Selling Safely
Two important rules
Whenever you sell anything online, on any site, you should follow to important rules:
- Never ship your item until full payment is received
- Only use a secure service like Escrow.com or PayPal for payment. (Escrow.com and Paypal are both safe for sellers because both offer a secure transfer of funds. However, Escrow.com offers more protection to the buyer. Because of this, it is the service that we recommend using. Read more.)
Following these two important rules will help ensure you sell your item safely. It will also ensure you don’t fall victim to the scam attempts are common the resale industry.
Common Online Scams
The most popular scam is a "buyer" who wants to pay with a check in an amount higher than the sale price. He then asks you to cash the check, and forward the dress and the additional funds to him. The check used is counterfeit and will bounce - even if it clears your bank originally. You will then be held responsible for the funds by your bank.
These emails are recognized by a few common characteristics:
- Typically (but not always) sent from abroad
- Use of poor grammar and spelling
- Indicates urgency in purchasing your dress, but does not ask any specific questions about the dress other than price and how payment can be made
- Want to make payment via cashier's check, wire transfer or money order and want to use a shipper/ third party for sending the dress
The clearest way to identify the scam is via the excess payment and the use of a third party shipper. And usually (but not always) the buyer seems only interested in the purchase/price and a fast transaction, but does not ask specific questions about the item itself.
If you EVER receive an excess payment, you should IMMEDIATELY stop your transaction. It is absolutely a scam.
PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com filters initial buyer emails to help prevent scams inquiries from ever reaching your inbox. We are also happy to review any correspondence to help you verify its legitimacy.
The majority of online buyers and sellers are honest people. But you know what your mom always said…an ounce of prevention….
