Craigslist and Ebay

There are alot of different online forums that are there for anyone to use. They can be in the form of chat group, cyber games or selling items. Two such groups are Ebay and Craigslist. These forums are great tools, but if used by the wrong people could be costly and deadly.
Craigslist is one of my favorite consumer tools. Alot of people will go through thier garage finding items they dont want or need anymore and sell them for cheap to someone else via internet. This tool has eliminated the need for an actual garage sale, and has broadened the customer potentials. Anyone can use the forum, they dont actually need an account. The only thing provided by the poster is an email address, and ad. The items sold are not limited to material things. You can view real estate, pets, see community adds or events and jobs as well. There is even an option for barter. This tool is used completely at the discretion of the consumer, and the arrangement for exchange of goods is settled privately via private email. Craigslist does not take responsibility for either party. They do, however, include in the services a help selection with frequently asked questions, and a scamming section with warnings to ensure people's safety. There are pro's and cons for enlisting this service. In favor of craigslist, it is an easy dummy-proof way to sell your items, and to maximize the potential buyer. You can set your own price and negotiate in private, without having to answer to a corporation, and there are no fees associated with it. The con's can be a bit tricky, however. You can easily get scammed, especially if you dont buy locally, and one party decides to scam the other out of either money or product. If this should happen, there is no buyer protection. Also, if the pick up is arranged in person, this could prove to be dangerous. You will never know what kind of person you are meeting until they reveal it to you. The recent press has proven that in the case of the craiglist murders. So my advice, use it with caution, and definitely read the rules on safety before you meet with someone you dont know.
Ebay is a similar search toolm but there are some major differences. First, ebay is a world wide organization. You must be a member of Ebay in order to post items for sale. The seller has the option to list as an auction, or to buy it now. On the webpages viewed are the terms of the purchase, description and pictures. The seller will normally include any shipping fees for the items purchased. The fact that this is a world wide venture leaves more room for anonymity. Because Ebay is worldwide, they have created a banking system for exchanges using peoples personal bank accounts, though the seller will never see the personal information. The company has also set up a paypal credit card for those who shop ebay. The plan determines where you can use it. Some are restricted only to ebay, others have free roam of ebay and other stores. Mosty people do not meet up for a private exchange, so the risks are minimal there. There are alot of scams however. In personal experiences, we have been asked to send money via western union before the shipping would 0ccur, the purchaser stating they dont have a paypal account or a private bank account. Both of these methods would make it easy for authorities to track them, but western union doesnt track thier transactions, therefore a scammer would not be caught. There have also been times where I have purchased an item through the legal ways and just never recieved the item, though my money was taken.
There is a plan through ebay that allows for the scammed to recieve thier money back. You can submit a claim through the ebay company and within a few days, you will recieve your money back, and the seller will either have to pay up or lose priveledges to ebay.
The last thing I would like to note is though the internet shopping offers convenience, it also takes alot of trust too. You have to trust the quality of the product, trust where your money is going and trust the seller to not be a serial killer, rapist, or scam artist. And if that isnt reason enough to limit online shopping, I cant help you :)