If you are interested in the fast-paced world of penny auctions, chances are you have done the research to know exactly how these somewhat complex auctions work. While you can find endless tips on how to win items, it is much harder to find advice on how to avoid being scammed, or wasting your bids on items which will not be legitimate or desirable.

Here are some tips on how to avoid being taken for your money when participating in auctions. First, beware very low “buy it now” prices.

When the item is a very desirable computer or consumer electronics item, a “buy it now” price for a brand new item that is significantly below fair market value should set off alarms in your head. If it seems too good to be true, chances are it is.

If you think you are going to get a $5,000 plasma screen TV for a penny, the odds are not in your favor, my friend. Just keep your head about you, and try to think about things logically-don’t get sucked Brand Viagra into things which are too good to be true.

Next, beware of items that don’t really exist. While some websites are very legitimate and have documentation for their products, there are some penny auction websites which are complete scams, and will take your money.

Don’t bid on any auctions for bid-name manufactured items that don’t exist in any store, because chances are it doesn’t exist at all, or is illegal. This includes items like DVDs of movies which have not been released yet, computer processors which were never marketed, and other products which say they are Levitra Professional “before market.”

If there is not any option for PayPal available, proceed at your own risk. Online payments can be incredibly risky, and involve identity theft.

Steer clear of sellers who request untraceable wire transfers, or back account information for e-checks. This is completely dangerous, and can lead to your accounts being hacked, drained, or stolen.

Another word to be wary of is “untested.” There are sellers which sell only untested items, and they should be avoided.

More often than not, untested is just another way of saying broke. Ever if this seller is an honest liquidator who doesn’t really know if it works, you still are taking a fifty-fifty risk on whether or not you will receive a legitimate working item or not.

Be careful for items which drop legitimate brand names, but do not truly fall under this category. For instance you may be offered an “Armani-like suit,” but this is not going to make your suit an Armani.

They are trying to draw in bidders with brands which they do not sell nor represent. They are most likely cheap knockoffs, which do not live up to the phrases that they use to sell their product and attract attention.

If you think an item is extremely cheap, before you bid, check the shipping. If you are bidding in a legitimate penny auction, usually the shipping is included in your final price.

However, many other kinds of bids will slip in the shipping cost at the end of your bidding process. You may think you are getting a product for one dollar, only to find that the shipping is really sixty dollars.

This is a seller who is out to fool you, and take advantage. Take care to avoid these sellers, and check what reasonable shipping prices are.

Check out “contact me before you bid” listings. When you do contact sellers that put this key phrase in their description, they’ll tell you that you can buy directly from them, bypassing the auction website.

They can easily take your money this way and disappear, with no record of the transaction. This is a classic move for scams, and should be avoided at all costs.

When you are reading the description of an item, be aware of any contradictory information which may appear in the listing. Did the 250 gigabyte hard drive suddenly become an 80 gig hard drive after you clicked on the item?

This is a way for sellers to draw you into their item, and then pull a bait and switch right under your nose. When you are aware of these different selling tricks and scams, you can be sure that you will get the legitimate item that you are bidding on.

Author Bio: Ronald Pedactor has been in sales for the past 22 years and is considered an expert on the subject. He has found Nitrobids to be the best penny auctions for great electronics, vacations, and new cars.

Contact Info:
Ronald Pedactor
RonaldPedactor09@gmail.com
http://www.nitrobids.com

Category: Culture and Society/Scams
Keywords: penny auctions