One of the most popular online stores to get secondhand items and even new items is eBay.
You can even partake in an auction in an attempt to get a great item for a discounted price.
However, if you’ve never bought anything from eBay before, then you may be unsure of how safe it is.
Here are 10 reasons why eBay is safe, including its money-back guarantee and the various protections it has in place for its buyers and sellers.
Is eBay Safe? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Money Back Guarantee
One of the reasons eBay is safe is that it offers a money-back guarantee.
The guarantee covers any purchases made on eBay as long as you use an appropriate and approved payment method.
For example, if you send a seller cash in the mail, then you’re probably not eligible for the money-back guarantee.
This guarantee covers things like broken items, items that never arrived, and items that arrived differently than advertised.
For example, if the picture of the item shows one thing and something arrives that’s clearly different, then you are likely eligible for a refund.
eBay takes its guarantee a step further than simply giving buyers their money back if needed.
It also covers the cost of shipping.
A lot of other companies don’t cover the cost of shipping when you need to return something.
They expect you to cover that cost.
Even if you don’t want to get another item and just want your money back, they’ll still stick you with paying for the return shipping of the incorrect or damaged item.
Since eBay also covers shipping costs, you get all of your money back.
Finally, eBay doesn’t charge you anything for submitting a claim.
Other companies might charge you an extra fee since it requires them to look into the matter.
eBay wants to ensure that you get satisfaction without having to pay for it.
eBay is safe because it protects you if you buy something and the item arrives broken or differently than advertised.
2. Allows Items To Be Returned
Another reason eBay is safe is that it allows returns.
Some marketplaces may not allow you to return an item after purchasing it.
Although eBay allows returns, it is still worth checking the specific seller’s policy.
Some sellers may not allow returns on their items.
For example, many sellers that sell intimate clothing usually don’t want it back.
They’ll give you a refund, but they allow you to keep the item.
However, the majority of sellers do take returns.
eBay is safe because it makes the return process easy.
All you need to do to return an item is log into your eBay account and choose the item in the “My eBay” section.
From there, you’ll see a prompt for returning the item.
The seller might have a specific method that they prefer for returns.
You’ll need to follow the preferred procedures for the return.
Once the seller gets the item back, they’ll refund your purchase.
If the seller gets the item and doesn’t refund you, then you can get eBay involved.
eBay will look over the case and ensure that you get the money back that you deserve.
This makes buying on eBay safe because they provide a straightforward way to return items and get your money back.
3. Vehicle Purchase Protection
Another great aspect of eBay that makes it safe is that it automatically enrolls you in its vehicle purchase protection program when you buy a car.
eBay knows that buying a car online is risky.
You’re unable to see the car in person.
That means it’s easier for buyers to hide certain defects or even lie about them.
You also can’t take the car out for a test drive.
A test drive is a useful way to see how the car performs and if it is comfortable to drive.
Because you’re unable to do those things, eBay wants to ensure that your purchase is protected.
Their vehicle purchase protection program protects your vehicle for up to $100,000 or the purchase price of a car.
It covers quite a few things, too.
One example is if the car never gets delivered.
This protects you from scammers who might take your money, then never actually deliver the car to your location.
In most cases, the seller will hire someone to transport the car to you.
A scammer might take your money and run.
eBay ensures that if this happens to you, you’re able to get your money back.
Another thing the protection covers is a missing title.
You can’t exactly drive the car if you’re not the owner of it.
A title is proof of ownership.
You need it to get a license plate, insurance, and other things.
After buying a car on eBay, you’re supposed to get the title that comes with it.
The title should either already be in your name or should be ready for you to sign so you can put it in your name.
Some sellers might try to sell you a car without a title.
Since you can’t insure it or drive it without a title, they’ll keep your money and likely end back up with the car.
eBay ensures that if the car doesn’t arrive with the title, you get your money back.
Finally, the protection program also covers defects that weren’t disclosed in the listing.
These defects must be major to count.
eBay is safe because it offers an incredible vehicle purchase protection program.
4. Business Equipment Purchase Protection
eBay is also safe because it offers business equipment purchase protection.
One of the expensive items that eBay sells is business equipment.
There are some sellers on the site who sell items like forklifts, desks, and other useful pieces of business equipment.
The problem with certain types of business equipment is that it can become pretty expensive.
Heavy machinery and tools, for example, tend to be quite expensive.
Because of that, eBay strives to make those purchases safer.
Its business equipment protection program covers up to either $50,000 or $100,000, depending on when you bought the equipment.
For example, any business equipment bought before September 1, 2016, is covered for up to $50,000.
Any business equipment bought after September 1, 2016, is covered for up to $100,000.
If you buy equipment that’s worth more than $1,000, then you’re automatically enrolled in the business equipment protection program.
If you buy something worth less than $1,000, then you’ll have to opt-in yourself.
The protection program covers quite a few things.
One example is if you paid for the item and don’t receive it.
Because you didn’t get what you paid for, eBay will ensure you get your money back.
You’ll get back what you paid or $50,000 or $100,000—whichever is lowest is the amount that you’ll receive.
This also extends to deposits.
If you put a deposit on an item and never received it, then you can get your money back.
Finally, if you paid for an item and discover that you can’t legally own it because it’s stolen, you’re also able to get your money back.
eBay is safe because it protects expensive business equipment purchases.
5. Reliable Customer Service
Another feature that makes eBay safe is its reliable customer service.
eBay knows that customers will have questions, and some may run into challenging problems.
Since it’s been around for some time, it’s already put together several helpful articles that you can read.
The answer you need might be in one of those articles.
It makes getting help easy when you have a problem that a bunch of people before you also had.
However, if you have a problem that’s unique to your situation, then you can also contact their customer service.
eBay does what it can to make the process as efficient as possible.
When you need to contact someone in customer service on their website, they ask you a few quick questions about your problem.
This helps them direct your question to the right department.
From there, you’ll need to log into your account.
You can then send them a message.
eBay’s customer service is active 24/7.
Although it may take a while for someone to get to you depending on the problem you’re having, you will get a reply.
The representative will go over your case and walk you through the steps you need to take to resolve it.
eBay understands that customer service can make or break a business.
As such, it invests a good amount of money to ensure you have as pleasant an experience as possible with its customer service.
Other companies may have problematic customer service.
Either they make it very difficult to contact their customer service or their customer service is never available.
These companies aren’t as safe to purchase from since they’re not actually interested in helping you.
eBay is safe because it has customer service that is readily available to assist with your problems.
6. Prohibits Items
eBay is also safe because it prohibits the sale of certain items.
A quick look at its policies will tell you about the items that sellers cannot sell on eBay.
One example is animal traps.
Because animal traps can be quite dangerous, eBay does not permit the sale of certain types.
It’s also aware that some children or teenagers use eBay to buy items.
Restricting the sale of those items ensures that dangerous items don’t fall into the hands of children and teenagers.
That goes for other items like BB guns, air rifles, and other airsoft guns.
While these guns aren’t normally lethal, they can inflict a lot of damage.
eBay doesn’t want to have to deal with lawsuits, so it simply prohibits the sale of those items.
It also has policies that focus on selling coupons, food, and even fertilizers.
eBay puts these strong protections in place to protect buyers from purchasing dangerous items or to ensure that buyers don’t get scammed.
Not a lot of other companies would provide this much assistance.
While some companies might prohibit a few things to reduce the chances of a lawsuit, they may not have quite as extensive of a list as eBay.
As such, using those websites isn’t as safe as using eBay.
eBay is safe because it monitors the sale of certain prohibited items.
7. Restricts Sales That Occur Outside Of eBay
Another method eBay uses to protect its buyers and sellers is by restricting sales that occur off of its marketplace.
eBay strongly advises both buyers and sellers not to perform sales outside of the website.
It’s a lot easier for one side to scam the other in this case.
eBay provides certain protections that make buying and selling on eBay safer.
If a seller ever suggests messaging them privately off eBay, then this should be a red flag.
There’s a good chance that they’re going to attempt to scam you.
The same goes for sellers.
If the buyer ever suggests speaking to them outside of eBay, then they’re probably trying to scam you.
If you buy something from them outside of eBay, then the money-back guarantee is voided.
The sale must happen on the site since that allows eBay to have insight into the transaction.
eBay is safe because it does everything it can to keep buyers and sellers safely on its site.
8. Protects Your Personal Data
A major concern that people have these days is data collection.
Businesses often collect personal data for different reasons.
Some might collect it for nefarious purposes while others simply collect it to analyze so they can improve their business.
One of the worst outcomes of data collection is when a data breach occurs.
When a data breach happens, it means a hacker has accessed private information.
The hacker can then sell that private information to interested parties.
eBay is safe because it invests a lot of money into protecting the data that it collects from its users.
eBay primarily uses data to help target certain deals and items to its users.
It also analyzes the data to improve its services.
eBay works hard to keep user data safe.
It even gets rid of the collected data after a certain amount of time.
eBay is safe because it protects private data.
9. Offers Sellers Protection
eBay is also safe because it doesn’t just protect buyers.
It also keeps its sellers safe.
There are a few protections and policies that eBay uses to ensure its sellers avoid buyers who are trying to scam them.
Sellers can open a claim just as buyers can.
eBay can then look at the claim and if it seems as though the buyer is trying to scam the seller, then they’ll decide in favor of the seller.
eBay works as a third party between the buyer and seller.
This grants the sellers, as well as the buyers, some protection.
That makes selling on eBay quite safe.
10. Provides Safe Payment Methods
A final reason eBay is safe is that it encourages safe payment methods.
For example, it allows only certain payment methods to be used on its site.
Those payment methods usually come with their own protections.
Since eBay allows safe payment methods on its platform, it makes transacting funds a lot safer, too.
Conclusion
eBay is a great marketplace where you can get rare items or even common items for a great deal.
Because of its popularity, eBay ensures that both its buyers and sellers are safe with various policies and protections.
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