Precautions when Buying Jewellery On eBay

I saw a great segment on 20/20 the other night that talked about buying Jewellery on eBay.  So I thought I’d recap ways to keep you safe when buying jewellery online and add a few of my own.

1. Wholesale Prices: This is the major thing that should set off some bells and whistles, if you see some high-end jewellery for rock-bottom prices, it’s most likely not authentic. Places like Tiffany’s and Rolex do not sell Wholesale, ever.
2. Appraisal Value: Ignore the appraisal value listed in the add, these are usually upped by anywhere from 100% to 300% to increase interest in the item.
3. Research: Do your research on the piece of jewellery you’re going to buy and try and find out what it’s really worth.
4. Get it Appraised: Get your jewellery professionally appraised once you receive it, if it’s not authentic, send it back.
5. Refund Policy: Make sure the seller has a refund policy.  That way you can send it back if it isn’t what you expected.
6. Pay with Paypal: Paying with Paypal makes it easier for you to receive a refund for a defective item.
7. Pictures don’t tell the whole story: Pictures, especially of jewellery, are very hard to read.  You can’t really tell what the jewellery looks like, or if the seller has used tricks to make it look shinier or more expensive.
8. Feedback: Feedback isn’t the best indicator of whether or not the seller is legit.  It’s better to ask a few questions about the item when you’re purchasing high end items, it helps you determine if the account has been hijacked.
9. Send it Back: If you receive the item and it isn’t what was listed, contact the seller and complain.  Make sure you are guaranteed a refund before you send anything back.

I hope this guide has been helpful to you.  It’s not meant to scare you away from buying jewellery on eBay, most sellers are 100% legit, and incredible people.  This guide is just meant to help you stay safe when buying, and to help you if you feel you’ve been ripped off.

If you’ve enjoyed this guide please remember to vote.

Thank you,

Randall

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