YONKERS, N.Y. – With 100 million items on sale, eBay is the king of online auctions. But almost half of the eBay buyers that Consumer Reports surveyed encountered deceptions, according to a report.
Problems. Buyers indicated that some sellers took their money and ran, failed to disclose key details about the merchandise or overstated the item’s condition.
However, deceptions weren’t the only pitfalls for folks to avoid when participating in an online auction.
Although eBay prohibits trade in illegal goods, buyers can end up with unsafe products. Secret shoppers had no problem buying lawn darts, a game banned in the U.S., and they tracked down car seats, strollers and other child products recalled for possible safety defects.
To help online auction buyers play it safe and win, the Consumer Reports National Research Center recently asked more than 2,500 subscribers to its Web site, www.ConsumerReports.org, about eBay purchases in the past year.
Results. Among the findings:
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