It has recently been brought to our attention from a regular user of Buy-n-Shoot.com that an international ‘scammer’ has been making contact with our ‘sellers’ in an attempt to obtain photographic gear and equipment.

There are many forms media that run classifieds, with each being very open to public contact. As all people selling photography gear want plenty of exposure for their ads to increase the chance of a sale, unfortunately, there will always be a small minority out there looking to rip-off others. As the internet is a cheap and easy way to search the globe for ‘easy targets’, buyers and sellers must be aware and always take plenty of precautions to see their transactions are processed safely and smoothly between both parties.

A tip for anyone who may find themselves in a situation where they do not have confidence in the other party - is to simply call off the trade. If you're not sure - don't do it. It's the safest option!

Whether you’re buying or selling your photographic or computer gear the exercise can be tedious if you have not done it before. A quick tip for the 'seller', when dealing directly with a buyer (where no third party is involved for security) you should never send your gear until you have received payment in full. Otherwise, there is a very small chance you may never receive your money...

The best option at present for both buyers & sellers trading in Australia would be to use a service available at Australia Post which is (C.O.D) 'cash on delivery'. This allows the seller to post their parcel via land mail securely. It costs around $5-$25 for a shoe box sized carton (depending on size and weight) for the service which requires the seller to take their parcel direct to the post office, which they send and then collect the money for you. Australia Post can also add the postage fee to the total amount for buyer to pay.

Australia Post only hand over the goods when the item is paid for, then after send the seller a cheque for the amount collected – less the postage. For an extra $1.60 the seller can also receive a confirmation that the recipient did actually receive the goods too.

Another option is PayPal. Below is information taken directly from their website:

“At PayPal, your security is our top priority. PayPal Buyer Protection is offered as a way to make our online trading community even safer and more secure.

With PayPal Buyer Protection, qualified purchases paid for through PayPal are eligible for up to $500.00 USD coverage at no additional cost. Additional coverage may apply for purchases made with PayPal Buyer Credit.

When a buyer files a claim through PayPal Buyer Protection, PayPal works with both the buyer and the seller to gather the details of the transaction. We investigate the facts of the case and make every effort to come to a fair conclusion.”

For more details please visit PayPal: http://www.paypal.com.au


A Tip To Avoid Spam When Advertising

Advertising on any website with your email address is a great form of contact for many buyers and sellers. Unfortunately there are people around the world who scan the internet every day for email addresses and add them (without the owners consent) to lists for spamming / advertising.

This problem is fast growing, as it's the cheapest and one of the most effective forms of advertising one's website.

To reduce the chance of your private email address reaching these lists, Buy-n-Shoot.com suggests registering a new email address (for public advertising) on one of many free email sites for the sole purpose of keeping your private email address private!

Websites such as hotmail.com, yahoo.com and mail.com all provide free email services and will save you from receiving unwanted spam / advertising email when advertising your gear or services publicly on the internet.


Please Note

All tips and links are uncommissioned. Any of the links you visit, tips you use and software you download is done so completely at your own risk. These tips are provided to assist you with safety on the net and to work with other strategies and ideas you may already have in place for safe trading. It is the buyers and sellers responsibility to take as many precautions as possible for safe trading to avoid fraudulent behaviour, misconduct and reduce any risk.