Protect Yourself Against Ebay Scams

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Protect Yourself Against eBay Scams

The following article is one of a series of articles which focus on Affiliate, Article and Internet Marketing. All of the articles are based on real experiences and research done over twenty years as a personal and business coach. They are also written in response to questions which I have been asked as well as address common challenges that people have with affiliate marketing, article marketing, internet marketing or running an online business in general. I sincerely hope that you find the following information of value. One idea, one tip, one clue can make all the difference.

Are You An eBay Seller?

If you have been conducting your business in this hugely popular online auction site, then chances are, you would have experienced some fraudulent activities against your enterprise, or at the very least, suspected something. Scam artists are everywhere, it seems, and the sheer anonymity provided by the Internet makes the virtual world a paradise for all sorts of unscrupulous characters.

Condemning them and their deceit is one thing. However, you do need to act proactively on the real financial dangers of getting scammed. You have take some precautionary steps and adjust the way you operate your online business to minimize, if not completely eliminate, the risks that these scam artists present.

Let's review the more common of these eBay scams and look at ways by which you could avoid them.

Bid shielding. Bid shielding greatly compromises the profit you could derive from your auctions. Bid shielding occurs when a bidder uses two eBay accounts. One account would bid a low price for your auction. The other account would bid a very high price for the same, thus dissuading other people from competing for the same item. When the bidding period nears its end, the second account would withdraw his bid, leaving the first account to win the item at a very low price. Bid shielding gravely jeopardizes the integrity of eBay itself. This is why Ebay promptly acts on any reports about possible occurrences of this scam.

Pinpointing possible bid shielding is quite easy. If the current bid is grossly higher than the most recent bid, then bid shielding is probably in operation. Report it immediately to eBay, so that they could conduct an investigation while the auction is ongoing. Additionally, add a disclaimer on your auction, allowing you to cancel any winning bid whenever bid shielding is apparent.

Bad checks. If you will take checks as payment for your auction, then you will have to live with the danger of encountering checks that would eventually bounce because of lack of funds. The solution to this scam is simpler than the rest. Do not ship your items until the checks you received have cleared. It's the most prudent course to take. Add a notice in your auction that payments made through checks would have to clear before the items can be delivered. This would serve as due warning for your bidders that they would have to wait longer for the auctions they have won. By protecting yourself, you are indirectly protecting them.

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Affiliate, Article and Internet Marketing in general isn't as easy as many would have us believe. I fully understand (through my own experiences) that it is a lot easier said than done. However, you are here, right now, because you have a desire to improve your business, grow your business, and be more successful. These articles are here with the sole intention of helping you to make the whole process a lot easier.
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Stolen payment information. Credit card fraud is rampant these days, what with new hacking technology and the abundance of spyware all over the internet. A winning bidder may pay you through a credit card which is not his. He'll ask you to ship the item to a P.O. box. Once the item is delivered, he'll then close the P.O. box address to cover his tracks. And you're left with no means to retrieve what you have lost.

The best way to protect yourself against credit card fraud is to require payment from confirmed addresses only. Since PayPal accepts credit card payments, you could easily inquire from the service if a payee has entered a verifiable address. You have the option to cancel the bid of someone who's not paying with a confirmed address.

Drop shipping scams. There is no denying the popularity of drop shippers in the eBay business. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, wants to contact a drop shipper to increase their eBay offerings, sales and profit. Some "enterprising" individuals have started to offer a list of drop shippers in eBay itself, as an auction item.

eBay warned against these lists. 99% of them, according to eBay, would be filled with junk details like broken links, outdated information, and even fabricated entities. The solution? Do not purchase these lists. Look for your own drop shipper. Finding one only entails a little research of your own.

For many of us, eBay offers great income streams, residual or otherwise. We must make every effort to protect the opportunity we have been given by being vigilant against eBay scams and combating them through the implementation of precautionary measures for every auction.

NOW is the time!

O.K. you have read the article. Now is the time for action. Without action, this article adds no value whatsoever to your online success. But remember, without action, you cannot blame this online marketing article or any article for that matter. So, take action NOW.

Even if only one piece of advice, one piece of information, one tip makes a difference, then the whole article has been worth it for all of us.

NOW is the time!

Be Happy, Be Successful, and above all, Be Kind