Avoiding fake buyers : eBay Guides

I have listed and sold many items on eBay. In the past I have been screwed over by and lost money from fake buyers.

What is a fake buyer?
A fake buyer is someone who bids or purchases your listed item and request you to ship it to a suspicious international country, usually Nigeria. They will usually bid extremely high on an item and insist on offering an extra large amount to cover for shipping. They will send you a fake e-mail that may appear to be a Paypal receipt. Do not respond to any of this. Instead report it to eBay.

Now, if you have been scammed before you know that this totally ruins your day as you wasted time and money, especially if you used a big upgrade like featured plus. Trust me it happened to me.

How to avoid these fake buyers:
The best way I found to list something like an iPhone or whatever the newest electronic gadget is to set the listing to a "Buy it Now" listing. When you set your "Buy it Now" set it at something you would be happy to sell it for, but not extremely high the mark-up value that no one will bother to look at it. You may also want to add a "Best Offer" feature. But still be weary with users with 0 or private feedback who make offers.

!!!!!!!!!!!THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!!!!!!!!!!
When listing your "Buy it Now" auction be sure that the only payment method is Paypal and require immediate payment. This way, if a fake buyer tries to buy your item they can not unless they actually pay for it. Also, if a buyer decides to make an offer you can judge them before accepting.

I found this method very useful. When the iPhone craze going on and I was seeing a lot of auctions getting ruined due to these fake buyers. Using this method I was able to sell three iPhones for $1,199.99 each, the transactions were completed and I got paid.

I know this guide will be helpful to anyone selling any fancy electronics or gadgets. Please vote "YES" if this will help you.