Payment/Scam Protections

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I hate that we need this but here's some reminders to protect yourself when making purchases on or off the forum. I've worked in banking for over a decade and I wish more consumers were informed of these best practices.


1. See various payment method information below. But since you’re here, let me remind you… DO NOT SEND FRIENDS AND FAMILY VIA PAYPAL. There is no recourse.

2. If you receive a PM saying "email my friend at _________, he has the item you seek" or something like that…. IT IS A SCAM. DO NOT EMAIL ANYONE. This often occurs when you have a WTB ad.

3. DO NOT USE DEBIT CARDS FOR ANY TRANSACTIONS. There is little to no protection on debit cards.

4. Use a credit card and know your consumer protections offered by the CC company, review your terms and conditions to see what they offer. You can often start a chargeback or dispute with your CC company if something goes wrong. But review your T&Cs to know what the time frame is.

5. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Every now and then, someone will pay it forward and offer a bangin’ deal on something and its legit. But it’s a rare occasion.

6. Be smart. If random member joeblow2.0 is offering an amazing item for sale and is new to the forum with barely 57 posts, be cautious. Trust your gut. If it’s a local pickup, it is likely safer than doing a mailed item.

7. Do not use Affirm or Afterpay as they offer no protections.

8. Always be extra cautious of a member who insists on communicating only via PM or even off site. they're hiding something if they dont want any publicly visible trail of messages.

9. If you’re buying a vehicle, protect yourself and get an inspection (or two) done beforehand. Know what you’re getting yourself into.




Common payment methods:

Paypal

DO NOT USE friends and family unless you potentially want to lose your money. You only have 120 days to dispute from payment date as long as you chose goods and services and pay the fee. If someone’s lead time is 9 months, maybe consider a different method of payment…



Now the following can be tricky, I’d only suggest doing these if it’s a face-to-face transaction as they do not offer any recourse:

• Venmo
• Zelle
• Cash app

If something’s got you questioning something or someone, start a chat with the staff and we can look into it.





If you are unable to get your money back through Paypal or your credit card company/bank, you can try these other methods if you were scammed or deceived.

• File a complaint with the local LEO agency for the person’s county or city.
• Go to the state Attorney General site and file a complaint if its an option.
• File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice
• File a complaint with the FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov
• Find your state consumer protection office here: https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer

Paypal dispute information:


How do I open a dispute with a seller?

Tip: You can’t open a dispute for payments sent as “Family and Friends.” You can send a personal payment to reimburse a friend for dinner or to collect money for a gift etc. The Purchase Protection program doesn’t apply to personal payments.







I know some of y’all need a TLDR:

DO’s:
- remember PayPal’s dispute period is 120 days from payment.
- use a credit card as they have better protections.
- use your gut; if something seems fishy, use caution. reach out to the staff if you’re unsure.
- check your CC’s terms and conditions to see how long their dispute period is.
- be an informed consumer.


DO NOT’s:
- do not use friends and family on PayPal as you’re waiving their consumer protection. Pay the fee for goods and services.
- do not wait til the last minute to dispute. If you see others with similar issues, take action. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to get a refund.
- if someone says “trust me”, do not trust.