Trade safely on quicksales and protect yourself against online fraud

Key things you need to know

When buying

When buying on quicksales, understand that you are buying from an third party such as an individual, small business or retailer.

• Before you consider bidding or buying, read the item description carefully, check the postage and insurance costs and the seller's payments methods.
• See if the images are real pictures taken by the seller. If the item only shows catalogue images (professional images with no background) ask the seller for an actual picture to ensure that they actually have the item.
• Have a look at the seller's profile and view Ratings left to them from other buyers. Some sellers may have received ratings from purchases they have made from other sellers, however, they may not have received any ratings from buyers. You can also view items they are selling, have sold or have won.
• See what Verifications the seller has. Learn more about User Verification
• Contact the seller and ask them any questions you want to know including their contact details. Verify the details if possible.
• Where possible try to pick up the item.
• Be sure to do your homework before paying. Does everything seem to stack up? Be aware of items that seem to be too cheap. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Ensure that the payment details match the seller's details, don't make a payment to a different account or address unless you are happy that everything stacks up.
• Use a safe payment method such as C.O.D, Credit Card, or Credit Card via Paymate or PayPal, don't send cash. Learn about all payment methods
  
• Insist the seller uses postage insurance or a courier that can be tracked.
• If you have any doubts, use an Escrow agent (a third party service that "holds" funds until the buyer expresses satisfaction with the purchase). For example Escrow Australia
• Be wary of sellers that try to entice you to trade outside of quicksales, rush you to pay, or say they'll  pay all the postage.
• If you no longer want to purchase the item because you can't contact or verify the seller or think the seller is suspicious, please let us know.

When selling

• Do not sell to buyers that ask you to accept payment methods you wouldn't normally accept (i.e. Western Union, BidPay, MoneyGram, Credit Card or International Cheques etc).
• Be wary of buyers that ask you to sell to them at a higher price or buy at an excessive price.
• Be wary of buyers (especially international) that request you to ship immediately by companies such as: UPS, FedEx, DHL
• Be extra cautious when dealing with international buyers, especially those from Indonesia, Romania and Africa who insist on paying with credit cards or ask you to send by courier and offer to pay you more. These buyers often use invalid or stolen cards.

Be Street Smart

Use your common sense, it's the best way to avoid becoming the target of a criminal.

Read SCAMwatch, a Government site and can be quite informative regarding online scams.

What to do if something goes wrong

If the item does not turn up, is faulty or not what you expected:

1. Contact your trading partner directly
   The majority of disputes are the result of lack of communication or a misunderstanding. If there are any problems, contact your trading partner with a friendly email or phone call. Most problems can be resolved by simple communication. You can exchange contact details by clicking here.
   
   
2. Use a third party mediation service
   A third party mediation service will attempt to contact the other person and attempt to solve any dispute fairly.
   
   
3. File an 'Item Not Received' report
   You can file a 'Report Item Not Received' dispute against the seller and leave a 'Rating' to warn other members.
   
   
4. Try to organise a "chargeback"
   If you receive no redress and have paid by credit card, contact your bank to see whether they offer a “chargeback” service. A “chargeback” effectively reverses the credit card charge, and is similar to a refund.
   
   
5. Contact the local Consumer Affairs agency or local Police
   If none of the above measures are effective, you can contact your local Consumer Affairs or local Police.