Is Ebay a scam or should I keep going on the site?

Question

I always have gotten things from ebay and have always gotten things back but recently my aunt got scammed and I was wondering if you have ever gotten scammed and what happened or if I should stick with ebay or just get things at the regular store?

Answer 1

Like many things, it's hit or miss.  I've seen things I knew were overpriced.  On the other hand, I took a chance and bought a beautiful sapphire and diamond cocktail ring;  the jeweler who re-sized it for me said the center stone was worth more than what I'd paid for the ring.

Answer 2

eBay is a good place for buying things.

Like every where there are people who try to scam you. So before you buy check the feedbacks of the seller, pay with paypal only. Read the guides on eBay.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tutorial/buyi...

If you got scammed report it to eBay.

Good luck

Gil

Answer 3

Ebay does scam.

My mom got scammed out of 600 dollars (I have no clue what she was buying). Just order things on a different website or buy things at a regular store that won't steal your money.

Answer 4

It's the sellers you have to be cautious of, not the actual site.

I buy and sell on ebay and never had any problems with it. Just research your sellers feedback before committing to buy something.  

Answer 5

what did she get scammed with?

Answer 6

Yes it is, but what can you do?

Answer 7

At ebay as in life, skepticism is your friend. If you are cautious and use your brains, you will never get burned. If you are gullible and don’t think things through, you will.

If you sell, may sure you list PayPal as a payment option. Even though you may offer all payment options, you could put an additional note in your listing stating something to the this effect: PayPal is the only form of payment I will accept from overseas bidders/ buyers or for any bidder/buyer with a feedback rating of less than 100% and less than 20 feedback postings.

One major target of scam artists on ebay is EXPENSIVE items where the only payment options offered are money orders and / or checks. Sellers who do this will receive a very nice, courteous email from some overseas buyer asking, “will you ship to Russia (or wherever).” If you take the bait, they will send you a piece of worthless paper you won’t find out is worthless until sometime later and ‘being a trusting, gullible soul,’ you will have already shipped the merchandise.

If you are a buyer, just check the seller's feedback rating. If it is 99%+ with over 50 transactions, I would rest easy. If you want to bid on an expensive item (that sounds too good to be true) and the seller has 0 feedback, leave this auction for a gullible buyer. Keep in mind that scamsters won't waste their time with nickel and dime items: They want to 'kill elephants, not mice.'

More details how exactly your aunt was scammed would have been helpful in answering your question.

Answer 8

Well I'm sure that some people are legit and some may scam but that's everywhere and you need to do your research on that particular person, don't they have customer reviews?  

Answer 9

ebay has nothing to do with you getting scammed - you are dealing with individuals who are just listing their items on ebay. - no different than an ad in a magazine or newspaper

Answer 10

Most of the sellers on e-bay are legit.  Be sure to check their history and only by from ones with exceptional ratings and a long history if you're worried about it.  There will always be the criminals out there, though, and if you get taken by a scam be sure to report it to ebay so that they can do something about it.  

Answer 11

I use ebay a lot for years now and haven't had a problem. The seller might have been the scammer.

Answer 12

actually i don't use ebay but its safe they even talk about it in tv shows so i think you can stick with them

Answer 13

Ebay itself is not a scam. However, There are several scammers on Ebay. A few tips to remember is never, ever, ever send a buyer the merchandise before you have the funds! Some people do not realize this and therefore they never get paid for what they sold. Also, if someone emails you with a message of broken English, saying they will pay more that what you are asking for, OR say they have a check they will send you for more than the selling price, I would question their integrity.

I accept Paypal only and I have yet to be scammed.

Answer 14

ebay - no

the people - sometimes

but i'm pretty sure if you have PayPal nothing bad can happen.

Answer 15

E-bay is fine. They are set up to protect consumers. Like anything...do your due diligence and enjoy the bargains.

Answer 16

you will always find scammers on ebay.   but to help avoid this... check out the feedback... ask all questions you can think of BEFORE you place the bid.

Use PayPal to pay for your item(s) because they will back you if something cannot be corrected with the seller.  BUT, MOST OF ALL ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE THE BID.

I like ebay and found that I will ask the questions and keep a record of what I ask, then if a problem arises I will have my back up proof of what was discussed with the seller.

Most of the eBay sellers are honest people,  so I say just watch it and when you find the item... check it out.

Answer 17

It really depends.  Personally I've never had a problem, and both eBay and PayPal have very good resolution processes that help to protect buyers.

I will typically use eBay for something that would otherwise be VERY expensive in a regular store, or if I'm looking for something that has long been off the market (no longer made, antique, unique, etc).

I think your aunt just had a bad experience.

Answer 18

I have purchased lots (100+) of items over Ebay and I have never been scammed once.

Ebay itself is not a scam though some of the sellers are.  She should report the seller to Ebay.