Example 2: How to REALLY Make Money on eBay

DISCLAIMER: I am not suggesting that you do this, nor would I do this in a million years – I am just pointing out the hypocrisy of eBay and their protection programs.

Here’s another one from the eBay archives – it seems that this happens a lot!

First, set up a new eBay account. Then, using this new account, buy an expensive item on eBay. Make it worth your while, but keep the amount of the item low enough do you can’t get slammed with a Grand Theft charge. Pay for the item with PayPal, of course, using a major credit card.

When you receive the item, contact the seller and tell them that this item was Significantly Not as Described (SNAD) and that you want to return it for a full refund. Even if they agree, file a SNAD report to Ebay Buyer Protection. Heck, if you have a Credit Card Company tied to your PayPal account, contact them too. The more the merrier!

Finally, get a rock or some other junk that weighs the same as the item you purchased. Put it in the same shipping box that your item came in, and then ship that back to the seller, Be sure to get a tracking #, and contact eBay and PayPal with this information.

With any luck, you’ll get to keep the item, and you’ll get your money back, too. Heck, sometimes you’ll get your money back from both PayPal and eBay.

You can’t even get negative feedback on this transaction – it’s a victimless crime (well, actually, the seller was victimized, but they don’t count in the eBay world.

I wouldn’t do this too often with the same eBay account, but hey, you can set up as many eBay ‘buyer’ accounts as you want – you don’t even need to use your real information. You can’t lose!

Think this can’t happen? Think it doesn’t happen? Think again – it happens all the time to sellers on eBay. I cringe whenever I get a sale from someone with 0 or low feedback because this has happened to me, and PayPal and eBay refused to do anything about it.

Where is eBay’s SELLER Protection Program?