Noob here, need suggestions about how not to get scammed while buying stuff in TE.

[Danielman]

I want to know, what do u check before making a purchase in TE. what are some redflags that everyone should be aware of before buying stuff here?
I have read the Guidelines of marketsection of TE, and how to make a purchases here. One of the point there, says I should ask the seller to get reference of a reputed TE member. So, do u guys do that for every purchase?
One seller I had contacted says he can ship stuff via courier, is that reliable ?can we track the details and where the shipment is ? .


I basically want someone to tell me how they make purchases here, without getting scammed.

 

[Yashvardhan]

Same queries. Another newbie here.

 

[calvin1719]

1. "reputed TE member" - the problem here is how you define reputed, and how are you supposed to trust the word of the "reputed" member?
2. There's a couple of threads you should probably go through that have recently had a lengthy discussion about the market section: one, two
3. If you agree on courier shipping with a seller, then you can obviously track it with the number. you can ask for pictures of the product packed and labelled etc. Of course, this depends on whether the seller has kept to the agreement.
4. Apart from this, it's just like buying used products from anywhere else. There's a certain amount of risk, and the feedback feature plays some part in mitigating a portion of that risk. But be very clear that the risk is still there and entirely on you.

I'd suggest communicating with the seller, if they're responsive and transparent, they're more likely to be legit. If they're cagey and evasive, walk away from the deal.

 

[t3chg33k]

Yeah, I think reputation is the only real thing you can go by. Largely, a lot of the people I have dealt with have not had any reservations in closing the deal. There were a couple of new members who were more circumspect and asked for images of the product and packaging, which I was okay to oblige with.

Worst case, at least have the contact number of the person whom you are dealing which is a basic identifier in case something goes wrong and you need to file a police complaint or such.

 

[raksrules]

Trust and reputation. Rep becomes before though. I understand that even seasoned members here will exercise caution if a newbie came here and opened a FS thread.

But it is trust only that is resulting in high value items like iphone and other stuff being sold here (not just listed).

But I completely understand a newbie's perspective. I joined this forum like 10+ or so years back when I heard about It through a friend and I only joined because I wanted to buy Creative EP 630 earphones for around Rs. 650 then. I know amount may sound miniscule but for me I had never spend so much on audio stuff (and that too giving money online) so I actually went all the way to Dadar from Borivali to meet the guy who was selling It and handed over cash to him and bought those earphones.

 

[puns]

1. Only buy from threads in 'For Sale' section. Buying directly from members who message you offering their product is risky. Also buying from threads like 'How much can I sell for' or 'Want to buy' section is risky. Ask them to send pics with username and date just to be sure.
2. Reputation is good initial starter to see if they have good +ve ratings. Do a little digging in their posts / threads to see other people's experiences with them
3. You can always negotiate with seller to ... For e.g. pay half before delivery and rest after delivery. But this doesnt work if you yourself are a new member. But its upto the two of you to come to an agreement.
4. Keep all communication with seller / buyer till the end of the deal either here in private message or whatsapp etc. If something goes bad, you have proof.
5. For items in warranty, ask for invoice. If seller gives excuses, can be red flag. people who say will send it later, again red flag.
6. If buyer changes mind too often on things like prices or sketchy details or makes excuses, dont buy
7. google their username / username name , see if it pops up results from other places on the internet or forums.
8. Couple of days testing warranty for out of warranty product is good to have in case product doesnt work when you receive it. If this is not mentioned in sale thread, ask them in your communication if they are providing testing warranty.

If your gut feeling is telling you to be cautious or you get a bad vibe from communicating with buyer, simply dont go ahead no matter how good the deal is. Period.

 

[chetansha]

Suppose a seller posts a fake invoice?