Tools for Dealing with Fraud
Your last resort to get your money back.
eBay provides two tools to help buyers deal with suspected fraud by sellers, mostly to the end of retrieving any money sent. These should be used only as a last resort, if diplomatic efforts fail and if the buyer didnât use a payment method with built-in protection (see [Hack #29]). These tools can also be used by sellers who suspect fraud by buyers.
The first tool is the Fraud Alert form (http://crs.ebay.com/aw-cgi/ebayisapi.dll?crsstartpage), which is little more than a moderated discussion between buyer and seller. The two parties air their complaints in a private forum on eBayâs site and, in some cases, resolve the dispute themselves; the prying eyes of the typically silent eBay moderator act as a stern parent separating two kids in the back seat.
If you wish to pursue a fraud investigation, you can also file a report with SquareTrade (http://www.squaretrade.com). SquareTrade is a separate company, but has a partnership with eBay and offers dispute resolution services at no charge. (See [Hack #6] for another service provided by SquareTrade.)
Warning
Note that eBayâs buyer and seller protection services are available only to participants in officially completed auctions. This means that if you werenât the high bidder in an auction or if the reserve wasnât met, you wonât have access to these services.
Sleuthing Tools at Your Disposal
An eBay user who knowingly commits fraud will undoubtedly take steps ...
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