With 135 million users worldwide, eBay is one of the leading online marketplaces. Whether you’re using it to make extra money by selling unwanted items or making purchases, it’s important to be aware of scammers.
Unfortunately, scammers have always used eBay to get their hands on people’s money. Common scams on eBay include selling counterfeit goods, not shipping items, or putting the wrong name on a package to get a return. Some buyers have been known to claim their package was empty so they could keep the item and still get their money.
eBay has processes in place to protect its customers, but it’s still important to keep your wits about you. Here’s our best advice on how to avoid scams when buying and selling on the platform.
1. Only accept or send payment through eBay itself
- Ignore any sellers or buyers who want to make a separate bank transfer or use a money transfer service like Moneygram or Western Union. Using them means you’re not eligible for eBay’s money-back guarantee, and if something goes wrong, you’ll have trouble getting your money back.
- If you need to make a claim under the Money Back Guarantee, eBay has published detailed instructions, which payment methods are covered and which items are not eligible (including vehicles, tickets, services and items sold through classified ads). .
- Sellers should always check their bank account before shipping an item to confirm payment has been received to avoid being caught by fake payment emails.
2. Use a trackable postal service
- Sellers should only send goods using a traceable postal service, either by Royal Mail or another courier. In addition to making it easier to verify that the buyer received your item (so they can’t claim something didn’t arrive and ask for a refund), you’re entitled to automatic removal of bad feedback if the buyer claims the item didn’t arrive. arrive on time when you have proof of shipment on time.
3. Use strong passwords
- Use a secure password for your eBay account and not the same one you use elsewhere. Avoid using personal information such as your maiden name or the name of a favorite pet as part of your password, and use a combination of upper and lower case letters as well as numbers and special characters.
- If you’re having trouble remembering your complex, unique password (or even coming up with one), consider using a password manager. It can generate complex credentials, sync them between computers, smartphones and tablets and automatically enter them on websites.
4. Be aware of phishing scams
- If you receive an e-mail that claims to be eBay and prompts you to log into your account, always open a web browser and enter the web address yourself. Never click on a link in an email
- Look for the email address it came from. Compare this to previous emails you received from eBay – is it from the same address? Look for typos such as @ebya.co.uk in email addresses as well as grammatical errors and typos in the body of the email.
5. Be smart!
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. A pair of designer shoes or a designer handbag, even if second-hand, will not be so cheap. If you’re buying, check what other sellers are offering these items for – if what you’ve found seems too cheap, it might be a scam or fake, so walk away.
