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Re: [OM] EBAY SCAMS

Subject: Re: [OM] EBAY SCAMS
From: "Barry B. Bean" <bbbean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 08:45:18 -0600 (CST)
On Mon, 24 Jan 2000 19:35:33 -0800, Phillip Franklin wrote:

>Gary, I have bid on some items before but the prices seemed to be too high for 
>the risk
>involved. I know you must be a merchant on the eBay thing and therefore are 
>going to try and
>depict this as safe way to transact business. 

Idon't think it's kosher to take potshots at Gary's integrity because
he sells on eBay. I've traded with him via eBay and via the list and
had not a second's worth of problems. Like Gary, I both buy and sell
via eBay and have found it a safe venue when ordinary precautions are
taken. The crux concept here is that I trade on eBay because I think
it's a reasonably safe way to trade, and not the other way around.

Of course, it's possible that I've just been lucky. Maybe the net IS
full of scam artists, and I've just had the good luck of only trading
with the good guys. In the past 7 or 8 years, I've traded saxophones,
antiques, amplifiers, cameras, lenses, computer equipment,
harmonicas, and even shoes online and have had a grand total of one
item misrepresented to me (slightly) and one item not paid for (a $10
monopod head that I subsequently didn't ship - no loss for me). I
have had buyers agree to take merchandise back andcover shipping when
the merchandise shipped was defective, didn't fit, or was otherwise
undesirable, and I've offered the same courtesy to my buyers.

While I may just be better attuned to risk (I'm a cotton broker, and
buy and sell 8 figures worth of cotton each year based purely on the
good word and reputation of my customers and buyers) than most, I
think anyone who uses good common sense will generally do well for
themselves on eBay, in the newsgroups, on mailing lists, and through
the web is they simply use due caution, and don't put more money in
the hands of a stranger than they can afford to lose.

I recommend the following  steps for protection on eBay or elsewhere:

1) use credit cards where available
2) know and use eBay insurance policies, tradesafe escrow services,
and shipper's COD Secured Funds shipping.
3) If you have the slightest doubt about an eBay buyer, contact
several of the people giving him feedback and ask for information on
their transactions.
4) Ask for and confirm home and work numbers of the other party.
5) Confirm in writing (al least via e-mail) a reasonable return
policy
6) If you can't do the above and satisfy yourself that the risk is
worth taking,don't bid or buy. 

BBB


-
B.B. Bean                                       bbbean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bean & Bean Cotton Co/Bean Farms                http://www.beancotton.com
Peach Orchard, MO


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