Risks

• Losing your money.
• Wasting your time.
• Getting involved in time-consuming arguments or legal action.

What is a good seller?

Whether you are buying from an ecommerce site, someone in an auction or someone selling their goods through an intermediary like a classifieds website, a good seller is someone who:

• Offers good customer service, such as responding promptly and politely to enquiries.
• Charges a fair price and is up-front about packaging and delivery costs.
• Confirms orders promptly.
• Delivers promptly.
• Consistently does what they promise.
• Respects and protects your privacy, including a good privacy policy.
• Takes reasonable security precautions, such as a secure website.
• Provides an appropriate warranty, guarantee or returns (where appropriate).
• Provides support when something goes wrong.

What is a bad seller?

A bad seller is someone who:

• Misrepresents themselves or what they are selling.
• Doesn’t deliver what was ordered or takes too long.
• Inflates the price once the deal is done with extra shipping or other charges.
• Isn’t clear about the terms and conditions of the sale.
• Abuses your privacy.
• Provides a bad service or poor support when something goes wrong.

How to pick good sellers

In auctions or other situations where you are buying from a private seller:

• Look for a seller with a good reputation from other buyers.
• Check out the description of the item for sale – is it clear, detailed, honest?  For example, does it mention minor flaws as well as features? Does it look unique or copied straight from someone else’s catalogue?
• Ask the seller questions and see how promptly they answer.
• See if the seller is selling other items and what they are. This might indicate if the seller is consistent in their descriptions and in how they describe themselves. In particular, look for a seller who will take payment using a secure payment method which offers recourse should something go wrong.
• Will the seller accept a variety of payment methods?  This is better than someone who will only accept cash or instant cash wire transfer.
• Prefer sellers with clear returns policies and shipping charges.
• Look for other signs of trust such as regular or power sellers, who may have a reputation that they are keen to protect. Also look for sellers who have taken steps to prove their identity to the auction site or who offer a recognised dispute mediation process.
• Be more cautious with sellers who have recently changed their identity.
• It’s your money. If you get a bad vibe from a seller, just walk away.
• With overseas sellers, you may not get the same consumers' rights that you have in the UK and there may be duty and VAT payable on imports.