Even as geeks, we’re in a position where we might be ripped off by some of the less reputable online retailers out there. And without singling out any specific sources more than others, I will say that eBay has become among one of the worst places to buy things these days. Seriously, the scams are common and wide reaching. It can be a real headache for everyone involved. Well, at least from the consumer point of view, that is. I guess it’s safe to point out that the person ripping people off is getting a pretty sweet deal.

How to avoid being ripped off

My advice, above all else, on how to avoid getting ripped off shopping online is twofold. First, use a credit card. Using a debit card is dangerous as it leaves you completely at the mercy of your bank. The funds are removed or held immediately. Worse, recourse for non-receipt of ordered items are fairly slim. Second, make sure you’re shopping with someone you’ve had a good experience with. I don’t care how big they are, make sure you have something more than “good ratings” to work with. Buying from someplace like Amazon is a great place to start as it has zero tolerance for most merchant shenanigans. I am not saying it’s perfect, mind you; I’m rather pointing out that you want to ensure that you’re at least relying on trusted sources for your online purchases.

Photo by Anonymous9000

Stepping outside of the comfort zone

It’s going to happen: you’re going to need to buy from a no-name merchant. So long as you’re buying via a credit card, double checking the Web to verify that there aren’t any really obvious complaints about the vendor leading to you rethinking your purchase, then go for it. Just remember that you’re buying largely on faith. So I’d buy small to start with. If that goes well, you can jump in a little deeper next time. But whenever possible, please stick to buying from merchants with a proven track record either with you or by working with companies like Amazon. No, eBay doesn’t count.

Best bets

Realizing most of us want to grab the best deal possible on bare-bones systems, storage, memory, etc., it pays to shop around. But I cannot stress enough that while we may be masters of the tech world we inhabit, we’re not immune to being ripped off. So knowing this, let’s all be careful out there.