Fraud is soaring on second-hand marketplaces
Which? published research today (09 May 2024) that showed a third of buyers surveyed have experienced a scam in the two years up to January 2024. What does this mean for consumers and how can we protect ourselves when buying and selling online?
A Which? survey of more than 1,000 second-hand marketplace buyers and 1,000 second-hand marketplace sellers revealed that a third of buyers (32%) and a fifth (22%) of sellers told Which? they had experienced a scam on a second-hand marketplace in the two year period.
Typically, buyers who had experienced a scam reported receiving incorrect goods (15%) or no goods at all (15%). Others said they had received an empty package (11%) or counterfeit goods (10%). “
16 tips for safely buying from private sellers on Internet market places
With shopping secondhand becoming more popular, there is a corresponding increase in scams. Helen Dewdney, The Complaining Cow, a consumer champion, provides some tips on your rights and how to protect yourself.
1) If you buy from a business seller, you have the same rights as buying from any other online retailer. So, under The Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be of satisfactory quality, free from defects, match the description and last a reasonable length of time. If not, you are entitled to a full refund within 30 days from purchase and a repair or replacement after that time.
2) If the seller is an individual and not a business, the item only has to match the description.
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3) Do your research on items:
I. Check that the item is not counterfeit, research what to look for in replicas and make sure it is not subject to a recall or safety notice.
II. Check what parts should come with an item and that they are all there when you receive the item.
4) Never give out any personal information beyond what is necessary to make the delivery.
5) Research the person. Look at their profile and see how long they have been on Facebook. Have they just set up the account for selling? Look at how many friends they have and whether some or all are in the local area. Look in the group for other mentions of the seller’s name and the products they have sold.
6) Explore other sites which sell second hand items for the prices of the same product. Normally you would find similarities.
7) Check anything before you buy, if possible, especially if buying from a private seller. Remember “Caveat emptor”, the Latin for “Buyer beware”.
8) Take a screenshot of the item which may help as evidence in case of future queries.
9) Remember the old adage: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! People have been known to unwittingly purchase stolen goods (which you have no right to keep).
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10) Avoid paying in advance. The risk with buying from sellers on marketplaces is that you will not receive the item and the person will ghost or block you. If you do make a payment, do not use PayPal “friends and family” as you then will not have the PayPal “Buyer Protection”. Facebook cannot help, as they do not assist when any form of payment is involved.
Completing a credit card transaction through a third-party payment service means that the credit card provider and the seller are no longer in a direct relationship, so are not equally liable. This applies therefore to services such as PayPal, Amazon Marketplace, Worldpay and Google Checkout. So, you don’t have any credit card cover if you use these kind of services.
If you use PayPal, make a note in the transaction about what you are buying, which you can then use as evidence if things go wrong.
11) Remember, in reality, it will be very difficult to solve issues with a private seller on marketplaces. If you know the details, you could consider taking them to the Small Claims Court but you will want to avoid this
12) With eBay if there is an issue, such as not receiving the item, or it not being as described, open a case through eBay.
13) If the seller refuses to meet in person, this should raise suspicion.
14) Frequently, scammers will apply pressure tactics to make you part with your money quickly. They might tell you that you have to buy now or they have lots of interested people.
15) If you are a seller and a buyer wants to give you the full asking price and says that they want the item urgently but will pay the full price if you pay for the courier then it’s highly likely to be a scam. They will send you a fake confirmation email of payment and request to you is made for pay the courier fee. You do so and never heard from the person again.
16) Don’t be afraid to just walk away if something doesn’t feel right.
You can report scams to the platforms but they are unlikely to take action.
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Related help for buying and selling online
Buying and selling online? – Know your obligations and rights
Consumer Champion and Cyber Security expert provide advice on avoiding online fraud I joined forces with James Bore from cyber security firm Bores Consultancy to provide some tips on what to look out for to stay safe shopping online.
Watch out for scam texts and emails!
How to tell scam courier texts and emails
