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Deception by sellers who use the following tactics should be avoided:
- If the seller is offering a Gem Card Appraisal, which is not GIA or via a RECOGNIZED third independent appraiser than avoid the seller completely.
- If the seller is offering a Gem Card Appraisal of an appraisal firm you have never heard then do a Yahoo search on the firm. In many cases, these firms are owned and operated by the jewelry seller. The card is offered at a $50.00 (or greater) perceived value however, the values placed on these cards are so far reaching that your insurance carrier may NOT accept the stated value.
- If the seller charges a 10% restocking fee and retains the Buyer's Premium plus, charges an unreasonable amount to ship your items, the seller is ALWAYS making money. In other words, if you receive your items in the mail and they're NOT what you expected and then return the items, the seller has just made 25% of the entire sale. Let's say you won an item for $100.00 and want to return the item. You will lose the 15% Buyer's Premium which is $15.00 plus, an additional $10.00 for the re-stocking fee plus shipping return costs (not to mention the outgoing shipping costs). In essence, it will cost $35.00+ to return a $100.00 piece of jewelry!
Imagine operating a business wherein you don't CARE if buyer's return the same goods over and over again! The seller still makes money! Picture 500 transactions per week in which the average sale is $100.00 and 50 out of 500 items is returned? This translates into $1750.00 per week in clear cash just on RETURNS!
- Please read Feedback! Read the positives as the sellers who offer a 100% return guarantee (which is usually a seven day period from date of receipt) these sellers will show POSITIVE Feedback! Buyers who return items, will leave POSITIVE Feedback and this practice artificially skews the sellers Positive Feedback results! Here's the rub...The seller does NOT care about the quality of the product they sell! They are making 25% on each and every return!
- LOOK at the pictures and descriptions of the items for sale! Have they OVER Photo-Shopped the item? In other words, look at the larger image, what do YOU see? Look at the edges of the photo and you will see that such sellers will color enhance a Ruby to look like the most unbelievable Ruby in the world! However, receive the item in the mail and you'll find the ring was set with a "bluff" gemstone. Bluff gemstones are hawked at jewelry shows around the world and a two carat "bluff" Ruby costs just a few bucks!
- Does the seller offer a Toll Free Number (or any phone number at all) on their "ME" page or do they simply use email? If they use email, send them an email and ask any question related to an item they're selling. If they take more than ONE day to answer you, stay away from them completely, as chances are this will show you the "lack" of customer service you are more than likely to receive now (or in the future).
- Check Feedback for all Negatives, as Negatives can provide you with a complete picture of the seller. I don't care if the seller has 100,000 Feedbacks with shooting star in every color of the rainbow, an inordinate amount of Negative Feedbacks should send you a message LOUD (and crystal clear) about the reliability, communication skills and product quality offered by that specific seller.
It's time to clean up this category of sellers on eBay. The only way such sellers will disappear and NOT take advantage of super eBay buyer's is to offer them silence. Do not buy from these sellers, just say NO! Why should any eBay buyer ever be forced to PAY ANYONE to learn a lesson?
The Last Word...
If you're new to eBay, please review this article, print it out or share it with your friends and family. We are PASSIONATE about we do and how "we" (as professionals) in the Jewelry Industry are perceived by our eBay buying family. Shop Safe, Shop with Confidence!
To those who utilize the above selling "techniques" - STOP - what you're doing, clean up your act and contribute to the eBay buying experience, as opposed to just emptying out the pockets of unwary (honest) buyers!
Other guides relating to jewelry and gemstone buying which you may find helpful are as follows:
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