members brought up what to look for or not to look for in an online transaction. If there is any info you like to add feel free to pm me and I will add it on if applicable or simply attach your post after mine. Thanks.


1. Learn as much as possible about the product and seller.
Shoppers who are familiar with the merchants from whom they're buying feel the most secure. The Internet offers a platform for retailers to provide detailed information that empowers buyers to research the products and companies they are interested in. Shoppers might also learn about a retailer through its reputation, from previous purchases, from referrals through friends or from reviews and comments left by other shoppers.


2. Understand the retailers' refund and return policies.
Look for and ask about the refund and return policy. Questions to ask include: the required timeframe in which a buyer must contact the retailer and return the item; whether a full refund or a merchandise credit will be offered; and, whether an item that has been opened can be returned. If no refund policy exists, consumers may be able to take advantage of buyer protection programs, if offered by the retailer or the consumer's payment service provider. These protection programs ensure that if there is a problem with a transaction, the consumer's payment will be covered or refunded as a result.

3. Use a secure checkout and payment process.
Many Web sites use a technology called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt any personal and financial information sent over the Internet. To know if the retailer is encrypting information, look for the display of a locked padlock at the bottom of the Internet browser you are using.

When it comes to choosing which method to use for online payments, consumers should take precautions before entering credit card or checking account information at each retailer they visit. By entering this information on several different merchant Web sites, the likelihood of it being compromised increases. A safe and easy-to-use online payment service allows shoppers to enter account information only once, at a highly secure and reputable site that then protects this financial information from intruders.


4. If an offer sounds highly suspicious or too good to be true, it probably is.
As with any purchase, shoppers should read the fine print (or, in some instances, click the links describing the purchase agreement). While Internet retailers frequently offer lower prices than conventional stores, shoppers should be wary of unreasonably low bargain prices or unusually attractive promises.


Before you Buy

Feedback
Buy with confidence by reviewing a seller's feedback.

Before you bid or buy online , it's important to know your seller. Always look at your seller's feedback ratings, score and comments first to get an idea of their reputation within the marketplace.

Each comment and rating - whether positive, neutral or negative - is an opportunity to understand the history and experience of a seller, a chance to form your own opinions, and a visual cue to help you make a smart buying decision.

Item Description
Before you bid or buy on an ad, it's important to know about the item you're interested in. Always read the item description carefully before placing a bid or buying it immediately.

The item description can help you make an informed decision and avoid surprises. It's always a good idea to look at the details of a specific item, as well as the shipping costs, payment methods accepted, and whether the seller offers a return policy.

Contacting the Seller
Buy with confidence by using the 'Post a Remark/Comment' feature to get answers before you buy.

Before you buy an item, it's important to have all of your questions about the item answered. Using this feature is an easy way to make sure that all your questions are answered before you buy.

Before you Pay


Instant Cash Transfer Services
Pay safely online by never using instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram International to pay for your purchases. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Escrow
· To avoid being deceived by fraudulent email from a fake escrow service, you should visit the escrow service's Web site to verify information you received via email.
· Make sure you type the entire Web address (for example, www.escrow.com) into your Web browser. Don't let your Web browser auto-complete the Web address for you. It could mistakenly auto-complete a fraudulent Web address.
· Learn more about escrow: http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidenc...nt-escrow.html


Before you Sell

You’ve sold the goods, now it’s time to get paid.

Postal Money Orders
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a message for you: while the check may be in the mail, it doesn’t always mean money in the bank. Scammers using counterfeit checks, commercial money orders, and postal money orders to ”pay” for items are leaving sellers empty handed.. Avoiding this scam is as simple as crossing a street – if sellers apply the same three basic principles: Stop. Look. Listen.

• Stop. Never accept an overpayment for any item. Buyers should be advised to make payment in the correct amount. One of the most common signs of a fraud about to occur is the request to accept an overpayment and provide "change".
• Look. Familiarize yourself with the security features offered by various forms of payment. Postal Money Orders offer easy to recognize security features that counterfeiters have been unable to replicate.
• Listen. Make certain you understand your bank’s funds availability policy before you release merchandise to the buyer. Never send merchandise to a buyer BEFORE the check clears the bank. While some checks take only a couple days to clear, others can take several weeks.

If you’re not sure a postal money order is authentic, play it safe. Contact your local Postal Inspection Service office. The Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service.

Foreign Cashier's Checks
Some sellers of high priced goods receive requests from bidders in foreign countries (often in Africa) to accept foreign cashier's checks as payment for their items. Some of the requests offer to "overpay" for an item, and ask the seller to wire the overpayment back to the buyer through services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. We urge all sellers to use extreme caution when accepting foreign cashier's checks for high priced items, as such foreign checks may take weeks or months to clear and may be counterfeit.
Note: Some checks may appear to be from a US bank but, upon closer inspection, include foreign country or city names.
Furthermore, sellers should never accept overpayments from buyers for items where the buyer is asking to be reimbursed for overpayment.
To learn more about this type of fraudulent activity, please visit the following web sites:
http://www.state.gov/www/regions/africa/naffpub.pdf


Building Buyer Confidence
Writing a great description

Writing a thorough description can really pay off in the price you receive for your item.
Here are some questions you may want to consider when writing your item description:

• What is the item?
• What material is it made of?
• When was it made?
• What company/artist/designer/author made it?
• What condition is it in?
• Is the item new, used, or still under warranty? Be sure to mention any flaws or repairs.
• What are its dimensions?
• What country/location is it from?
• Does it have any notable features or markings?
• Does it have a special background or history?

Telling your story - Many sellers have found that adding a creative, human approach to their descriptions boosts bids and sales.
Do consider including:

• What you especially like about the item.
• Who you think it would appeal to and why
• An interesting story about the item (for example, how you acquired it).
• How the item might be used.
• Highlight the value and savings for buyers.
• Payment and shipping: Be clear about payment methods you accept. Also, be as specific as you can about your shipping costs.
• When you are finished, spell check your description for accuracy.

Do not include:

• Anything that is not true.
• Keywords that are unrelated to your item in order to try to lure buyers searching for these words. (For example, do not say, "If you like Ralph Lauren, you'll like these towels.") This is known as "keyword spamming".
• Item descriptions copied word-for-word from other sources (i.e., e-commerce Web sites, other eBay listings, manufacturer Web sites, etc.).
• Trademarked logos unless you have permission to use them.

Preventing Transaction Problems

· Make it easy for your buyers to pay by offering PayPal.
· Include detailed shipping and handling information in the item description as well as the shipping details area.



How to Recognize a Counterfeit Cashier's Check Scheme

Here’s a scenario where a counterfeit cashier’s check may be used:

• A seller of a high-priced item receives a request from a foreign bidder to accept a foreign cashier’s check as payment or deposit for the item.
• Cashier's check amount far exceeds the value of the seller's item.
• Buyer asks the seller to send the overpayment amount via instant cash wire transfer service (through Western Union or MoneyGram).

The problem is that the cashier's check is most likely fraudulent and it can often take weeks or even months for the seller's bank to know if a check is real. Some checks may appear to be from a U.S. bank. However, upon closer inspection, the check includes foreign country or city names.
If the cashier's check is fraudulent, the seller is held responsible.
You should never accept overpayments from buyers for items where the buyer is asking to be reimbursed for overpayment.

• Ship with a tracking number and insurance. This can help resolve disputes in cases where a buyer claims to have never received an item or received a broken item.
• Maintain records of shipping receipts as proof that the item was shipped.
• Keep copies of any proof of your item's authenticity.
• Verify payment before shipping items (including holding checks until the checks clear).
• Learn to recognize counterfeit cashier’s schemes.
• Only ship items to the verified billing address on the buyer's credit card account (if applicable).
• Use extra caution with international payments and revised shipping information

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Having done over 60+ successful large deals ($500+) in online trading, I thought to impart some rules of thumb that would be helpful to those who are novices or to help prevent existing users from potential scammers. The following are rules I personally follow in any online transaction and even in-person deal if I’m not familiar with the seller or the organization.

TIPS: Rules of Thumb

Contact the Seller
Always contact the seller for large ticket items. Always ask for direct line number and an IM/email address that’s in working order. It’s a good way to get to know the demeanor of the seller, their intent, reason for selling, knowledge of the product, etc. With the low cost of phone cards these days, making a simple call half way around the world can save a big headache later on. I think you can judge the sincerity of the seller by how they verbalize themselves much like if their presence was in front of you. Unless you are dealing with a corporation that has a call centre, etc. make calling the seller on large ticket items a strict habit.

Research the product
Unless you’re a product expert already, research the potential item. A good way to know the in’s and out’s of the product is the manufacturer’s web site and linked discussion boards with the gurus. Other sources are the discussion boards. Chances are there are experts in any product field on chat forums. Post the ad link online and let them give their feedback as to the validity of the ad and quality of the item. You’d be surprised what they say. You might even get better sources to buy the product than the ad listing you found.

Continuous Communication
I can’t stress this one enough. Always stay in contact with the seller. Many a time, sellers do a ton of orders week and not staying in contact can sometimes result in an order missing, not tagged for delivery, or just plain forgotten. So it’s not necessarily fraud; it’s just that when your name isn’t on top of the seller’s mind it just might be a plain honest mistake and your order was missed. Keep all emails/IM’s/PM’s. They provide a history of a financial transaction and communication should a deal go wrong. They act as back-up in any dispute resolution process. My advice? Contact prior to the sale, during the shipping process, when item received, and post-sale feedback to the seller. A minimum of 4 times is what I suggest for good communication esp. on high ticket items. Any seller that doesn’t communicate back or thinks you are being “rude” or “stalking” them for info brings red flags. Watch out for that!

Tracking Number
Always get a tracking number. Even if the seller offers a cheaper delivery alternative do not take it. It pays to get a tracking number and if it costs a few dollars more so be it! Many dispute resolution processes will not take on a case unless a tracking number has been provided. It shows the product can be traced by an independent 3rd party source and whether you did or did not receive the said items. In fact, many credit card companies will accept a tracking number and courier website info as evidence of non-delivery of item in a dispute. Pay pal is one company that will only do a dispute resolution ONLY if you were given a tracking number. Even if it is registered mail, it still can be traceable online. It just takes a while longer to get online info (1-2 days for registered mail info versus a few hrs for large couriers like FedEx/ups) after a purchase.

Couriers
Always stick with the big name couriers like FedEx/UPS. Do not accept local couriers or international couriers that you aren’t aware of or do not provide info in English. This is an easy way for sellers to commit fraud. They will send your item cheap via some courier you have never heard of and claim it will get to you faster and cheaper than FedEx/UPS. Then after a few days you receive no tracking no. You call to complain to the seller so he gives you the tracking no. and claims the item is on its way. You check the tracking online at the web site you never heard of and low and behold the tracking brings up nothing. Your emails/phone calls go back and forth and nothing is resolved. This is a perfect example of fraud and intentional seller delay. You have a fake tracking no., no item in your hand, he has your money, and the international laws in his country don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You’re shit out of luck. This is why you stick to large reputable couriers even if it costs you more. Their tracking systems are international and real time regardless of language. Doesn’t matter if it was sent in the USA or Africa, you will see the tracking when it’s updated. So even if the seller does the fraud from Africa, the international tracking is still a valid non-delivery evidence to be used in any insurance claim or dispute resolution with Paypal or your credit card company.

Debit Bank Account
Never use this option whenever purchasing an item unless it’s from a trusted seller or someone you know who has a consistent track record. I can’t stress this enough! The banks will not help you if there is a case of fraud in your transaction. The bank's case is clear cut. You signed in and gave your bank account. You gave your password. Tough, you sent the money. The bank is not responsible, period. Unless it’s a small item purchased stick to placing the item on your credit card where a charge back process is much tougher on the seller. If you’re willing to lose say 10-20 dollars if the transaction goes south in a bank debit transaction then by all means use the bank option. It’s no different but has greater protection. If you hate using debt to purchase an item (due to interest) simply pay off the credit card in advance using online banking. The debt will be cleared when charged AND you get the item on your transaction statement. This is all you need to initiate a charge back with the credit company in a bad deal. Note: Most credit companies will not do a charge back process unless you have dealt with the dispute resolution team at Paypal first. So keep all Paypal records – any records – of a transaction actually. The more info you provide, the better your case. No different than in civil or criminal law. In some cases the credit company has to make a discretionary call so whoever brings the best preponderance of the evidence wins the day – and your money back.

Feedback
This is very important!! Again I can’t stress this enough. For both buyers and sellers, feedback section tells a lot of a person’s transaction behavior and potential fraud. It begs to ask the following questions: Has the seller sold consistently or is this the first transaction or a one-off transaction? Has the seller sold the same items consistently throughout or is it a high level ticket item when previously it was small ticket 20-30 dollar items? Are the buyers the same buyers or many different buyers? Does the buyer have a good rep for payment or are there any red reps against him? The following are scenarios to watch for IMO...

A) Sellers that build up a rep through small item transactions like $10-$20. You will see a series of these items, sometimes for a dollar piece then all of a sudden you see a huge item for several grand. Red flags should signal. You need to question and obtained very detailed follow up answers with the seller and communicate closely. Why are you selling? Why now? You haven’t sold this type of item before, why? Can I have more info? Can I see it in person? Etc.

B) Sellers that have the same buyers consistently. There is nothing wrong with having good customers and a strong customer base. It is best to look for sellers that have a variety of buyers from all locations. Sellers that have the same buyers should bring up a red flag. Sometimes fraudulent sellers will create fictional buyer accounts and sell between themselves to build up rep feedback. Once done they start selling to real customers and then shit happens. Items don’t get delivered on time, excuses from sellers “I’ve been sick.” sorry don’t know what happened to tracking no., it is correct you're wrong and other bull crap.

C) Sellers that build up rep than have neg reps immediately after. Very similar to A) except these sellers tend to have a variety of items at various price ranges to various buyers. They look genuine. They look real. They appear to sell terrific in first dozen or so items and then all hell breaks loose. They start getting neg rep from legitimate customers and you start getting excuses from the seller. It tends to happen with overseas sellers usually from China and Russia although US has a fair bit of these crooks recently. Two names in the photography world that come to mind go by user handles “Cheong” and “Jamie Rivera”. Stay away from these two guys. They tend to go in multiple user accounts once found out on a given buy/sell site.


If all else fails..
If you don't trust doing any online deals then do a local in-person. Advertise locally. Meet up in-person. Just be careful, smart salesmen can commit fraud in-person as well as online. The problem occurs where there is a contention between a buyer and seller. Buyers want the lowest possible price for the most value. The sellers want the highest price they can get in the market place. Since this is as old as time itself, there will always be unscrupulous people out there trying to make that extra buck when your eyes are turned.

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