How is BoB safeguarding the buyer from Scammers?

[Legendkiller89 10]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering how thorough Bob is when it comes to day to day transactions.

Particularly when an item is up for auction and the indicative market price of that item

is high or unusual. How does the buyer know that the particular item is real and is

really selling on the open market for that indicated price. People could easily make

up this indicative market price to lure buyers into bidding on their items. Does BoB

demand that these items come with a certificate of authenticity? Does BoB check

the market prices themselves to ensure the buyer isn't being fooled? Just curious...

Edited September 23, 2011 by Legendkiller89

[MsPlod 10]

The short answer is "buyer beware" LOL!!

 

Make sure you do all your homework, find out as much as you can. It is the same as any shop in the road advertising a 50% off sale on a lounge suite which you can buy in five other shops for less than the sale price.

 

Bob does not interfere, unless there is absolutely concrete proof of fraudulent or other criminal activity.

[qball 11]

Thank you for your query.

 

Any site like ours cannot vett or verify whether products are real or genuine, as we are not the seller, supplier nor do we have access to the items sold by sellers. The site is built on honesty and trust and the vast majority of users are honest in their dealings.

 

Regarding "indicative" market prices, those are exactly that - indicative, much like a "recommended retail price". These are often based on subjective opinions, calculated using various sources. Collectables for example are often priced at what the seller thinks the item is worth, whereas FMCG like electronics the retail prices are fairly consistent and easily comparable with other sites and sources. It is the buyers responsibility to ensure they shop around, compare prices and educate themselves before entering into a bid or buying the item.

 

Having said that, the vast majority of transactions that happen on our site are concluded without issue or fraud.

 

I would recommend reading our Help pages on safety and security here - Help Articles - Powered by Kayako Fusion Help Desk Software

[kyle2 10]

And to add, 'If its too good to be true.........'check the sellers history, how many ratings and and let common sense prevail.

New sellers who sell things for thousands are ringing warning bells.:huh:

[bitesize 10]

you as a buyer need to pay attention to things like, the sellers's ratings, negatives etc, the amount of info provided on the product, what the price range is on the internet and ask questions. one friend of mine thought she was getting a bargain on a ring that supposedly had a value of a few thousand but was being sold for a few hundred. she failed to notice the person's rating which explained itself. luckily she got out of the bid. it's the same with advertising anywhere, the advertising company can't always do a check on every person.