| eBay sales may have grown 51% last year
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| | with the material.A few of the key
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| over the previous year, but general
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| | recommendations from Paypal's Protection
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| online complaints jumped by 66.6% over
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| | for Sellers section include:Ship only to
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| the previous year to some 207,000+
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| | the address listed on the Transaction
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| complaints in 2004. The Internet Crime
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| | Details pageUse a shipping service with
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| Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership
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| | trackingCheck out the buyer's
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| between the FBI and the National White
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| | reputationAccept payment from only one
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| Collar Crime Center (NW3C), stated in its
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| | Paypal account per buyerLimit credit card
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| yearly report that 71.2% of all
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| | paymentsEnhancing Your Safe Seller
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| complaints received pertained to
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| | ImageHere are a few tips that will help
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| auctions.Online fraud is a growing
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| | improve your image as a safe seller for
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| problem on the internet and the auction
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| | your bidders.Identify Yourself - Make use
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| segment is far from immune. The IC3
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| | of the about me pages to let your
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| reports that most complaints consist of
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| | customers know who you are, how long
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| late or no shipment of products, items
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| | you've been in business and how much
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| that don't match advertised condition and
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| | their business means to you. Be
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| bogus payment or escrow services.If you
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| | honest.Feedback Ratings - Auction buyers
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| decide to offer "all items to be shipped
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| | want to see 100% positive
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| within 24 hours", make sure you keep your
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| | feedback.Methods of Payment - Make it
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| word, and go to great lengths to honestly
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| | easy for your customers to buy but
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| represent and describe the item in your
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| | consider convenience, cost and security
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| auctions. Your bidders will appreciate
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| | in choosing any payment method you
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| your honesty and it will eventually show
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| | offer.Full Disclosure - Your auction
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| up in your feedback.As consumer fears
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| | listings should clearly state the
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| increase, there are a number of common
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| | condition of the item you're auctioning,
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| sense ways to help protect you from
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| | your shipping/insurance and return
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| fraud, as well as enhance your reputation
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| | policies.Bonding programs - A number of
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| as a trustworthy seller and set you apart
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| | bonding programs are available on the
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| from the crowd.Watch Out for Bad Checks,
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| | internet. One of the more popular is
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| Money Orders and Cashiers Checks
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| | BuySafe ( In a bonding program the
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| Years ago I had a buyer who complained
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| | seller agrees to certain obligations such
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| rather loudly when I didn't ship an item
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| | as shipping on time, representing the
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| as soon as I received the check in the
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| | item correctly, and standing behind the
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| mail. In hind site it was a good
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| | transaction. In return the seller can
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| decision to hold the shipment since the
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| | display a seal on their auctions showing
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| check ended up being fraudulent. Bad
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| | bidders they are honest sellers and
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| checks, money orders, and cashiers checks
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| | providing transaction insurance in some
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| are rampant in ecommerce today. The
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| | cases up to $25,000.Other programs you
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| simplest way to offset the danger of bad
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| | should be familiar with include:IDVerify
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| paper is not to ship the auction item
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| | SquareTrade
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| until the check, money order or cashier
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| | Trust-eIf You Become a Victim of Online
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| check clears your bank for
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| | FraudYou need to know exactly what should
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| payment.OverpaymentsNever accept any
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| | be done in the event you are victimized.
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| overpayments for any item. One of the
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| | Make your plan now, before it happens.
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| more popular scams today is for a buyer
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| | The most recommended steps to take if you
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| to send a cashiers check for an amount
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| | are victimized are listed below but
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| that is higher than the agreed upon final
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| | please keep in mind these are general
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| price. They then claim it was in error
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| | recommendations and you should have you
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| and ask the seller to kindly return the
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| | own plan based on your needs.File a
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| overage when the item is shipped. Off
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| | complaint with your auction site
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| goes the item, the overage amount in good
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| | File a complaint with the Federal Trade
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| money, and the defrauded seller finds out
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| | Commission
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| too late the cashiers check was fake.Use
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| | File a complaint with the IC3
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| an Escrow Service for High Priced
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| | File a complaint with the National Fraud
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| ItemsThe primary purpose of escrow
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| | Information Center
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| services is to protect buyers and sellers
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| | Contact your local and state law
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| from fraud. Basically what they do is to
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| | enforcement agencies
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| accept the money from the buyer and hold
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| | Contact the local and state law
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| it until the buyer receives and approves
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| | enforcement agencies in the perpetrator's
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| the merchandise. Please note that fake
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| | home area
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| escrow services are increasing on the
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| | File a complaint with the shipping
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| internet. If a buyer contacts you after
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| | company you used
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| a sale and recommends an escrow service
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| | It the perpetrator is a business and a
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| you are not familiar with BEWARE. At
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| | member of the Better Business Bureau you
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| present eBay only recommends one escrow
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| | should also file a complaint
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| company: For information go to
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| | there.Further readingPaypal Seller
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| Records, RecordsKeeps a copy of every
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| | Protection Policy (go to your Paypal
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| transaction detail from the original
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| | account)FTC recommendations read the
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| auction listing to the last email. You
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| | entire 2004 IC3 Internet Fraud Report
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| will need that kind of proof to validate
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| | Important Fraud LinksFind Your Local
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| your claims if you should find you need
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| | Police
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| to file a complaint.Protect Yourself by
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| | FBI Internet Fraud Unit
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| Being EducatedAt the very least you need
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| | FTC Internet Fraud Unit
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| to be knowledgeable about your legal
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| | USPS Mail Fraud Copyright 2005 Steven
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| obligations as a seller and familiar with
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| | Woodward - All Rights ReservedSteven
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| the fraud protections and policies for
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| | Woodward is the owner, editor and
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| the auction sites and payment processing
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| | publisher of the Auction Sellers Network
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| services you use. eBay and Paypal have
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| | (ASN); a web site for individuals and
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| extensive sections on their websites
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| | companies who are serious about utilizing
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| dedicated to fraud policies and
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| | the online auction marketplace for their
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| protections. You should take the time to
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| | business. In addition to topical
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| read through these or similar information
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| | articles, ASN provides an extensive
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| pages for the sites and services you use
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| | resource center, news feeds, member
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| on a regular basis and be very familiar
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| | forums and classified ads.
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