EBAY ANNOYANCES
BEWARE OF EBAY PHISHERSThe Annoyance:I got an email warning that said I could no longer use my eBay account unless I "verify" it. The email certainly looks like it came from eBaythe return address even ends in @ebay.com. But the message sent me to a web page that asked for my credit card number. Also, the grammar on the page was awful. I know geeks have an aversion to proper English, but something smells funny here. The Fix:If something smells funny, turn up your nose and run. You've been the victim of an eBay "phishing" attack (see Figure 10-7). The perpetrator has spoofed an eBay email address and mimicked eBay's web site in an attempt to get you to hand over your credit card number. The following tips will help you spot the difference between a "phisher" and eBay: Figure 10-7. SomethingAPOSTs phishy here! This is not really an email from eBay.
WHEN IS CASH NOT CASH?The Annoyance:I just found out that cash isn't really cash. I always thought that a cashier's check from a bank was as good as gold, so when I received one in payment for an item I sold on eBay, I immediately shipped the goods. When I deposited the cashier's check, it showed up in my account balance. However, the bank later told me it was forged, so I'm out the money. How can I tell the real thing from a forgery? The Fix:Unless you're Frank Abagnale, Jr., it's pretty hard. In short, treat a cashier's check like a check, not cash. Even though the deposit initially showed up in your account balance, the check still had to clear before you could access the money. Next time, wait for the cashier's check to clear your bank before you ship the goods. Check your account balance online and then call the bank to confirm that the money is indeed in your account. ADD A MOVIE TO YOUR AUCTIONThe Annoyance:If a picture is worth a thousand words, is a moving picture worth a thousand dollars? I've heard that video clips help you get higher bids when you sell on eBay, but I'm not Steven Spielberg. How can I create a video for the auction site? The Fix:Auction Video (http://www.auctionvideo.com) helps you record and store video clips up to 60 seconds long and then posts them to your eBay auction. Plug in your webcam and microphone, head to the site's "recording room," and record your video. The service costs $9.95 per month for one item, $19.95 per month for two items, and so on. GET A GREAT DEAL ON A LABTOP OR CAMRAThe Annoyance:I'm a big fan of eBay, but my best friend always manages to buy items at far lower prices than I do. When I ask how he does it, he mysteriously murmurs, "Can you spell digital camera?" The Fix:Discover your inner misspeller. When people misspell product names, prices plummet because few potential buyers find the auctions (see Figure 10-8). People have found great deals by searching for "labtops," "camras," and many other misspelled items. So when you search eBay, try misspellings first. Figure 10-8. Looking for a great deal on a notebook computer? Search for "labtop" on eBay and you might find one at a great price. BECOME AN EBAY SNIPERThe Annoyance:In the last month, I've lost four eBay auctionsand each time, the winner made the winning bid in the final two minutes. How can I beat out these Johnny-Come-Latelys? The Fix:They're using a technique called snipingthey bid at the last possible moment. If you'd like to win auctions by sniping yourself, here's how to do it:
BEWARE OF EBAY SHILLSThe Annoyance:The last three times I've bid on an item from a particular seller on eBay, the same two or three bidders swooped in near the end and outbid me. It seems awfully coincidental that they always outbid me on auctions from the same person. Is something funny going on? The Fix:It sounds like someone is doing shill bidding to artificially raise the price on auctions. In shill bidding, a person opens up several eBay accounts under different names, and then bids on his own auctions to raise the bid price. In some cases, a seller has friends act as shill bidders. Sometimes shill bidding backfires, as it did in your case, and the seller ends up with the high bid. But he'll just auction the item again, and again bid up the price using shills. How can you spot shill bidding? If you see the same user bidding on one person's auctions over and over, that's a warning sign. Search eBay to find all the auctions the person has bid on. If he only bids on one or two people's auctions over and over again, you've probably found a shill bidder. To do the search, write down the bidder's eBay ID, and then click the Advanced Search link in the top-right corner of any eBay page. Click the Find a Member link in the lefthand column, and type the person's eBay ID in the search box (see Figure 10-9). Click the Search button to see all the auctions on which that person has bid. Figure 10-9. If you suspect that someone has been shill bidding, search through all the auctions heAPOSTs bid on. If you find a shill bidder, report the person to eBay. Go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_inline/index.html and fill in the form. eBay will investigate. The first time it finds a shill, eBay issues a warning. If it happens again, eBay will suspend the user. DID I PAY TOO MUCH FOR THOSE OPERA GLASSES?The Annoyance:I just bought an old pair of opera glasses on eBay, and I thought I got a good deal. Was I wrong! I recently saw a similar pair for sale in a local antiques shop for eight dollars cheaper. I thought the whole point of eBay was saving money. I hate getting taken for a ride! The Fix:If you do your homework, you'll be able to figure out the right price for just about any item on eBay, including old opera glasses. Follow these steps to avoid overpayment next time:
Once you do all this, you'll have a good idea of what the going price should be on those opera glassesand you won't overpay again. DON'T GET BURNED ON EBAYThe Annoyance:My mother told me not to trust eBay, and maybe she was right. I sent a Western Union wire transfer to pay for a set of speakers, but the seller vamoosed with my cash. What can I do? The Fix:You've committed a big eBay no-nonever, and I mean absolutely never, pay for anything using a Western Union wire transfer. That's as bad as sending cash in an envelope. Once the person gets the money from the wire transfer, there's no way to trace him; the money's gone. Even Western Union tells people not to use wire transfers to pay for auction items. If someone on eBay says that they only accept payment via Western Union wire transfers, look for another seller. If possible, use PayPal when you buy anything on eBay, since it offers a measure of buyer protection. To make matters worse, you're not eligible for the eBay Buyer Protection Program when you pay using a Western Union wire transfer. Normally, eBay will pay you part of the money you lost. If you're victimized, the protection covers you up to $200 per auction (shipping and handling not included), minus a $25 processing fee. For example, if you pay $150 for an item you never receive, eBay will reimburse you $125. If you pay under $25 for an item you never receive, you won't get back a penny. You're not covered if the item is picked up or delivered in person, and you're also not covered for items damaged or lost in shipping. And, as you've just found out to your chagrin, you're not covered if you pay in cash or use a money transfer service. To get compensation from eBay when you do qualify, go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-fraud-alert.html, read the instructions for filing, and click the "File a fraud alert" link. You have to do this between 30 and 60 days after the auction ends. GET IT CHEAPER FROM THE POLICEThe Annoyance:Jack Benny is my patron saint. I don't like parting with a buck (or even a dime), so I spend a lot of time on eBay. But even those prices are too high for me. Is there an auction site with better bargains? The Fix:Police auctions, once held in dimly lit basements, have gone high-tech. Now about 300 police departments around the country, including New York City's, let you buy goods online at http://www.stealitback.com. It works just like a regular online auctionand given our nation's crime rate, thousands of items of all sorts and descriptions are constantly coming on sale (see Figure 10-10). You buy directly from the site, which makes the deals with individual police departments. When you buy an item, they ship it to you from the site's warehouse. Figure 10-10. When they say the goods are "hot" at Stealitback.com, they really mean it. You'll often find oddities for sale here. Where else, after all, can you bid on 30 pounds of cell phones, pagers, and accessories? Another auction site worth checking out is http://www.policeauctions.com.
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EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 89