Auctions Buzz Safety Guide !!!

The Auctions Buzz team is working hard to prevent fraud. With your help we can keep our community safe, Friendly and fraud free. Basically People are good,  and devoted to building a business through customer loyalty. However, just like in the offline world, this is not always true. Below is a summary of  safety tips for buyers, Sellers and information on additional online fraud resources. 

In addition to using the Auctions Buzz security features , please consider the following How To Spot a Scam guidelines:

• There are no payment instructions on the item.
• Seller only accepts wire transfers, money orders or cash transactions, e.g. Western Union.
• Seller requests that the money be sent outside the United States.
• Seller doesn't offer PayPal as a payment option. (Many fraudulent sellers have been banned from PayPal.)
• Seller requires the Buyer to call or email them before or after bidding on an item.
• Seller suggests through external contact that the Buyer completes a transaction outside the confines of an auction.
• Seller has excessive negative ratings from their Business Network. Always read a seller's ratings.
• Seller has no contact information (Contact info is only provided after winning an auction).
• Seller has no photo or information on their personal homepage.
• Seller is not located in the U.S.
• If an auction looks too good to be true, it probably is.
• Always contact the seller before bidding or before paying for an item. If anything seems suspicious, do not complete the transaction.
• If a person contacts you via email and offers to sell you an identical or similar item for a similar or lower amount, do not complete the transaction and report the user to  Auctions Buzz.

Safety Tips for Sellers

In addition to using the Auctions Buzz security features described above, please consider the following common sense guidelines:

• Don't Ship Until Payment is Received ? Sellers should wait until payment has been received, and confirmed or cleared, before shipping item.
• Overpayment ? Do not accept a check payment exceeding sale amount. This could be a scam, particularly if buyer requests a refund for the overpayment.

• Insurance ? Insurance protects both buyer and seller, and should be offered for high value items.
• Tracking ? Although tracking  does not insure an item against loss or damage, it does confirm ship and delivery dates. This feature is included with some carrier services and must be purchased with others. If used, be sure to keep record of tracking number.
• Payment Methods ? Be careful of buyers offering wire transfer payment. Accept personal checks, at your discretion, with a holding period. Mailed cash should also be accepted with discretion. Be aware that cashier's checks and money orders can be faked. If PayPal is accepted, ask the buyer to identify the PayPal account type and their buyer reputation number. For non U.S. buyers, be sure that PayPal is accepted in their country. PayPal also offers a Seller Protection Policy for accounts meeting specific guidelines.
• Escrow ? Escrow services act as middlemen for high priced items, holding the buyer's payment until item receipt and condition is confirmed. Beware of fraudulent escrow services!
• Fraudulent Emails and Websites ? Never respond to an email requesting account or credit card information. This is called ?phishing.? Also, be sure that sensitive information is not entered into a ?spoof? web site. Always check the URL.
• Off Site Trading - If you sell outside of Auctions Buzz, you will not have access to our security features.
• Documentation ? Auctions Buzz maintains transaction communications in the item description. However, there may be some post transaction emails, shipping notifications, payment receipts, etc. If so, be sure to maintain copies, in case you have a problem.