EBay -- Avoiding Buying Pitfalls

As with any business transaction, there is a small amount of risk you take on as the buyer. Such things as will I get the product I bought, will the product be the type and model I ordered, and was the seller truthful when they described the product? When buying a product online, the odds while still small increase. How can a person reduce the risk when buying on eBay?

One of the first things you need to realize is eBay is really just a broker. They do not own any products. They are the facilitator for a seller of a product and a buyer for that product. eBay just helps the seller and buyer meet even if it is online.

There are many benefits eBay offers to sellers. First and foremost it provides the seller a huge audience for its product. There is no way a seller could reach the number of buyers available without eBay. It also reduces the cost of doing business for the seller. They do not need a brick and mortar store with all of its expenses.

The benefits for buyers are also great. The products sold on eBay are almost always cheaper than a typical store. There are also many unique products available that cannot be bought anywhere else.

A good deal of trust is involved when buying on eBay. The buyer is trusting that the seller will ship the item when paid and the item is legitimate and is as described by the seller. The first line of defense for a buyer is to check the seller. How long have they been a member of ebay? How many positive feedback ratings do they have? What is the percentage of positive feedback? Many sellers also offer a money back guarantee so look for this on their auction listing.

There are really only two problems with sellers of eBay. One, they do not deliver the product. Two, they deliver the wrong or defective product. If the seller does not deliver the product, your first course of action is to contact them. Many times it's a matter of communication and not a dishonest person. If contacting the seller does not produce results, you can contact eBay and file a complaint and ask for assistance regarding the transaction. If you paid using PayPal, you have some recourse as they are a credit card company and can offer a 30 buy back for you. That means you can ask them to refund the purchase price within 30 days if unhappy with the transaction.

What happens if the product you receive is defective or very different from what was described in the auction? Again, your first course of action is to contact the seller. Good communication often solves the problem. If you find that does not work, contact eBay as you would do if you did not receive a product at all. The 30 day buy back is also available to you if you used a credit card.

For expensive items, eBay has an escrow program available where a third party, who is bonded, holds the product and upon your payment will ship you your purchase.

Most disputes occur because of a miscommunication between the seller and the buyer. Always go with contacting the seller for any problems before you proceed with the more aggressive actions.