---

@2014auswit wrote:

We as sellers and buyers have to have eyes around our heads.There are fantastic people around but the crooks spoil everything.

For buying on ebay I was panished with lost money a number of times in 8 years.What upsets me are stupid ebay and paypal rules.

---

 

---

I can understand that, but PayPal's buyer protection policies haven't changed too much over the years. Once you know what they are, and how to deal with them, follow all the processes etc, when a problem occurs, you can take those sorts of things into account when you buy online. Some of the questions I ask myself when I look at an item I'm interested in buying are, does it look like I can trust the seller to help me if I need it, and will the exercise be worthwhile if I have to return it at my own expense, or it only lasts a few months? Often times I just pay the few extra bucks from a retail outlet to not have to worry about those things, because more up front = less hassle, and no further out-of-pocket expenses (save a walk or bus trip back to the shop if I need to).

I get the whole "but I shouldn't have to factor this, that and the other..." side of things, but whether someone thinks they should consider all the possibilities or not when they decide to spend money, it doesn't really change the simple fact that it's always wiser and safer to do so. 

eBay's new Money Back Guarantee (introduced November 1st), has addressed the issue of buyer's paying the cost of return postage if an item is not as described, and personally, that is one of very few aspects of the policy I support.