( 
)This is just some simple tips about safety from a successful former seller of virtual items on eBay. It's primarily for buyers, but a lot of the information can also help new sellers as well. Questions and comments are welcome; just use the eBay system to send me a message.
First and formost, I need to make it absoluetly clear that eBay and PayPal policies do not protect the buyer of a virtual, or 'intangible' item. Neither eBay nor PayPal will reimburse you the money you paid for gold, an account, etc. that you did not recieve.
Secondly, I need to make it clear that most game companies will not be able to assist you with any transaction that occurred out of their game. Many companies also prohibit these types of transactions. Regardless of what the seller says, I would strongly recommend reading the games TOS, EULA, and support site before buying an account, gold, or any other virtual item. If you are buying an account check and see if the company offers any type of account transfer, and what conditions and restrictions apply. It is possible, in many cases, for the seller to lie to the games support and say their acount was "hacked" and retrieve it after you have paid for it, even if you have the user name, password, and the answer to any 'secret question'. Many sellers will honestly tell you that the sale of virtual items is against the games TOS. Ignore any verbiage in the sellers listing about how you are not buying the item, but merely their time in obtaining it.
Next, who should you buy from? Obviously, trust is crucial here, since you have very limited protection from eBay and the game company. In addition to checking the sellers feedback, also check what items they have previously sold, and what other items they have listed.
Red flags:
* sellers who has a lot of good feedback selling potted flowers (or something else totally unrelated to what they are now selling), and suddenly have 100 auctions for WoW gold and accounts. Maybe they decided to suddenly sell something new- and maybe its an old lady whose eBay account was recently hacked.
* sellers who do not accept any payment method that allows you to pay with a credit card.
* sellers that have been an eBay member for less than 30 days, have a feedback rating of 0, or only have feedback from people with a rating of 1 or 0.
* sellers that lie to potential buyers in their listings, usually by misrepresenting the policies of the game, or eBay/PayPal policies.
* any seller that tells you they obtained the account by hacking, states they are not the original owner of the account, or has more accounts for sale than 1 person should.
* sellers that have lots of great feedback as a buyer, and litle or none as a seller.
* any seller that offers you a better deal if you complete the sale outside of the eBay website AND wants you to use an 'unsafe' payment method, such as Western Union.
Before Bidding, or pressing 'Buy It Now' you should be able to answer all the following questions:
* What server is this item available on?
* Is this transaction honored or protected in any way by the game I play? Is this transaction prohibited by the game I play, and if so what risks do I take by involving myself in this transaction?
* When is payment expected, what payment methods does this seller accept, and are there any certain payment restrictions (must have confirmed address for PayPal, etc)
* When can I expect delivery?
* Are there any axtra fees?
* Do I live in a country this seller accepts payments from? Are there any buyer requirements listed in the auction?
* Do I have any questions that have not been answered by this seller or their listing?
Please note that you can retract your bid only in certain conditions, and that your bid retractions can be seen by other eBay members on your profile. Also, keep in mind that you are entering a contract to pay for the item if you 'buy it now' or are the highest bidder. Backing out of the deal after the fact because you neglected to read the listing, ask the seller any questions, etc. will not go over well with either your seller or with eBay.
How to pay?
I recommend using any payment method that allows you to pay with a credit card. Credit Cards have more protection than almost any other payment method. Bidpay and PayPal are 2 examples. Again, PayPal is not a 100% safe way to buy or sell gold, accounts, or any other "virtual" item. Neither PayPal Buyer Protection nor PayPal Seller Protection apply to any items that are 'virtual' or 'intangible'. Ignore the 'this item is covered up to $1,000' on the auction page...eBay inserts that, not the seller, and it does not apply to anything that cannot be shipped in the mail with confirmed delivery. If you paid using a credit card you do have the right to dispute the transaction with your credit card company, however, you will have to dispute the transaction with PayPal first...since neither the buyer nor the seller is protected in disputes involving 'virtual' items, what PayPal will do is not predictable. Any online payment system that allows you to pay with a credit card is probably your safest bet- not flawless, but safer than anything else.
If the seller advertises in their listing that they accept PayPal, BidPay, or another 'safe' method and after you win the auction they tell you they can't accept that method and you have to send them a check wire them the money, etc DO NOT COMPLETE THE TRANSACTION. You are not obligated to pay in this scenario, and sellers cannot pressure you to use a different payment method than what they advertised. They do have the right to refuse your payment if you are not a 'verified' PayPal member, or do not have a 'confirmed' shipping address...sellers that do that usually say so in the listing...and by bidding you are agreeing to the listed terms, including payments, so read and ask any questions BEFORE bidding.
When should you expect the item?
Depends. Some sellers make a living selling gold, and will deliver within minutes. Some work a 'real' job and will only be available to deliver at certain times. I recommend telling them, at the time you pay, how they can reach you... and your in-game information, such as server, character name, etc. If you are buying an account that costs a lot of money, the seller may choose to send you the game discs and the accound information via snail mail with confirmed delivery? Why? Because that way they can prove the item was delivered in the event of any dispute.
If you have not yet heard anything within 3 days of your payment contact the seller. Keep in mind that the seller will likely contact you on the email associated with your PayPal account, so be sure you check it! Include a good address to reply to in all correspondence. Do not leave more than 1 message a day. *NEVER* leave negative feedback until you have waited at least 30 days from the date you made payment, filed an 'item not recieved' complaint on eBay, and allowed 10 days for the seller to respond to the 'item not recieved' complaint. *NEVER* threaten to leave negative feedback if they don't change the terms of the sale.
That's all for now. Please let me know if you have questions or feedback.
First and formost, I need to make it absoluetly clear that eBay and PayPal policies do not protect the buyer of a virtual, or 'intangible' item. Neither eBay nor PayPal will reimburse you the money you paid for gold, an account, etc. that you did not recieve.
Secondly, I need to make it clear that most game companies will not be able to assist you with any transaction that occurred out of their game. Many companies also prohibit these types of transactions. Regardless of what the seller says, I would strongly recommend reading the games TOS, EULA, and support site before buying an account, gold, or any other virtual item. If you are buying an account check and see if the company offers any type of account transfer, and what conditions and restrictions apply. It is possible, in many cases, for the seller to lie to the games support and say their acount was "hacked" and retrieve it after you have paid for it, even if you have the user name, password, and the answer to any 'secret question'. Many sellers will honestly tell you that the sale of virtual items is against the games TOS. Ignore any verbiage in the sellers listing about how you are not buying the item, but merely their time in obtaining it.
Next, who should you buy from? Obviously, trust is crucial here, since you have very limited protection from eBay and the game company. In addition to checking the sellers feedback, also check what items they have previously sold, and what other items they have listed.
Red flags:
* sellers who has a lot of good feedback selling potted flowers (or something else totally unrelated to what they are now selling), and suddenly have 100 auctions for WoW gold and accounts. Maybe they decided to suddenly sell something new- and maybe its an old lady whose eBay account was recently hacked.
* sellers who do not accept any payment method that allows you to pay with a credit card.
* sellers that have been an eBay member for less than 30 days, have a feedback rating of 0, or only have feedback from people with a rating of 1 or 0.
* sellers that lie to potential buyers in their listings, usually by misrepresenting the policies of the game, or eBay/PayPal policies.
* any seller that tells you they obtained the account by hacking, states they are not the original owner of the account, or has more accounts for sale than 1 person should.
* sellers that have lots of great feedback as a buyer, and litle or none as a seller.
* any seller that offers you a better deal if you complete the sale outside of the eBay website AND wants you to use an 'unsafe' payment method, such as Western Union.
Before Bidding, or pressing 'Buy It Now' you should be able to answer all the following questions:
* What server is this item available on?
* Is this transaction honored or protected in any way by the game I play? Is this transaction prohibited by the game I play, and if so what risks do I take by involving myself in this transaction?
* When is payment expected, what payment methods does this seller accept, and are there any certain payment restrictions (must have confirmed address for PayPal, etc)
* When can I expect delivery?
* Are there any axtra fees?
* Do I live in a country this seller accepts payments from? Are there any buyer requirements listed in the auction?
* Do I have any questions that have not been answered by this seller or their listing?
Please note that you can retract your bid only in certain conditions, and that your bid retractions can be seen by other eBay members on your profile. Also, keep in mind that you are entering a contract to pay for the item if you 'buy it now' or are the highest bidder. Backing out of the deal after the fact because you neglected to read the listing, ask the seller any questions, etc. will not go over well with either your seller or with eBay.
How to pay?
I recommend using any payment method that allows you to pay with a credit card. Credit Cards have more protection than almost any other payment method. Bidpay and PayPal are 2 examples. Again, PayPal is not a 100% safe way to buy or sell gold, accounts, or any other "virtual" item. Neither PayPal Buyer Protection nor PayPal Seller Protection apply to any items that are 'virtual' or 'intangible'. Ignore the 'this item is covered up to $1,000' on the auction page...eBay inserts that, not the seller, and it does not apply to anything that cannot be shipped in the mail with confirmed delivery. If you paid using a credit card you do have the right to dispute the transaction with your credit card company, however, you will have to dispute the transaction with PayPal first...since neither the buyer nor the seller is protected in disputes involving 'virtual' items, what PayPal will do is not predictable. Any online payment system that allows you to pay with a credit card is probably your safest bet- not flawless, but safer than anything else.
If the seller advertises in their listing that they accept PayPal, BidPay, or another 'safe' method and after you win the auction they tell you they can't accept that method and you have to send them a check wire them the money, etc DO NOT COMPLETE THE TRANSACTION. You are not obligated to pay in this scenario, and sellers cannot pressure you to use a different payment method than what they advertised. They do have the right to refuse your payment if you are not a 'verified' PayPal member, or do not have a 'confirmed' shipping address...sellers that do that usually say so in the listing...and by bidding you are agreeing to the listed terms, including payments, so read and ask any questions BEFORE bidding.
When should you expect the item?
Depends. Some sellers make a living selling gold, and will deliver within minutes. Some work a 'real' job and will only be available to deliver at certain times. I recommend telling them, at the time you pay, how they can reach you... and your in-game information, such as server, character name, etc. If you are buying an account that costs a lot of money, the seller may choose to send you the game discs and the accound information via snail mail with confirmed delivery? Why? Because that way they can prove the item was delivered in the event of any dispute.
If you have not yet heard anything within 3 days of your payment contact the seller. Keep in mind that the seller will likely contact you on the email associated with your PayPal account, so be sure you check it! Include a good address to reply to in all correspondence. Do not leave more than 1 message a day. *NEVER* leave negative feedback until you have waited at least 30 days from the date you made payment, filed an 'item not recieved' complaint on eBay, and allowed 10 days for the seller to respond to the 'item not recieved' complaint. *NEVER* threaten to leave negative feedback if they don't change the terms of the sale.
That's all for now. Please let me know if you have questions or feedback.
Guide created: 01/02/07 (updated 09/21/09)
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