Make,Online,Auctions,Home,Busi DIY Make Online Auctions a Home Business
When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in
This article may be reproduced in any ezine or websiteprovided the resource box at the end is included. Tips to Avoid Online Auction Fraud While most buyers and sellers on internet auction sites arehonest, there is always the threat of underlying fraud. Auction sites have had instances of sellers posting pictures ofitems for sale, only to include in extremely small print thatbuyers are only bidding for the photo rather than the item itself. When the photo arrives in the post and not the product, buyersare obviously outraged. Steps to avoid online auction fraud 1)Check seller's feedbackOne of the best ways to judge a seller's honesty is to check hisor her feedback. Most buyers will give feedback on a sale,rating the seller in the seller's Feedback Profile. If the feedback is negative, it will be very difficult for that seller to buy or sellanything on that auction site in future. Check the seller'sfeedback and if it is not overwhelmingly positive, do not buy.2)Find out seller's contact detailsBefore you enter into a deal, try to establish contact with the seller. On eBay you can search information on a member byvisiting the Find Members page. If you can get a phone number or an email address, you have a better chance of solving anyfuture problems. You could establish contact with the buyer byrequesting further information about the nature of the productin which you are interested.3)Payment MethodsCredit cards are the safest way to buy anything online for the simplereason that, in the case of fraud, most credit card companies willcover the cost. Online payment services such as PayPal and FastPayare also popular with auction site users because of their safety.These are account-based systems that send money via credit card orbank account. 4) Use an Escrow ServiceFor higher priced items you should consider an escrow service. An escrow service acts as a middleman between the buyer andthe seller to ensure a fair transaction.The escrow service holds the item and the money until the buyerhas inspected and approved the goods. Only then does it releasethe money to the seller.The only downside is that it will cost the buyer extra to use thisservice. However, it is something to bear in mind when buying more expensive items. 5) Complaints/ Fraud ProtectionMost online auction sites have a complaints' procedure.For example,if you're unhappy with the goods or you have notreceived them, Ebay operates a fraud protection program. Formore information go to :http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/fpp-guide.htmlFlipShark has a useful site on internet auction scams.www.flipshark.com/scams/ebayindex.htmlThe US Federal Trade Commission has a useful guide forbuyers and sellers on internet auctions which has relevanceto other countries.www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/auctions.htmTo sum up, most buyers and sellers on internet auction sites arehonest. However, if you use the above tips, you should not fallvictim to auction fraud.© 2003 John Lynch=======================================Visit http://www.merchant-account-service.com/ebay.html for aFREE extensive auctions course on how to start a successfulonline auctions business.========================================
Make,Online,Auctions,Home,Busi