Maybe you are not aware, but the internet is filled with scammers, identity thieves, and a lot of users that do not care whether you lose your money or not. Actually, there are users of the internet that their main goal is to steal your money. Unfortunately, this is how things are now, and as a reseller, you need to be ready to deal with these types of people by making that you are fully protected while making your deals on the internet.
There are high-level scammers that are ready to do anything to make you lose your money, and there are others that don't really know what they are doing, but somehow they still get things done. The way everything is set up right now, the buyer dictates the show, and this has been the case for a lot of online transactions especially when using PayPal or eBay or any other form of online legal transaction. The buyer is always on the better end while the seller takes the blame and all the risks. The best we can do is to find ways to make sure that we are protected too.
Tips To Stay Safe When Selling Online
One of the few important things that you will need to turn into a habit is putting a tag on your pictures. You will need to take a piece of paper, write your username or handle on it and put in the pictures that you are using to sell your products. This will serve as proof that you are actually the owner of the item that you are selling. Also, you should try to make it look cool so that your customers can believe that you have the item. You need to create a level of trust between you and the buyer, and that is one of the few ways that you use, if the pictures are not clear, then the buyer might be skeptical about buying from you.
Another point that I need to tell you is that it is always important to clearly describe your item. There are things you need to mention, for example, if it's through eBay or PayPal invoice or any other site. It is imperative to clearly describe the item that you are selling because you are selling a product that is highly limited at a certain price and you need to make sure that the buyer is well aware and certain of what you are selling. Don’t give PayPal or eBay any room to see you as a scammer just because you didn’t give an accurate description of the item that you are selling.
Now that I've explained how you can protect yourself before you sell an item, the next thing is to discuss ways that you can protect yourself after you have sold the item. One of the major things you should not forget is that whether you are making a sale through PayPal or eBay, you will have to use a signature confirmation so that you will be able to go through the seller protection security system after a certain price point.
To break it down, the price point I'm talking about is anything over 250 dollars; this means that you will need to purchase a signature confirmation on almost every item that you sell. If the item is more expensive and you are getting concerned that it might get damaged in the mail, then what you can do is to add insurance although unfortunately it hardly works, the mail service will find ways to make sure that you do not get your money back. So, paying for insurance does not really work, and most of the time, your item will be packaged correctly to avoid any damage.
Methods To Prevent From Being Scammed
Another effective method of preventing yourself from being scammed is by coming up with a guideline that buyers must meet before you sell to them. One of the things that you can use to discourage scammers is by stating that you will only sell to someone with good feedback or a number of good reviews on their account. If you notice that you are not comfortable with your interaction with a buyer, it's always safe to end the conversation.
Another point that I need to mention is that always record yourself packing an item that you want to send, especially if the item is quite expensive. After that, print out that shipping label and make it appear in the video as you put everything in the container that will be delivered to the buyer. If any complaint is lodged by the buyer, all you need to do is send the video as evidence to show that you are not guilty. You do not need to delete the video after sending the package because it can come in handy at any time.
Following the tips that above should keep you protected in case of any issue, however, if you are not comfortable with the tips, I will advise that you stick to selling your items locally or you can use a known intermediary such as GOAT or StockX. These two services have been around for years, and they've made sure that most security concerns of both the seller and the buyer are well treated. As soon as you hand over the shoes, and they approve it, you are in the clear.
Endnote
I hate to say this but sometimes no matter how careful you are, you end up losing a transaction, and that can be quite discouraging and frustrating. There are times when the best thing is to leave the negativity and the bad transactions behind you and just move on. Hold on to the positive experiences to spur you on, the amazing buyers and sellers that you have encountered, the number of resellers that you have met and the reason why selling online is better than your previous job. This is the trick that I always use, and it has worked a lot for me.
