Unofficial Buying / Selling Discalimer
Conducting business online, whether it be selling or buying, has and will always carry a risk. As more members frequent the forums, the potential chance of deals going bad or users intending to scam others goes up. We do encourage the use of these forums to sell or look for items - however,
purchases and sales are made at your own risk and PentaxForums.com will not be held liable in any way. Site moderators and administrators are not responsible for any losses resulting from the use of this section.
With that said, do not let that deter you from dealing on the forums. Legit users far outweigh those with ill intentions and there are several ways you can protect yourself when dealing online. A little research and common sense can go a long way.
PentaxForums.com has done everything it can to ensure its users are trustworthy- and they are. The site requires Marketplace sellers to either be Site Supporters or Pentaxians- this ensures that potential scammers cannot just register and post. Furthermore, we've only had about 2 malicious sellers in the history of our site, and both buyers involved were able to get all their money back from PayPal.
Please use these tips when using the Marketplace. BUYERS 1) Click on the seller's username to view their profile page. Toward the bottom of the page there is a tab that reads 'Statistics'. At the bottom is a link to their Marketplace feedback. If they have previously dealt with others on the forum and users have left feedback, you can see if experiences with the seller were positive or negative. Feedback and percentage can also be seen in
each Marketplace post/thread.
2) Check to see if the seller is an active member of the forums. If they have only recently registered and the first thing they post is a For Sale ad, please be wary. This does not necessarily mean users with more posts or an earlier registered date will not scam.
3) Ask questions - if they take too long to respond, imagine how long they might take to ship out an item. Browse through some of their older posts and get a general feel about the seller. Ask for their location and if there is someone you know that is local to them, ask them to check the item in person.
4) Whenever possible, payment should be made via Paypal/Credit Card. This way, if a deal does go wrong, you have the option to dispute and file a claim with the appropriate company and get your money back. Stay on top of things; if the seller keeps giving you excuses or does not respond, do not wait. File a claim as soon as possible since you will have a certain time period to file claims. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Money Orders/Cashier's Check are a little more risky as they do not give protection for the buyer. Use this as a last resort only if you feel comfortable with the seller.
5) If you really want to get into a member's background, try Google searching their username and/or email. Many times, their username is unique and will be used for a variety of other sites they may frequent. You'd be amazed at the amount of information you can sometimes find from a simple search.
These precautions may or may not be obvious but sometimes buyers are too eager when they find a "deal". With a little awareness and common sense many scams can be avoided. This is not to say that your deal will be flawless even if you follow all precautions. There is always that risk online. However, by protecting yourself you can make it a bit easier to resolve things if something does go wrong.
SELLERS 1) Add as much information as possible about the item you are selling. Condition, usage, price, shipping, location, etc. are all important information that should be included. Do not try to hide faults which you are aware of about the item.
2) Take at least 1 photo (the more the better) of the item you are selling and make sure it is a decent photo - blurry photos do not help. A clear shot of the item you are selling will give possible buyers a better look at the item. Please do not use stock photos or images that are not yours.
3) Be willing to ship internationally as there are many users who are not located in the United States. This will increase your chances of selling your item.
The administrator and moderators try their best to keep fraudulent users out, but it is impossible to keep track of each and every deal. Members are always encouraged to report a post or contact the staff via PM or email if there is any suspicious activity.
Lastly, if you have done any dealing through the Marketplace, whether as a seller or buyer, please be sure to leave feedback so that others can benefit from your experience. Tips for international sellers: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/site-suggestions-errors-help/32863-sellin...ps-advice.html
Last edited by Adam; 07-17-2009 at 11:00 AM.
Reason: Updated with new information.
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