In the first half of 1999 the most common place for scams to occur was an online auction house. While some auction sites have tried to protect consumers by offering escrow services, feedback areas, and promising to remove problem vendors. However, more needs to be done. Frequently there are no warnings of any kind that fraud might be possible. Instead consumers are told the exact opposite on most sites.
Auctions are fun and safe.
And even some sites that do have warnings and that do have feedback areas make it difficult to report potential abuses. The industry needs to take greater responsibility for the safety of its customers. The vast majority of auction sites need to follow the lead of a handful of major sites that offer escrow services, complaint procedures and feedback areas. With all of that said, e-commerce is the great frontier for business. While it does have the possibility of fraud, so does any other kind of business transaction.