Make your buying experience a good one

Consumer-to-consumer marketplaces are a heaven for shoppers looking for bargains and hard to find items. Most of them enjoy a smooth and trouble-free shopping experience. However, you as a buyer have to keep in mind that there are dishonest people out there. You have to protect yourself. If you follow the guidelines outlined here, you should have no problems.

Buyers especially should be extra cautious when finalising a transaction, as it is usually buyers who will be requested to deposit or send monies to the seller. Always bear in mind that if a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is - not true! Here are a few tips that should improve the chances that your online auction experience will be a good one:

1. Keep your password a secret and never give it to anyone.

2. Study the listing. Read the item description carefully to check the condition, age and size of the item. Read the conditions stated for payment and delivery.

3. Ask questions. If the seller does not answer your questions, regards this as a warning flag.

4. Check the price of the buy-now items. Is it a bargain - or is it unrealistically low? The latter may point to an intention to defraud buyers.

5. Beware of deals that look too good to be true.

6. Check the seller's rating score. Are there many negatives? Read the feedback from other buyers.

7. How long has the seller been a member of the site? Is this a new seller selling a high priced item from day one? If yes, be extra cautious.

8. Is the seller trying to persuade you to finalise the deal off the site? Be wary of sellers who attempt to bypass the processes established on the site by providing contact details in their listings.

9. Check to see whether the seller offers warranties and guarantees? They basically ensure peace of mind while shopping.

10. What are the shipping costs? Make sure that the delivery charges are reasonable before you place your bid.

11. Use a credit card. When a consumer uses a credit card, the bank that issued the card acts as an intermediary if there is a problem with the transaction, and allows the consumer to charge back an unauthorized or erroneous charge.

12. Get the name and contact information of the seller after the deal. If you have won a bid, contact the seller to ensure that they are legitimate. The name, physical street address, email address, and phone number are helpful to have for checking the seller out and following up later if there is a problem. Do not do business with anyone who refuses to provide that information.

13. Keep proof of payment, as well as the correspondence relevant to the purchases you make.

14. Try mediation to resolve disputes. Not all problems are due to fraud. Sometimes people simply fail to hold up their side of the bargain in a timely manner. At other times, there may be simply a misunderstanding about something.

15. Inform the site management immediately about suspected fraud.

Although a great majority of transactions on consumer-to-consumer sites ends successfully, a smart shopper will always be careful. Make sure that you are comfortable that the seller is legitimate, that the seller's ratings are good, that the shipping charges are reasonable and that the item's description is a true reflection of what you are buying before making payment.

Article Source: http://www.webmarketingiq.com

bidorbuy is South Africa's largest online marketplace where people can buy and sell goods in auction format or at fixed prices. Contact details: bidorbuy Marketing Department, email promotion@bidorbuy.co.za, web site: www.bidorbuy.co.za

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