How to avoid being scammed?

Once you get payment and secure it, you wouldn't really care.

If you're not powerseller you should secure your funds immediately so paypal/ebay wouldn't hold them in favor of buyer.

He may try to get a refund or cancel payment under dissatisfaction and than no item and no money. Verify that your funds or items will be secure and undamaged with paypal and ebay customer service.

There are different ways to research fake companies: 1st if they're legit to do a business in US, but that shouldn't limit them to purchase ebay items; 2nd is to Google-Earth the physical location. It's being updated every 4min and you can always see what's around. If you smell 'fried chicken' than just walk away. "Thanks, but I don't ship internationally". I would exersise the same caution with any foreign country as well.

Offering to pay full price is a red flag, IMO. Get all the $$ up front, don't give out any personal info.

asking for bank transfer is revealing a bank account. explain that you only have cash card.

A bank transfer is totally safe, billions of dollars are moved each day that way.. Once the funds apear in your account, withdraw them...

-RW-

Marakanetz, That's true it is revealing bank account but so is every check you use to pay for anything, since it is printed on it. In addition bank would never transfer money from your account without authorization but if they do you are off the hook - not your responsibility. What about asking to send personal check. When check clears money is yours - am I missing something?

I've dealt with those in Asia, in the past. Always felt Western Union was the safest/easiest/fastest: ( http://www.westernunion.tw/en/location_search.php ) As you can see; they have a number of sites in Taiwan. The buyer would have no excuse not to use them.

Just say no to any international transaction unless the person arranges for personal pickup with a dollar cash payment at that time.

Another royal PIA is if it's over $2500 US $ you must do an SED (Shippers export delaration). If its not done correctly the product is held up somewhere until it is straightend out. We avoid this at work by only shipping to a freight forwarder here in the USA and let them figure it out. Good luck- JD

I won't do foreign transactions, just not worth the potential aggravation.

I'd be very hesitant about a zero feedback, overseas sale, esp. with an immediate offer to "buy everything" full price. Lots of potential for headache here. In general, I try to chat by phone before committing to any significant transaction; if that's not possible, I'd pass.

John

I routinely put in both my fee-bay, & A'gon listings: SHIPPING WITHIN USA ONLY. And I've done probably 1000 selling transactions by now on fee-bay, so I'm not a Newbie, but I don't want to do it.

Also, did you offer international shipping in your fee-bay listing? There are settings to turn that off. And there's a ton to learn about international shipping, it's different country by country in some cases.

Then there's the "no feedback" issue, that alone puts up red flags to a lot of sellers.....

I have sold a few times to overseas buyers. Try to avoid it if I can but a sale's a sale. The problem I had was undercharging for shipping as asking for an additional $20-30 hardly seems worth it after the item shipped.
If the buyer is an ebay member I would insist on paypal payment and increase the shipping charge. You can easily refund the extra.

Bank wire transfer is BY FAR the safest option for you. Checks can bounce as long as six months after they were supposedly 'cleared', and PayPal transfer can be easily reversed.

I never use PayPal on any of my sales above $1000, and I strongly recommend everyone to do so.

Once the payment clears, why would you care?

Skip it . the risk is not worth it . no shipping carriers will be able to give delivery confirmation. Which is helpful in a paypal claim against you .

As other's have suggested, accept bank wire transfer only, totally the safest way to sell internationally.

Bank wire transfer.