Listia Support » Avoiding Scams
You can avoid potential scammers by following these common-sense rules:
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BUY FROM SELLERS WITH GREAT FEEDBACK AND/OR ACCOUNT VERIFICATION
This is the easiest way to avoid most scammers -
IF THE SELLER DOES NOT HAVE A REPUTATION YET, LOOK FOR LISTINGS WITH FREE SHIPPING
Most scams involve shipping money, so listings with free shipping are your best bet if you are not sure you can trust the seller -
USE PAYPAL TO PAY FOR SHIPPING, BUT DO NOT USE THE GIFT OPTION
You can contact paypal to recover shipping money in case there is a problem, but not if you choose the "gift" or "personal payment" option -
IF YOU ARE PAYING FOR SHIPPING, AVOID SENDING CASH, CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS AND NEVER SEND WIRE TRANSFERS
These types of payments are extremely hard to recover in case the seller does not ship your item or there is some other dispute, and Listia is unable to help recover shipping money -
IF YOU DO SEND PAYMENT BY MAIL, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVIDENCE OF PAYMENT
These types of payments are extremely hard to track in case the seller claims they never received payment, and Listia is unable to refund credits unless you have definitive proof of payment (ie, bank statement showing personal check was cleared and a copy of the check) -
DO NOT CLICK THE "GOT IT" BUTTON...
...until you actually receive your items! -
LISTIA IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE ACTUAL EXCHANGE OF GOODS
We provide an open marketplace for listing items and transferring credits between users, but do not handle any payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer protection against loss -
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Bank accounts, credits cards, social security, etc. -
BID ON 'MYSTERY' LISTINGS AT YOUR OWN RISK
Some users like to post 'mystery listings' where you don't know what you are going to get for sure. If you bid on these, we cannot refund credits if you do not like the outcome and the seller has technically given you what the listing describes. -
IF A LISTING SEEMS FISHY OR 'TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE'...
...it probably is! Avoid these completely and stick with the listings from the thousands of great trusted Listia users out there
If you suspect an auction listed or a seller may be part of a scam, you can report it by submitting a ticket here: www.listia.com/support