Tips for Safer Buying and Selling

[DoA Mod Squad]

Disclaimer:

The forum and its moderators do not guarantee or insure transactions against loss or damage; all buying, selling, and trading is considered to be at your own risk. For legal reasons, the moderators will not arbitrate in Marketplace disputes. Please read our Terms of Service for more information.

Feedback Resources

There are several feedback resources available to you.

• Individual feedback threads: Member profiles contain a link to their feedback and a link for searching for their name in the feedback subforum. From within a thread, you can also click the member's username and select "View Feedback Thread" from the drop-down menu.
  
  
• Problem Transactions Subforum: This subforum contains negative feedback and paging threads.
  
  
• Marketplace Status Flags: A flag with Being Paged!, Unresolved Transactions, or Marketplace Ban will appear under a member's avatar as needed. Marketplace suspensions will not be mentioned under a member's avatar but will be noted in their profile.
  
  
• We also recommend checking eBay feedback and asking for (and actually checking) references.

Please read the Feedback Rules for information about leaving different kinds of feedback and the FAQ for information about handling bad marketplace transactions.

[DoA Mod Squad]

Before you buy, here are some helpful questions to ask the seller (if the information has not already been provided in the sale thread).

• About the item's condition....
  
  • How old is the item?
  • Have there been any modifications?
  • Are there any scratches, stains, or other damages?
  • Do you smoke?
  • Do you have pets?
• About payment and shipping...
  
  • Where is the item shipping from?
  • What types of shipping do you offer?
  • How soon after payment will you ship the item?
  • Does this price include shipping?
  • How will the item be packed?
  • What forms of payment do you accept? (Paypal [balance or transfer], money order, personal check, etc.)
  • Do you have any special instructions for payment?

General safety tips for buyers

• Do your research.Use the feedback resources listed in the previous post to check the seller's background.
• Ask the seller for a specific photo to prove that they have the item. For example, the item next to today's newspaper, a specific item, or a piece of paper with the seller's username.
• Do not rely on stock photos. If the seller has not provided their own pictures, request them. They may not actually have the item, or the item may not be in the same condition as shown in the stock photo.
• Make sure that you and the seller both understand and agree to all details of the sale. Confirm the price, what is included for that price, and the time frame for payment and shipping.
• Get a secondary means of contact. Be sure to get the seller's name and email address. Additionally, you might also request a phone number, LiveJournal ID, or chat handle.
• Ask for insurance and/or tracking. On dolls and other expensive items, it is usually worth the $5-10 to insure against loss or damage. A package that has not been insured and does have have tracking has little chance of being found if something goes wrong.
• Under-declaring items can cost you money. Some buyers ask sellers to mark international packages for a lower value than the item is actually worth. This may save on customs fees, but if the item is lost or damaged, the most you will be able to recover is the value on the slip. (Not all sellers will agree to under-declare packages, too, because this isn't strictly legal).
• Keep copies of all communication until the item has arrived. Keep copies of all PMs between you and the seller. Sale posts can be edited, so you may also want to save a copy or take a screencapture of the sale for your own records.
• Keep track of dates.Be aware of deadlines for filing Paypal disputes.

[DoA Mod Squad]

As a seller, you should include the following information in your sales post:

• An item description
• Your own clear, well-lit photos of the item (not stock photos from the company)
• Thorough disclosure of any modification, damage, staining, yellowing or other changes from the "default" condition of the item.
• Photo documentation of damages or changes described
• Smoking/non-smoking household, pets or pet-free
• Payment methods that you will accept
• Whether you will ship only after payment clears
• Layaway accepted (+ terms and acceptable time frame for payment)
• Your location
• Shipping methods that you will use
• Countries you will ship to

General safety tips for sellers

• Do your research.Use the feedback resources listed in the previous post to check the buyer's background.
• Fully disclose any damages or potential problems. You will earn bad feedback and a bad reputation if you inaccurately describe your items. Damages, modifications, smoke odor, etc., must be described in the sale.
• Make sure that you and the buyer both understand and agree to all terms of the sale. Confirm the price, what is included for that price, and the time frame and methods for payment/shipping.
• Be aware of Paypal's rules and regulations. Here are some commonly missed facts:
  
  • Paypal does not allow US sellers to charge fees for credit card transactions. We recommend including any fees in your price or charging a more generic "handling" fee to avoid breaking Paypal's rules. A PayPal Fee Calculator can help you figure out how much extra to add to your price so you get the amount you want.
  • Paypal does not honor "non-refundable deposits." Even if you tell a buyer that the deposit is non-refundable, there is a possibility that Paypal will decide in their favor if they do a chargeback or file a dispute.
  • Shipping to an unverified address may void Paypal's Seller Protection programs.
  
  
• Get a secondary means of contact. Be sure to get the buyer's name and email address. Additionally, you might also request a phone number, LiveJournal ID, or chat handle.
• Pack your items well. Be sure that the item is adequately packaged to avoid damage.
• Encourage your buyer to pay for insurance and/or tracking. If your buyer chooses not to pay for insurance and tracking, clearly state that shipping is at the buyer's own risk and that you will not be responsible for loss or damage in the mail.
• You do not have to under-declare the value if a buyer asks. Buyers may request that sellers mark packages for a lower amount than the actual value of the item. It is your choice, but please keep in mind that there can be fines or other consequences if this is discovered by customs officers. Additionally, if the item is lost or damaged, you and the buyer can only recover the amount that was on the package. If you do choose to under-declare the package's value, make sure that your buyer is aware of this. You may also want to state again that under-declaring value is at the buyer's risk, and that you will not be responsible for loss, damages, or fines.
• Keep copies of all communication until the item has arrived. Keep copies of all PMs between yourself and the buyer. Do not mark your sale thread for deletion until after the item has arrived.
• Do not ship items until funds have cleared.
  
  • Personal Checks. Make sure to wait the length of time your bank recommends for determining whether the originating account has sufficient funds.
  • PayPal. Although the payment value appears in your PayPal balance quickly, it is not an indication the originating account has sufficient funds to cover the purchase. Make sure you wait the number of days PayPal recommends to see if the funds clear.
  • Bank money orders versus bank checks. It's important to understand the difference between bank money orders and bank checks. Bank money orders are "pre-funded;" the sender has paid the full amount to secure the money order. Not all bank checks are "pre-funded." This means the check could still bounce even though it is on an official-looking bank check form. Wait until bank checks have cleared to ship an item.