How to Avoid Being Scammed when buying a PS3 or Wii

This is part 1 of 2 guides I am writing on the upcoming PS3 and Wii releases.  Check my other reviews to see How to get the best price on a PLaystation 3 or Nintendo Wii

As you know by now, the next generation of video games is being released this year and is sure to be in short supply and high demand.  If you are reading this, you probably cannot find the systems anywhere else and have come to ebay to fill this years “must have” item.  This year, Ebay has vowed to protect the buyer from unscrupulous sellers and con artist.  Even so, there is always the chance that some con artist may slip through and defraud buyers and bring disappointment to the special person on your list.

Thankfully, ebay has many tools at your disposal to be sure you are getting what you paid for.  Before you buy that game system, take a few minutes to read this step-by-step guide and get fully protected.

Step One:  Read the Entire Listing

Believe it or not, last year during the Xbox 360 launch there were people who paid outrageous amounts of money for such items as an empty 360 box, xbox360 email and xbox 360 t-shirts.  The first thing to do is read the entire auction, including all the small print.  If the auction appears to be a scam, use the ebay Contact Ebay feature to report the auction.   You will need the ebay auction number which is located at the top right of the auction when you file the report.

 

Step Two: Consider Buying Locally

Using ebay’s Advanced Search options, you can locate a seller within 10 miles of your zip code.   Under Location, you can choose 10, 25, 50 or more miles from your zip code.  Before you bid, ask the seller if you can pick up the item or suggest meeting at a central location to get it.  This allows you to inspect the item thoroughly before you purchase it.

 

Step Three: Know Where the Seller Lives

On ebay auctions, there is a line for Item Location.  You may not know this, but this information can be filled in at the time of the auction.  So, I could sell an item from Anchorage, AK and put Item Location: New York, NY if I wanted.  There is a better way to find out where the buyer is located.  Click here to use ebay's Find a Member feature
 If the seller is oversees or is misrepresenting his location, you may want to consider buying from someone else.

 

Step Four: Check the Seller’s History. (More than feedback)

Ok, so you find a seller that has a 100% feedback rating and an 87 feedback score.  That seems good right?  Probably.  Just to be sure, I always carefully check what the seller has been buying/selling.  Click on the sellers user name and you will see the last auctions that feedback where left.  Click on these and make sure they are not auctions for the purpose of getting positive feedback.  Suppose the above seller has bought 87 ebooks and email addresses for $0.10 each?  He has spent $8.70 to receive some excellent feedback.  This sort of activity makes me very leery.  You can also do a 30 day advanced search of what the seller has been doing by using the ebay Find Items by Seller or Find Items by Bidder :   On the left hand side of the page, you can search Items by Seller and Items by Bidder to see exactly what the member has been doing.

 

Step Five: Contact the Seller

Use the Ask Seller a question link located on the auction page under Meet the Seller.  Perhaps something as simple as “Hi there, I am rather new to ebay and may be bidding on your PS3 auction soon.  I just wanted to confirm that this auction is for one PS3 in its original box and the two games that you have listed.  I also wanted to confirm that you will be shipping it via UPS and you will insure it.  Thanks for taking the time to respond.”

 

Step Six: Pay by Paypal

Paypal is the most secure form of payment you can make.  If you have followed the above steps and something goes wrong, you will protected by paypal.  Best of all, its free for buyers!  All of the paypal fees are paid by the seller!

 
I hope the guide has helped give you piece of mind about buying a Playstion 3 or Nintendo Wii!  With a little homework, buying items on ebay is as safe and secure as buying items from your local superstore.  Merry Christmas!

Please recommend this guide if you found it useful!