Although eBay’s liberal approach to refunds and returns help with buyers’ confidence, unscrupulous buyers are out there abusing its loopholes to their advantage. Ebay’s a great platform to make money, however, with some experience, you’ll be aware of the warning signs these scammers exhibit, be ready to put your foot on the brakes and dump them into your Blocked Buyer’s List (BBL).
This article covers some of the tell-tale signs that you’re likely going to get scammed. The next step is knowing how to block a buyer on eBay to prevent more problems down the road.
Table of Contents
They are trying too hard close the deal outside eBay
Occasionally, you’ll encounter a buyer that wants to settle the transaction out of eBay with the excuse of avoiding the seller fees. This is a valid argument, but it is against eBay policy and if they found out they could suspend your account. Outside of eBay, you have no protection. There are honest buyers that do this with no bad intention, but if you’re dealing with someone new, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Money orders can bounce and credit card payments can be charged back. By the time the item has arrived, you’ve not only lost your item but not earn a single penny as well. If you’re using Paypal, the buyer could claim the item as “not as described” (INAD) without having to give much proof and you’re forced to give a refund.
Too many questions
There’s nothing wrong with asking questions, but it becomes a red flag when they are simply asking too much, especially regarding the condition and the minor details of the product. Chances are, they are looking for perfection. And when the item doesn’t match their expectations, the INAD box gets ticked. More often than not, buyers who ask too many questions cause more problems than buyers who ask less.
Feedback extortion
If a buyer threatens to give you bad feedback for not complying to his offer (or any reason for that matter), that’s a clear sign they should be sent to the BBL. You should file a complaint against them as they have clearly violated eBay’s policy.
Buyers requesting to ship to a different address
You should only ship to the address that is shown during the payment transaction in order to be covered by seller protection. New sellers often fall victim to this scam, where a buyer would give a fake excuse to not have you send the item to the rightful address, and use a third-party address. They will then file an “Item Not Received” dispute and you will lose the case.
If they insist you to do so, tell them it’s against eBay policy and that they should update their shipping address. If they’re not willing to cooperate, block them immediately and cancel the transaction.
Take-Home Message
Just like any business, you’re bound to face scammers on eBay. Always stay alert with the latest scam tactics, familiarize yourself with eBay’s policies and NEVER believe something that seems too good to be true.
About Carson Derrow
