From: barrett@snoopy.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.marketplace
Subject: Re: How Risky is it to Buy Used Equip. Thorugh UseNet ?
Date: 30 Jul 92 20:31:32 GMT
Reply-To: barrett@snoopy.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Organization: BLAZEMONGER INCORPORATED

In article <1992Jul30.191458.4536@ennews.eas.asu.edu> prado@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (Louis A. Prado) writes:
>How can I minimize the risk of purchasing computer equip through this group?
>Does it always come down to a matter of faith with a total stranger?

	Yes, but there are a few things you can do to help yourself.

(1)	Use COD for shipping.  This way, the buyer is guaranteed to
	receive the package, and the seller is guaranteed to get the
	money.

(2)	Deal with people who have been on the Net a long time, or work for
	established companies.  These are clues that the person may be
	reputable.  (But not guarantees, of course.)  It is more risky to
	deal with an anonymous person@somewhere.uucp than
	smith@decuac.dec.com.

(3)	If you are selling something, don't accept personal checks
	from strangers.  Insist on COD or money orders.

	If I am selling something for $20 or less, I automatically trust the
buyer and let him use a personal check.  After all, it would cost him more
than $20 (in bank fees) if the check bounced!  If I'm buying something for
$20 or less, I also trust the seller, since I can afford to lose $20.  And I
don't think that an intelligent person will risk $20 to have his name
smeared all over the Net as a liar, since I would certainly do that if
someone ripped me off.

(4)	You can also use a 3rd person as an intermediary.  For example,
	suppose Ms. Smith is your intermediary.

	1)	You send your money to Ms. Smith.
	2)	The seller sends the merchandise to Ms. Smith.
	3)	When Ms. Smith has both the cash and the merchandise,
		she sends them to you and the seller, completing the
		deal.
	4)	Ms. Smith keeps a small percentage of the money as
		a reward for doing this work.  (Optional.)

	You'll need an honest person to be "Ms. Smith", but this can
	be the safest way to handle expensive transactions.

(5)	To be really safe, ask for a written warrantee from the seller,
	saying that if the product fails to live up to its promises, it may
	be returned for a refund.  Get this SIGNED and IN WRITING, not by
	e-mail, in advance of the sale.

	I do this sometimes.  In fact, I write the warrantee myself and
	send it to the seller to sign.

>Is there a blacklist of people not to deal with?

	Nothing like that has been posted.  Some people came up with the
idea to do this, but many people argued against it, since anybody who
posted such a list could be sued by someone on the list.  (I'm not saying
that the suit would be successful... just that it is POSSIBLE to be sued,
which can be a real pain.)

>How many people have gotten burnt?

	A few.  Most transactions work.  I have never been ripped off,
and I've done about 10 transactions, each under $100.

                                                        Dan

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| Dan Barrett -- Dept of Computer Science, Lederle Graduate Research Center |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA  01003  --  barrett@cs.umass.edu |
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