They’ve been around for decades now and in a way, we’ve all gotten used to the method in which online marketplaces work. However, due to the nature of them, it’s not unheard of for a scam to occur and a quick search on Google can confirm just how many problems are documented (and sometimes reported to the BBB) on an annual basis.

Bearing this in mind, today’s guide has been put together. We will now take a look at some of the steps that you should take to ensure the company you are buying from are not going to have the last laugh on an online marketplace.

Check the people you are buying from

Fortunately, one of the first inventions on these platforms was a functionality to check people you were buying from. In other words, before clicking the final ‘buy’ button, you were able to read reviews and ratings from buyers who had also had experience from the said company or individual.

This might be one of the oldest functions out there, but you should be tapping into it as a matter of urgency. If you note that a seller has limited history, it’s a sign that you should avoid. By the same token, it should go without saying that a barrage of bad reviews is a sign that you should be looking elsewhere to make your purchase.

What policies does the marketplace have in place?

While you should be looking to protect yourself from the buyer themselves, the platform can also come to your assistance. Most of the major marketplaces have some very strict protocols for dealing with customer service problems. A lot of the time, these sit in favor of the buyer, meaning that you can quite quickly obtain a refund if things do happen to go wrong along your journey.

Suffice to say, if you do opt for a marketplace of this ilk, you’re less likely to experience problems later down the line.

Double check the product descriptions

Unfortunately, the sellers themselves on these platforms don’t tend to have to answer to the BBB (it would usually be the platform). This means that they can be quite vague with product descriptions, which can ultimately hurt the buyer.

For example, it’s not been unheard of for people to be seemingly bidding on mobile phones, only to receive a case or a replica by the end of the process. This is something that would be highly unlikely to occur on a standard ecommerce store, but the nature of marketplaces means that it can be something that can happen there. Sure, you might be able to resolve such an issue with the platform themselves, but it goes without saying that this adds a lot of work to your buying journey. The last thing you want to be doing is submitting evidence and making refund claims for a product which should have been oh so simple to purchase in the first place.