Ebay, Feedback And Scams

The ebay feedback system is something to pay close attention to online when buying or selling, but not something to bank on 100%.

There are ways to artificially inflate and deflate those all important numbers and even an eBay underground whose members trade positive feedback for an investment of less than a dollar.

I personally recall a number of auctions selling just feedback. You pay $1 and the seller leaves the message you want. If this isnt enough of a red flag check out this auction

Ebay auction selling a feddback inflator

not sure the scam but fake feedback is nothing new.

"There are definitely ways of manipulating the system," says David Fairley, owner of scams.flipshark.com, a watchdog site for scams on eBay and other sites. "Never assume that someone is trustworthy because they have good feedback."

Fairley cites several ways that eBayers can artificially boost their ratings. Users can set up dozens of accounts on eBay, purchase multiple items, and leave themselves glowing feedback. It's also possible to take control of another seller's eBay account by prying the login name and password from unwary victims.

But the most common scam involves buying e-books and other inexpensive downloadable items like screensavers in exchange for positive feedback from both the buyer and the seller.

"It's basically a situation where you have to remember caveat emptor, let the buyer beware," he says. "If someone has only bought a bunch of stuff for 99 cents a piece, that's definitely a red flag."

It is a common misconception that eBay sellers are trying to rip off buyers. There are a few markets to be very wary in, such as laptops or digital cameras. These markets are high ticket easy to mail and fake items that are often a seller scam if you are not careful.

But the truth on ebay is that buyers are the ones generally trying to get a free ride. It is sellers that have less protection, and it is sellers that more often lose their shirt.

In the laptop market you will see the message "no international bidders!, this is due to the many buyers paypaling and reversing the money back to themselves. Paypal will not help the seller in most situations in international sales.

The truth is eBay is not innocent either. eBay's flawed feedback system does not allow for retraction of a negative feedback. Even when eBay themselves closes a users account sue to fraud, the feedback that fraudulent user left stays behind.

The one way to get it removed? Pay for a "squaretrade" consultant ($20) to negotiate and rmove the feedback. Gues who owns Squaretrade and gets that money? eBay.

They sell you the broken system, then they sell you the cure.