Take Advantage of Paypal’s Buyer Protection Plan

First, always pay with Paypal (and NEVER pay by wire transfer or Western Union). eBay owns Paypal, and in order to encourage buyers to pay with Paypal, offers buyers who pay with Paypal up to $2,000 in protection for eligible merchandise purchased on eBay. The Buyer Protection Plan covers you if the merchandise arrives damaged, if you have been the victim of fraud, or if the item is significantly “not as described”. There are certain restrictions, the buyer protection plan only covers physical items, it does not include services or digital items such as ebooks, and there are rules about how soon you have to make a claim (see Paypal’s Buyer Protection Program, but its an excellent way to provide yourself with extra protection. Just yesterday, a coworker told me how he recently purchased a “Louis Vuitton” bag on eBay. He was suspicious it might be fake, but since he had Buyer Protection, he went ahead and purchased it. He was even more suspicious when he received it, checked it out, it was counterfeit, and he filed a claim. eBay refunded his money and terminated the seller’s account. The system worked!

Paying for your eBay purchases with Paypal, even when an eBay seller accepts credit cards or personal checks, offers you an additional layer of protection. I sell on eBay, I accept Paypal, and I have absolutely no access to the buyer’s financial information. I don’t see the credit card number, I don’t even know if they used a credit card or an existing paypal balance to pay for the purchase. Paypal takes your payment out of your credit or debit card, or from your checking account, and deposits the payment into my paypal account, and all your financial information stays between you and Paypal.

Sellers Often Tell You Who They Are in Their Listings

The next thing you need to do is read the entire auction description, and check the seller’s feedback. Often, sellers tell you who they are in their listings, if you pay attention. Here’s exactly how *I* evaluate a seller’s auction listing. If a listing states “item sold as is”, I never bid, that’s an excuse not to give a refund if you find something objectionable. Its rare, but if the seller is rude or belligerent in their auction listing, I pass it by. If I ask a question of the seller, and they don’t answer courteously and politely, but tell you “its in the auction”, I look for another vendor. If a seller doesn’t behave well before you make a purchase, how will they treat you afterward? Does the seller expend more effort in their listing telling you what they will and won’t do, rather than telling you about the item they are selling? If an eBay seller spends two thirds of their listing telling you what they will or won’t do, how fast you have to pay, but they only ship once a week, pass them by. There are plenty of sellers who will be happy for your business, don’t reward someone who doesn’t really want your business enough to be polite, courteous and helpful towards you.