While not really a scam per definition, it still leaves us in the same position. We paid money for item A, but somehow got something not quite what we bargained for. Sometimes a scam is less obvious. The seller follows all the rules, takes timestamps, takes Payment via a protected method, and answers all the questions. Then, you get the item and it is in way worse shape than you were ever informed. While this is completely immoral, it may not be directly against the rules. If the condition is not mentioned in the Payment Method the seller can claim it was used as is, and the buyer may not get a refund. The buyer is then required to pay out of pocket to return the item for a refund, and most buyers do not want to do this, and the seller wins. How do you prevent this?

1. Request more and better timestamps with close ups.
2. Get a detailed rundown on the condition of the item.
3. Ask about functionality, and if they had any problems with the item.
4. Why are they selling it?
5. What does it come with?
6. When paying for an item make sure to use PayPal Goods and Services, and document in the purchase what you are expecting to receive.

Most times when a seller intends to mislead you they will give away social cues such as misdirection, or not really answering your questions. If you feel uneasy about it stop the transaction, or ask the mods for their opinion, or both!

This is the most common scam. The seller never intended to send you anything, lied about it all, and any proof or reassurance they gave you was fake or never provided. They prey on their buyer by being overly nice, offering an undeniably good deal, and sometimes are a bit quick to take even less. They usually refuse to take any payment method that provides any kind of buyer protection claiming things such as mistrust of Paypal, Paypal holds their funds, or state that they are simply too young to have a Paypal (While this one may actually be true, this means the user is underage and isn't legally able to sell their goods to begin. Users that have more than 15 trades and are established are usually a safe bet, but anything else is a warning sign).

How do you prevent this?

If obvious already stop the trade immediately and contact the Mods with all the proof so the user can be dealt with.

If you are still on the fence and are unsure you can still contact the Mods and ask their opinion. We are glad to help! Otherwise you can try the following steps.

1. Request more and better timestamps with close ups. If they refuse or make excuses it is a bad sign.
2. Get a detailed rundown on the condition of the item. If the story changes in any way steer clear.
3. Pay with PayPal Goods and Services. If the money or item is time sensitive move on. If you think the deal may be too good to pass up and you can lay down the money in a claim if the deal goes south go ahead that decision is up to you, but we strongly advice against this. There are good deals, then there is unrealistic prices.

While most scammers are sellers, buyers can scam as well. These are usually one of two situations, and each require the same steps to protect yourself.

Buyer receives the item and states it is missing something, or is damaged in a way you never described.

Even worse, the buyer claims they never got the item, or that the box was empty. Could be an item not as described case as well.

How do you prevent this?

1. Always take detailed timestamps and record all damage or imperfections to an item.1
2. Take pictures of the Serial Numbers in your Timestamps, but do NOT supply these to the buyer. More on this below2 and in the Buyer Opened a Fraudulent Claim Guide (click here).
3. Always ship via a shipping service that provides Tracking.
4. We recommend buying insurance for the item at the full value. Paying for Insurance is on the Seller, not the buyer, so always pay for it! More info on this in the Shipping Guides.
5. Take pictures of your packing job before and after you seal the box. This will give you some leverage.

*(1). Keep these pictures for at least 180 days PAST the delivery date at a bare minimum as this is the duration a buyer can issue a claim on Paypal. *(2). If a user receives an item claiming not as described and you get that item back you can match the serial numbers against your records. If they do not match immediately go to Paypal and tell them what has happened. You can also use this as leverage before they ship. IF the buyer is making a bogus claim you truthfully feel is a lie and Paypal is pushing for a return you can tell them that you will accept the return and once you have matched the serial number with your records you will issue a refund. This alone will stop some buyers from following through and the item will suddenly meet their expectations.

Taking all these things into account can still leave one open to a scammer. There is always risk involved in a free market such as this, however you can Greatly reduce these risks by using your head, following the steps and guidelines on this page, and treading lightly. At the end of the day, the vast majority of this community has the same goal in mind: recover money or get great parts and great prices. Just stay alert to the little details.