The Chatter Newsletter

Colin Rule has more than 15 years of experience as a mediator and facilitator, including a stint as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he taught and researched dispute resolution. He also wrote Online Dispute Resolution for Business, one of the first books to examine how buyers and sellers can best resolve their problems online. 

One of the greatest resources on eBay is the Answer Center, home to a dedicated band of eBay members who enjoy helping others by answering their questions about a variety of eBay-related topics. Some members have been answering questions for years, and have acquired near-legendary status among the eBay Community. If you have a question about the marketplace, no matter how obscure or controversial, you can get it addressed in the Answer Center (or "AC," as it's called by the regulars). The contributors there possess a truly staggering understanding about how the eBay marketplace works, and they don't hesitate to be frank, direct, and specific about any subject, no matter how contentious.

To me, the most amazing thing about the AC is that members would take so much time out of their busy lives just to help others solve their problems. It's part of what makes eBay so unique, and it's a great example of why I love our Community.

At the end of my previous column I posted some direct quotes from members that caused some consternation among a few AC regulars, and as a result I got into a discussion with them about what advice eBay members really needed to hear. I threw down a challenge: “Okay you smartypantses, if you think you know so much, then you write the next Marketplace Safety column.” They rose to the challenge, and, I daresay, showed me up pretty good.

Here is some advice from AC regulars, among the most experienced eBay users you'll ever meet.

Avoiding Problem Transactions
It'd be great if every transaction on eBay went smooth as silk, with no problems or misunderstandings. Unfortunately, that's not the way things always work. A very small percentage of transactions do go wrong, and getting caught in one can be very frustrating. Fortunately transaction problems can generally be avoided if you know what to look for up front.

AC regular montessori_by_lori (view her About Me page) offered some great advice to steer clear of problems:

"The first thing to check is feedback. Don't worry about isolating any negatives or neutrals you might find; look instead for patterns. Take the time to look at the shipping cost and the seller's terms of sale before making your bid or purchase. Keep in mind that communication between buyer and seller, while encouraged by eBay, is not a requirement. Many sellers simply ship items after receiving payment. Picking a reputable seller insures your peace of mind while waiting for your item."

jenny_lake, a frequent AC poster, has compiled a list of “red flags” to look for before making an expensive purchase. Here are a few of them:

• Suspicious activity on a dormant account – jenny_lake feels that if a seller account that has been dormant for a long time suddenly shows expensive items listed, it's a big red flag.
• Payment terms change after the listing ends – In addition to changing payment terms, the

  Pay safely online by never using instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram International to pay for your eBay purchases. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.  Learn more.

  seller claims to be in a country thousands of miles away and “wire money transfer” abruptly becomes the only acceptable method of payment. jenny_lake regards this type of transaction as "almost certainly fraudulent."
• Questionable escrow sites – A seller who recommends an escrow service other than escrow.com—the only US escrow site approved by eBay—arouses jenny_lake's suspicions. Fraudulent escrow sites are created almost daily by fraudsters, for the purpose of attempting to defraud unsuspecting users. (Read Escrow.com's tips on how to spot a fraudulent escrow site.)
• Fraudulent Second Chance Offers – A legitimate Second Chance Offer (SCO) will appear in your My Messages inbox, will bear the User ID of the original seller, be assigned a new listing number and will be for the amount of your original maximum bid. It will require you to use the Buy It Now option to accept. If it doesn't meet all of these criteria, it's most definitely a fraudulent offer. Other tell-tale signs of a fraudulent Second Chance Offer include a different seller User ID than that of the first listing, different payment options, or the absence of a listing page.
• Claims of shipping from "an eBay warehouse" – Some fraudsters prey on new eBay members' lack of awareness about the way eBay works. These sellers try to take advantage of a member who may not know that eBay doesn't hold security deposits, confirm or guarantee the safety of transactions, or ship merchandise from a warehouse (eBay doesn't own any warehouses). A seller may claim that they have placed a multi-thousand dollar amount as a security deposit with eBay, and also claim that the item will be shipped from an eBay warehouse.

lurajane, another frequent contributor, adds “Remember, eBay does not verify a seller's claim that an item is authentic. eBay is just a venue, and does not pre-screen listings. As a buyer, you have to use your common sense — is the deal too good to be true? If it is, it's probably a good idea to look elsewhere.”

Top Buyer & Seller Questions
rainbowruth, one of the most active AC regulars, offered an extensive compendium of the most common questions that people ask in the Answer Center. While I couldn't include them all in here (maybe I'll be able to share some more in a future column) I did pick out some that are particularly relevant:

Q: Where's my positive feedback? I paid for my item within minutes of the listing ending via PayPal, but the seller has not yet left me feedback. I have emailed to ask for feedback but seller says I have to leave it first. It's not fair, I paid right away the seller should have left me feedback straight after I paid.

rainbowruth says: "Feedback is not mandatory, so no one has to leave it. Feedback is a member's unverified opinion of the overall transaction. Often when a buyer leaves feedback it signals to the seller that the customer is satisfied and the transaction is complete. The transaction is not complete for the seller at the point that you paid any more than it is complete for the buyer at the point the seller shipped. Sellers often reserve the right to wait to hear that the buyer is satisfied before leaving feedback. The feedback door swings both ways, as there are bad buyers as well as bad sellers.

"As an example, say a buyer pays quickly, but then claims upon receipt that the item is broken. The buyer then refuses to take the item to the shipping carrier for inspection to validate a claim and then demands a full refund, including shipping charges, declaring that they are going to leave a negative if this doesn't happen. Sellers need an opportunity to warn others in the Community about that buyer's behavior. If the seller had left positive feedback immediately after receiving payment they would no longer have that ability.

"On eBay everyone has 90 days to leave feedback. Both sides should communicate either via email or phone to resolve any issue prior to leaving negative feedback. But no one is entitled to positive feedback as their right."

Q: What happened to my seller? I asked a seller a question 4 days ago and they never answered, but time is running out. How do I get the seller to respond?

rainbowruth says: "If they are not answering your questions before you even place your bid, you shouldn't expect the level of their customer service to improve after they have your money. Find a better seller."

Q: Should I reveal my reserve price? I have a reserve price set on my listing, and a member emailed me to ask the reserve. Should I tell them?

rainbowruth says: "The reserve option on a listing is simply for a seller to protect their investment and not have to sell to the highest bidder unless it meets the reserve. Most good sellers will list the reserve amount within the body of the description."

Q: How can I qualify for Seller Protection on PayPal? After the buyer paid via PayPal, I sent the item, but the buyer claims they never received it and is demanding their money back. I have the receipt from the Post Office to prove I mailed it. What do I do?

rainbowruth says: "By accepting PayPal you agree to the terms and conditions as laid out in the PayPal User Agreement. To be eligible for Seller Protection you must ship within 7 days, to the address listed on the transaction details page, and with tracking. If you did not print your label online and take advantage of free Delivery Confirmation or you never purchased Delivery Confirmation at the Post Office, then you did not meet the requirements for Seller Protection. You must refund your buyer the purchase price. If you chose not to refund your buyer within the specified time limit, PayPal will allow an undisputed chargeback and will charge you another $10 fee on top of the chargeback amount."

Q: I listed an item as a regular listing. Someone emailed me and made an offer I would like to accept. How do I do accept their offer and stay within eBay policies?

rainbowruth says: "If the auction has received no bids and has more than 12 hours left to run, you can add the Buy It Now option to the listing and make the person the only Approved Bidder. However, most sellers would advise against doing that. This potential customer does not have your best interests at heart and likely feels the bidding will eventually go higher than he/she is willing to pay. Remember, most bidding activity takes place in literally the last 30 seconds of an auction. The best idea is usually to email the potential buyer, thank them for their offer and encourage them to bid. If they are so sure their price is a fair one, then they should have no concerns about losing out to a higher bid."

The Moral of the Story: Use the Answer Center
So the long and the short of it? If you have a question or a problem on eBay, remember to check out the Answer Center. It's one of the deepest wells of expertise on the site, and AC regulars have seen every problem on eBay. As pugsdiddledumbo, one of the AC regulars puts it, “Never hesitate to come here to ask about anything – we can help you find answers.”