AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - During the Auction: Identifying Questionable Auctions

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During the Auction: Identifying Questionable Auctions continued ...

Pay Now or Never
Steer clear of auctions that have blatantly unrealistic payment-receipt terms, such as delivery of payment in five days. You do not want to be held responsible for the inconsistencies of the U.S. Postal Service, or be forced to spend undue amounts on delivery. In the end, you risk unjustified negative feedback or the nullification of the sale by a hasty seller. Strict payment receipt policies may also indicate a lack of realism on the seller's part.

Exorbitant Fees
Be on the lookout for either costly or unspecified fees for shipping, handling, and mail insurance. Make sure shipping quotes are accompanied by a delivery format, such as Insured Priority Mail. Shipping is routinely quoted at $4. Make sure the weight of the item (packing included) warrants this fee. In addition, determine if you think Priority Mail is necessary. You may find that delivery by first-class mail is satisfactory, though slower. Also watch for handling fees.

Make sure that all shipping and handling fees are spelled out up front. This will help you avoid an unfair charge after the fact, which places you in a compromising position. In addition, be aware of insurance fees. If the item is relatively inexpensive, the seller may be requesting an overly high surcharge. Also, inexpensive items usually don't require insurance. Finally, take note of sellers who won't let you combine the payment and shipping of multiple items you have bought. Make sure they have a valid reason other than wanting to earn extra cash from shipping and handling fees.

Dense or Deceptive Descriptions
Think twice about auctions that do not feature accurate and informative item descriptions. If they are too short, and if essential information is blatantly wrong or missing, it indicates that the seller is unknowledgeable about the item, which is cause for concern. Moreover, watch out for auction descriptions that substitute cavalier and superfluous terms--"one of a kind," "rare"--for bona fide data, such as the item's manufacturer, model, size, color, condition, history, and date.

Elementary English
Be wary of auctions with item descriptions that are marred by punctuation and spelling errors. It's not advisable to do business with people who are sloppy and unorganized. Poorly written descriptions might also indicate that the seller is underage, which can pose problems.

The Hard Sell
Don't be seduced by auctions with glossy presentations--music, special fonts, graphics, etc. Focus on the item and its description. Along the same lines, it's wise to critique auctions whose titles and descriptions are blatantly promotional. Examples include: "Must See!" "L@@K," "FIRST BID TAKES IT!" or "Meet my minimum and I'll close the auction!" Also, question auctions that force you to view additional pages and marketing material to see an item's photo.

Bad Photos
While not every auction requires a photo for the sake of authentication (such as an auction for a CD), most auctions should have photos. With that in mind, judge auctions that don't have them with a critical eye, especially if the item is a collectible of significant value. Finally, avoid auctions that substitute marketing shots from the manufacturer for photos of the real item. The photo should validate the description, not endorse a product line.

Researching Sellers
Making Informed Bids
Recognizing Hidden Costs