To be fair, I am not stating that eBay is a rip off - far from it. There are many reputable sellers on this site. Overall, most people are honest and they try to do the right thing. That said there is fraud on eBay and by unscrupulous businesses who wrongfully claim to be eBay business partners. How to avoid fraud while working from home on eBay is a very important topic to discuss.
Take a look at eBay. All of those wonderful products for sale and many are at unbelievable prices. Here is the key if that designer bag is priced so low that it is too good to be true – it probably is a fake. Does the seller know if it is fake: maybe? Here are some tips to keep you from unknowingly selling fake merchandise.
First, know you vendors. Where did you get the merchandise from? Are they reputable? Do not rely on longevity as a sign of selling reputable merchandise. There are deals to be had, however, when you get into higher end merchandise or rare antiques and collectibles be very careful. In North Carolina, a local flea market had a vendor who was there week in and week out, selling designer bags and shoes at insanely low prices. These looked exactly like the designer bags should. All of the correct marks appeared to be there. There were many people who bought from them and resold these bags on eBay and at other online venues as well. Unfortunately, these items were counterfeit and the flea market was raided. 11 people were arrested. Buyer beware!
Another scam you can run into is a company offering drop ship services. Some of these vendors claim to be eBay certified. FYI – eBay does not certify resellers. They might have agreements with some, but most of those involve PowerSellers. How can you tell if a drop shipping company is legitimate? Take a look at their website. Do you need to supply a credit card in order to get pricing? Do they offer a "special deal" to set up your eBay business for a yearly fee? Is there a customer service number posted on the website? Do they answer it – call them and find out. If you need to provide a credit card or other payment information in order to get pricing information – run don't walk to another vendor. A legitimate vendor may ask you for a tax Id number or sales tax resale number, but they should not require you to provide a credit card to get pricing. What special deal are they offering? You can set up your own eBay business for free, why do you need to pay them? Do you have to sign up for this plan in order to get drop shipping? That sounds kind of shady to me.
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The best way to check on a potential vendor is not the Better Business Bureau. Instead, check with the State Attorney General's Office in your state and in the state where the company claims to be located in. There is no fee to inquire. You will get an answer right away. Another place to check is to see if the company is incorporated. Check with their state's Department of Treasury. You should be able to tell if the company is in compliance with state laws and reporting procedures. If they are not, choose someone else.
Overall, you just need to exert a little caution when figuring out how to avoid fraud while working from home on eBay. Make sure you know what you are buying and selling. Check out all vendors carefully. This way you can rest assured that the bargains you get are genuine.