The famous online store, eBay is an auction site that you can access on the Internet to buy different types of items, from clothes to make-up to cars to car batteries to jewelry, amongst others. You can even buy cast-offs from famous celebrities on this site. If you want to sell off items that you just feel you don't want anymore, you can also sell them at eBay and get a reasonable amount for them.
However, eBay isn't all good, especially for buyers. Because this is an online store, there are so many things that you have to watch out for in buying items at eBay. You have to be cautious about buying such items like make-up, as you don't know if they have been used by the vendor. Further avoid any electronic item on the site because you are not really guaranteed if it is still in top condition. You might just end up getting more problems instead of gains out of the eBay item that you bought. There are so many reasons why you should be extra cautious and not buy items on eBay and below you will see some of these reasons.
The Good Reasons Not to Buy at eBay
*
The system of quality control at eBay is quite weak.
Because of this, it is quite possible that the item that you want to buy at eBay is among the tons of junk items that are sold on the site. The description of the items can mislead you. They are either not the accurate description of the items or they pertain to another product. The pictures provided sometimes are even blurry or there are no pictures provided at all.
*
You cannot trust the feedback system of the store.
Even if you base your purchase of an item on the feedback given, you are still not guaranteed that you are getting a good item. While this system was originally meant to reflect the credibility of the vendor, it does not really present an accurate picture. You might just be in for a big surprise.
*
There are unscrupulous vendors at eBay.
To hike the price of their items on sale, there are vendors who will ask their friends bid up their items. Thus they can get a higher price for their item even if it is not necessarily worth that much.
*
There is a “no return, no exchange” policy at eBay.
There are no such privileges at eBay that allow you to return an item, which you have either found damaged or not meeting your expectations. Because eBay is an auction site, it operates under the rules of an auction, which usually states that you buy an item as it is and get it as is.
*
It is hard to get a refund at eBay.
If in case you bought an item in eBay that you want to return because of its defects, it is quite hard to get your money back. The process of trying to locate the seller of the item is quite long and tedious and would in the end, cost you more money. Because it is very hard to get a refund on the items that you bought at eBay, you might as well refrain from buying items on the site.
*
There are scammers who use the eBay site.
There are certain sellers on the site who will try to contact you to complete the transaction of buying the item offline. These types of vendors are usually out to swindle you by posing some arrangement that may cost you more money in the end.
*
Fake items are sold on eBay.
As there is no guarantee that an item you are buying on eBay is the real thing, avoid buying eBay items that can be easily faked. Examples of these items are tickets, which could have already been used before they were sold in the site.
*
There are times when it is only the picture and not the real item that is sold on eBay.
Some people mislead others into believing that the picture they posted is actually the item that they are selling. It is only when the buyer has completed the transaction and has received the item when he'll realize that it is just the picture on sale and not the item. Although this might have been mentioned in the fine print, you still lose your money.
*
Your credit card used to purchase on eBay can be used by others.
There is a possibility that someone could get access to the credit card number that you provided to eBay for paying for an item purchased. Once your credit card has been accessed, there are people who will not think twice about charging just about anything on your account.
By Carlos Cabezas López
Original Article Source at http://www.casoabierto.com/index.php?news=673&vote=5&aid=673&Vote=Vote
More info at Ebay Forums:
http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?messageID=1102408061&forumID=7#1102408061
http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?messageID=1102365790&forumID=7#1102365790
http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?messageID=1202997888&forumID=7#1202997888
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?messageID=2001151388&forumID=1000000015&x#2001151388
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4072403.stm
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
I need info on Social Security fraud for a college ...
By: gfullwiler | 11-08-2007
I need info on Social Security fraud for a college paper. I am looking for stats for fraud and amount of money we could save eliminating fraud.
Barry Bonds 756
By: WenKroy | 06-08-2007
How much might the baseball from Barry Bonds 756th home run be worth? (Bonds hasn't hit 756 yet ... but I imagine he will.)
Harry Potter: missing pages
By: WenKroy | 24-07-2007
Some copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are missing pages. Are these books valuable? Should I try to buy one on eBay and then sell it for a profit?
Selling on the Web
By: clavin.newman | 30-04-2007
Which do you think is the best site to sell items on: Amazon, eBay Overstock, or something else?
The "work at home" businesses we see advertised ...
By: Benedita | 23-04-2007
The "work at home" businesses we see advertised are real or fake?
Do you know of an expert in user profiling and ...
By: kelleradidi | 05-04-2007
Do you know of an expert in user profiling and behavioral modeling for e-commerce use?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest ECommerce Articles
Some Things to Keep in Mind When Building an Ecommerce UK Site
By: Harry | 15/10/2008
Ecommerce involves marketing, and buying and selling of goods on a website. The buy and sell part is what makes ecommerce sites very different from other websites. (All websites are marketing tools, by the way.)
Setting Up a Home Office
By: Jeremy Jewell | 14/10/2008
So you've finally found a way to do what so many people would love to be able to do, work from home. You can set your own hours, wear whatever you want and basically live by your own rules as long as you're getting the work done. Although this can be a very liberating feeling, and seems to provide you with a lower stress workday, it can be very easy to overlook getting your home office stocked with all of the office supplies you need, especially if you are used to working in an office where all
Payment Gateway Security Key
By: Rusty Clark | 14/10/2008
Payment Gateway is a software interface between a web-based shopping cart and a merchant account. Payment gateways encrypt sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, to ensure that information passes securely between the customer and the merchant. Security is most important Section for online gateways like Pay pal & eBay.
Write Effective PPC Ads - Keep These 6 Tips In Mind
By: Karen Scharf | 14/10/2008
Google's recent changes to AdWords make it easier for novices to get started with pay per click advertising. But if you've never created a PPC ad before, the task can seem a little intimidating.
Turn to Ecommerce Solutions for Greater Online Exposure
By: bestweboutsourcing | 14/10/2008
ECommerce solutions have helped many businesses make online shopping a pleasurable experience for consumers of all types.
Freelance Job
By: freelance job | 13/10/2008
Work from home, running your own freelance job and take control of your own future. Sounds great, huh? And now you can make it happen. check it- http://102freelancejob.com
Internet Marketing
By: kevin | 13/10/2008
Internet marketing is a new age marketing that provides the sellers with never seen before kind of opportunities. Since it is online, it is much cheaper than traditional methods of marketing and can be done by even a small-scale enterprise.
Six Secrets of a Successful Yahoo! Store Design
By: Shubie | 13/10/2008
While Yahoo! Store is the most popular ecommerce solution, a Yahoo! Store Design helps multiply its performance and returns by several times.
Online merchants are generally not aware about the secret benefits of the redesign. This article aims to reveal those secrets and help online
merchants become online successful faster.
More from Carlos Cabezas López
Express Kidnapping: The New Form of Unlawful Imprisonment
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 09/07/2007 | News and Society
Express kidnapping is a new method of criminal restraint used by bands of sicarios in the service of mafia networks. In express kidnappings, the victim remains only a few hours in the hands of his or her captors.
Sicarios: The Business of Killing
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 05/07/2007 | News and Society
While the word sicario has been in use for thousands of years, these days when you talk about sicarios you are referring to none other than contract killers or hired assassins. They are generally professional assassins who act as mercenaries, offering their services to the highest bidder. In Latin America, they constitute actual organized gangs and even form part of important paramilitary groups.
David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 30/04/2007 | News and Society
David Berkowitz, America’s notorious serial killer called himself ‘Son of Sam’. He confessed to six killings and wounding many others but police estimate his killings to be much more than six. He was born to Betty Broder and Joseph Klienman, with whom she had an affair while married to Tony Falco. David Berkowitz’s original name was Richard David Falco.
Henry Lee Lucas, America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 27/04/2007 | News and Society
Henry Lee Lucas’s life is chilling to the bones like cold wine on a winter night. As a child, he was abused by his mother who was a hooker and made Lucas witness her escapades with her ‘clients.’ She hated her child Lucas for reasons unknown. His father was crippled in an accident and his mother subjected both his father and him to cruelty. Unable to bear the torture, his father committed suicide. Her abuse continued and Lucas lost an eye in one of her violent attacks. She killed all the animals
Zodiak Killer, an Unsolved Case
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 25/04/2007 | News and Society
America’s most dreaded killer remains elusive even today. It is still not known who this Zodiac Killer was. Though the police suspected it to be Arthur Leigh Allen, there was no concrete evidence to support the claim.
Ted Bundy, the Suave Lawyer
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 24/04/2007 | News and Society
Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killer in the criminal history of America . Though he has confessed to killing only 28 people, it is estimated that he killed around 100 female victims in the 1970’s.
Charles Manson and the Family
By: Carlos Cabezas López | 23/04/2007 | Article Writing
‘A criminal is not a criminal by birth but made by the world’. This holds true in the case of Charles Manson. Born on 12th November 1934 to an unwed teenage mother in Cincinnati, Charles never knew his biological father. His mother later married William Manson who gave Charles his last name.
Internet 
About the Author:
