Susan Grant, director of Internet Fraud Watch, blames consumers' overconfidence in the seller for the number of problems. Just because it looks good in a photo or description doesn't mean it's going to work, she said. Other problems buyers ran into include receiving items much later than expected, receiving items that were different than promised or never receiving the item at all. Sellers report problems as well. Be aware of the payment method.
Most buyers pay by personal check, cashier's check or money order.
If the buyer doesn't have the funds to back up the payment, they usually don't realize it until a check bounces, or another problem occurs, the NCL reported. I've found that if a problem occurs with a buyer, it's not because the buyer meant harm. It's more likely the buyer had a financial emergency or he or she shares an account with a spouse and made too many payments between the two. By alerting the buyer by e-mail, they are usually more than happy to send a new check and even something extra to cover your trouble. More than 60 percent of people who tried to resolve the situation on their own got an acceptable outcome.