How to sell on ebay

EBAY WARNING

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Ebay beginners take heed. Scams abound on eBay (and off it). Choose your password carefully. Make it something obscure like r53h76fd so that it's impossible to guess. NEVER use a word from the dictionary! Never divulge it to anyone else or keep it on your computer where it can be seen. Never type it into a form or web page unless you are certain that it is an eBay page.

One of the favourite scams works like this: you receive an email, apparently from eBay, that asks you to click on a link and confirm your details. Never fall for this! It is called "phishing". Ebay will never email you to ask for details like this. (Nor will Paypal or your bank).

However, even if you don't fall for it, another eBay user might. The scammer can then log on as that person and "buy" something from you, using the other person's account. He will probably tell you "I just moved house - that's why my address is different". You send the goods and two or three months later you get an email telling you that the money has been taken back out of your account because of "a fraudulent transaction". It's very frustrating when this happens because eBay/Paypal will not give you any details, quoting the "Data Protection Act". There is nothing you can do about tis except to pass all the details you have to the police and ask them for an "Incident Number". You can claim back the tax on your loss but you can't recover the lost money unless the poplice find the perpetrator. And even then you probably won't get a penny.

Also, don't get involved with mobile phones - either buying or selling. They are bad news and there are as many dishonest sellers/buyers of mobile phones as there are honest ones. In particular avoid any person who mentions NIGERIA. Many scams are perpetrated by Nigerians. There are honest people in Nigeria but you simply can't take the risk.

Here's a few steps you can take towards protecting yourself:

On My eBay, click preferences (under "My Account" on the left).

Under "Selling Preferences", click show to the right of "Buyer requirements".

Set "Block buyers who: Are registered in countries to which I don't post".

Set other options such as "Have a feedback score of -1 or lower",
"Have received 2 Unpaid Item strikes in the last 30 days",
"Have a feedback score of 1 or lower and no credit card on file".

Save these changes.

(Thanks to "Gyles" for these tips).

If in doubt about a purchaser, don't sell. You are not obliged to sell to an auction winner. If somebody wins an auction and you don't trust them, simply cancel the transaction by going through eBay on the "buyer is not in my country" route. This is the simplest way to cancel. It also means that no feedback can be left.

If in doubt about an auction, don't bid.