I have sold on Ebay and to date I have sold over 10 products on Yahoo auction but have not “sold” anything. Sounds confusing?
Yahoo Auction is easy to sell on, its free and I now I understand its limitations. It is so easy to sell or bid that the scammers are having a field day. Can I count how many fake PayPal and Western Union emails I have received? The non-paying bidder process at some auctions is not half as sophisticated or efficient as with EBay. That is not to say EBay does not have its problems, but many more scam issues are popping up all over the net. Not even the mighty Ebay is safe.
Putting that you do NOT ship to Africa certainly does not work with these scammers. As for you ONLY accept PayPal does not deter them from asking for bank account details. The more you reiterate your policies, the more they try to give you options that you should take if you really want this sale. No is a word they do not seem to understand.
But for those who have been lucky to miss encountering these scammers in the past, should take note. It is just a matter of time before they try to scam you. Here are some tips to note:
They offer to pay by other means than what you have advertised. Their favourites include- money orders and cheques.
I have gotten so many fraudulent Western Union Money Orders that seem so authentic. You have to be very careful and verify those before shipping your products. My advice is to actually collect the money at a Western Union outlet rather than collecting online notification alone.
They stress urgency and offer more money than your auction is worth if you close the auction now.
Send the good s NOW! is as favourite of scammers on online auctions. They try to stress urgency which causes many persons to make mistakes and take unnecessary chances in trying to ship the goods quickly. Signs that would have told you that the sale was fraudulent is often times not apparent at first glance. Hence scammers do not want you to have enough time to check the transaction carefully.
They email you to ask for the cost of the auction even when there is a buy now price or the final price is listed.
The will ask the questions to things that are plain on the auction. You will have in bold-free shipping, and they will still ask for shipping costs. Do not think it is just a query, it is often a means of trying to form a relationship and ingratiate themselves to you. Watch out the very next mail or two normally carries a sob story or an attempt to defraud you. They also like to ask for your personal details so that they can correspond. Do not respond!
They attempt to buy off auction
Even with a buy now button , they attempt to buy now but off auction. Needless to say you need to avoid those buyers.
They try to buy multiples, especially of electronics and quick moving merchandise.
You advertise your product and one buyer with no auction history wants to buy 10 pieces. If you are not a wholesale do not even consider it. even if you were a wholesale you need to wonder why this persons wants 10. Worse with no history you are at increased risk of being defrauded. In authentic cases legitimate customers can want many pieces, but make sure bank transfers or COD is one of you preferred method, especially if you are shipping internationally.
They want you to ship it internationally specifically Africa (Nigeria) is the favourite. Other countries include the UK and Malaysia.
Anybody online should know of the numerous Nigerian scams. But of note is that many other countries are getting in on the act,, even countries like the UK are being used to perpetuate shipping of products there that are then reshipped to Africa. Be very careful with international shipments especially with payments by credit cards as these might turn out fraudulent.
They send you PayPal payment email that say you must ship the good and provide the tracking number before the payment is released to you.
Paypal never asks you to ship before payment is reflected in your account. Scams abound nevertheless on this method. Do not forget the spoof mails that promotes phishing of your Paypal details, often times they garner your email address after corresponding with you off auction.
They send you a cheque for more than the value of the good, where you must take your money and send them back the difference.
Nothing much to say, but, if you want all you will lose all. Easy come and easy go. Obviously Fraudulent, do not even think it.
They play on your emotions. It is always a gift for a boss, a child, a relative , a store, a fiance, a colleague or a charitable organization in Africa.
There is always someone who really needs your product in Africa, Boo Hoo, tell them to get a hanky. Do not ship your goods to Africa unless you can find a reputable company for which you can vouch.
More scams surface daily, so web masters have to be vigilant. The list above is by no means exhaustive but represent some of the more popular ones, keep you eyes pealed for others.
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