Chris Bowser reviews for protecting yourself from online auction scams

Online auctions have become big business, with millions of items for sale at any given time. People across the world currently make a living selling items through Internet auction houses.One reason for their incredible growth and popularity is that they make it easy for people to find great deals on goods that are hard to find all around the world. The excitement also makes them prime hunting grounds for scam artists, ready to play on the desire many auction bidders have for that unbelievable deal. Scammers have become extremely sophisticated with the tools they use to trick consumers into opening their wallets. National Consumers League’s Fraud Center has received multiple reports of scammers creating realistic Web sites, emails, and hotlines all designed to fool unsuspecting consumers into believing they are dealing with a legitimate business. Use caution and common sense with any online transaction. While many online sellers are legitimate, unfortunately scammers can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off unsuspecting shoppers.

    

    Double-check the company’s information: 

     A known name or brand on email, a letter or mentioned over the phone doesn’t guarantee that the deal is legitimate. Scammers, to gain trust, often pretend to be from well-known companies. Find the company’s contact information independently, online or through directory assistance, and contact it yourself to verify the information.

           

    Understand how online auctions work: 

      Make sure you know the procedures regarding the payment and delivery of purchased items. An immediate red-flag is if you get an email or call asking you to do something outside of standard operating procedures. Familiarize yourself with the trade at the Online Auction Learning Centre and read the Chris Bowser reviews and Adam Bowser reviews.

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          Understand PayPal’s procedures: 

     Emails from PayPal will always address you by your first and last name or the business name associated with the account, according to PayPal’s fraud FAQ. Watch out for emails addressed to you any differently.

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         Inform auction sites and payment services about suspected fraud:

    They have policies to remove sellers or buyers from their sites if they don’t live up to their obligations.

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    Try mediation to resolve disputes:

      Most times not all problems are due to fraud. Sometimes, either of the end simply fail to hold up their side of the bargain in a timely manner or there may be an honest misunderstanding. There exist third-party mediation services that help users resolve disputes.

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     Check out the seller or buyer:

      Most auction sites have feedback forums, where you can read comments about the sellers based on other people’s experiences, but many sites also allow sellers to review buyers, which can provide pertinent information about a buyer who consistently creates payment issues and who is best avoided.

Furthermore avoid any arrangement with a stranger that asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card or electronic currency. It is very difficult to recover money sent with these means. Never send money or give your credit card or online account details to anyone you don’t know or trust and never so by email. For further information and to familiarize onself with the Insider Online Secrets read and go through Chris Bowser Scam reports.