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As embarrassing as it is to admit, I have been scammed several times here on eBay. I have since learned a few things about eBay shopping, but my lessons didn't come cheap.
After bidding more than once on items labeled "like new" or "excellent used", only to discover a glaringly bright stain or an irreparable tear, I decided to bid only on items listed as "New With Tags" (also called NWT). That would ensure that anything I purchased would be in perfect condition, right?
Wrong! ...As I painfully discovered, there are many ways to "legitimately" sell an old or flawed item as "New With Tags". I say "legitimate" because the sellers aren't explicitly breaking any laws or policies with their practices. Their actions are shady, nonetheless.
Scam #1:
The most common scam of all is performed by the seller who owns a tagging gun. The seller keeps the original sales tag from an item and uses it for awhile. When they are ready to sell it, they re-tag the item and Voila! It is once again "new with tags", even though it's been worn and washed a few times already.
One dress I bought that claimed to be "NWT" had the plastic barb sticking right through the lacy bodice of the dress to cover up a tear in the lace! No reputable store would ever put their tag right smack in front, nor would they be so unscrupulous as to try to cover up a flaw with their tag.
(By the way, tagging guns aren't hard to come by; they can be found under "Buy It Now" for $1.99 on eBay.)
Scam #2:
The seller has in possession a number of very old, sun-bleached garments that have failed to sell elsewhere and still have the original tags on them. They are sometimes streaked with dirt or grease in addition to being color-bleached, and look worse than most "gently used" items. But they DO still have the tags on them, so I suppose that technically, they can be auctioned as "NWT".
Scam #3:
A garment sells for $5-10, and ends up being a very poor quality, economy-priced item from a cheap discount store. Although the item is new and does have its original tags, the actual price has been cut out, or (more embarrassingly) the price tag is still attached and has a label of $1.00 or less.
There are more scams circulating out there, but these are the ones I've fallen prey to and wanted to share. Now let's look at the simple steps I've taken to avoid repeating the same mistakes...
Anti-Scam Step #1:
Only buy from sellers who have 100% feedback, or whose negative feedback is less than 1 in 500 sales (and read the negative feedback to find out if the seller was to blame, or has tried to remedy the issue). Also make sure the seller has a return policy that clearly guarantees a full refund of any items perceived by the buyer as being "misrepresented".
Anti-Scam Step #2:
Only buy from sellers who have very clear, detailed photos of the items for sale and who clearly state that the item in the photo is the same item that they are selling (or is identical, if they are selling dozens). The more photos they have showing different angles of the garment, the better.
Anti-Scam Step #3:
Make sure that the brand or designer's name is listed in the auction. The only times I've seen items for sale without listing the brand is with very inexperienced sellers, and with sellers who are trying to sell discount brands for more than they are worth.
...Which reminds me of a different type of scam that I've seen sellers attempt, in which they list a famous designer in their title and description, and then in small print they subtly mention that their item is "similar to" the famous designer's style, without directly stating that the item for sale is an off-brand.
None of these scams are blatant breaches of eBay's selling policies, leaving the buyer feeling helpless and frustrated. The best recourse for the buyer, next to leaving negative feedback, is to avoid being caught by these scams in the first place. I wish you luck! Shop wisely, and you'll reap the rewards of your efforts.
If you have found this guide helpful in any way, please take a moment to vote "Yes" below! Your feedback matters to me! Thanks so much!
You won't get scammed at my store!
Learn more about our store Encore Baby at My World (www.EncoreBaby.com)
After bidding more than once on items labeled "like new" or "excellent used", only to discover a glaringly bright stain or an irreparable tear, I decided to bid only on items listed as "New With Tags" (also called NWT). That would ensure that anything I purchased would be in perfect condition, right?
Wrong! ...As I painfully discovered, there are many ways to "legitimately" sell an old or flawed item as "New With Tags". I say "legitimate" because the sellers aren't explicitly breaking any laws or policies with their practices. Their actions are shady, nonetheless.
Scam #1:
The most common scam of all is performed by the seller who owns a tagging gun. The seller keeps the original sales tag from an item and uses it for awhile. When they are ready to sell it, they re-tag the item and Voila! It is once again "new with tags", even though it's been worn and washed a few times already.
One dress I bought that claimed to be "NWT" had the plastic barb sticking right through the lacy bodice of the dress to cover up a tear in the lace! No reputable store would ever put their tag right smack in front, nor would they be so unscrupulous as to try to cover up a flaw with their tag.
(By the way, tagging guns aren't hard to come by; they can be found under "Buy It Now" for $1.99 on eBay.)
Scam #2:
The seller has in possession a number of very old, sun-bleached garments that have failed to sell elsewhere and still have the original tags on them. They are sometimes streaked with dirt or grease in addition to being color-bleached, and look worse than most "gently used" items. But they DO still have the tags on them, so I suppose that technically, they can be auctioned as "NWT".
Scam #3:
A garment sells for $5-10, and ends up being a very poor quality, economy-priced item from a cheap discount store. Although the item is new and does have its original tags, the actual price has been cut out, or (more embarrassingly) the price tag is still attached and has a label of $1.00 or less.
There are more scams circulating out there, but these are the ones I've fallen prey to and wanted to share. Now let's look at the simple steps I've taken to avoid repeating the same mistakes...
Anti-Scam Step #1:
Only buy from sellers who have 100% feedback, or whose negative feedback is less than 1 in 500 sales (and read the negative feedback to find out if the seller was to blame, or has tried to remedy the issue). Also make sure the seller has a return policy that clearly guarantees a full refund of any items perceived by the buyer as being "misrepresented".
Anti-Scam Step #2:
Only buy from sellers who have very clear, detailed photos of the items for sale and who clearly state that the item in the photo is the same item that they are selling (or is identical, if they are selling dozens). The more photos they have showing different angles of the garment, the better.
Anti-Scam Step #3:
Make sure that the brand or designer's name is listed in the auction. The only times I've seen items for sale without listing the brand is with very inexperienced sellers, and with sellers who are trying to sell discount brands for more than they are worth.
...Which reminds me of a different type of scam that I've seen sellers attempt, in which they list a famous designer in their title and description, and then in small print they subtly mention that their item is "similar to" the famous designer's style, without directly stating that the item for sale is an off-brand.
None of these scams are blatant breaches of eBay's selling policies, leaving the buyer feeling helpless and frustrated. The best recourse for the buyer, next to leaving negative feedback, is to avoid being caught by these scams in the first place. I wish you luck! Shop wisely, and you'll reap the rewards of your efforts.
If you have found this guide helpful in any way, please take a moment to vote "Yes" below! Your feedback matters to me! Thanks so much!
You won't get scammed at my store!
Learn more about our store Encore Baby at My World (www.EncoreBaby.com)
Guide created: 07/08/07 (updated 11/15/09)
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