I've been selling on ebay for a while, and for the first time have something expensive selling now.
I've been approached by someone in Europe to purchase the item (it is US only) with the suggestion that I ship to a US address. I also have the current high bidder as someone who just joined ebay on Feb 15 and has zero feedback.
What are common tricks that someone may try in order to take advantage of the system?
One of the most common red flags is that the buyer wants to sent you the money via your PayPal email address. Normally as the seller, you send the buyer an email invoice or the purchase is processed through your web page or site.
Next common red flag, the buyer wants the item delivered to another country and recommends a specific shipping service for you to use
Another red flag, buyer offers to pay more than you're asking or is requesting shipment ASAP to an unconfirmed address or another state or country.
Beware when the seller wants you to send him the money for a purchase but you are asked to send the money as a "Gift". This means that the seller is trying to avoid paying the transaction fees and also makes it hard for you to prove you actually purchased an item.
You can protect yourself in several ways: Do not sell to non-US PayPal Accounts. Require a "Confirmed Address" meaning that the shipping and billing address must be the same. Opt to not accept eChecks.
These are all options you can enable from within your PayPal Account Profile.
