Tips for Safe Shopping and Paying on EstateSales.org
EstateSales.org strives to be a marketplace of trustworthy estate sellers, however from time to time, scammers may attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting buyers. Read up on our tips to avoid being scammed below.
Avoiding High Risk Transactions
- If paying in person is not an option or is inconvenient, we recommend paying for your items via credit card or via PayPal (as long as you do NOT use PayPal's unprotected "family and friends" option) whenever possible since these methods typically offer a managed dispute process that protects you in the event that your items aren't delivered or aren't as described.
- Beware of unfamiliar sellers who request payment via peer-to-peer payment apps such as Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, Western Union, MoneyGram, or Wire transfer. These payment methods offer no recourse to buyers in the event that your items aren't as described or are not delivered.
- A common "trick" of scammers is that they will tell you up front that they accept credit cards to lull you into a false sense of security, but then later tell you they cant accept credit cards because "my card processor is having issues" (or similar) and then ask you to pay via ACH payments such as CashApp, Venmo, Zelle, or wire transfer, where they know you will not be able to dispute the charge. Once you pay a scammer via any of these payments methods, these scammers are typically never heard from again.
- Beware of new sellers with very little to no previous sales. Scammers will often create new accounts under different names. You can see how many past auctions a seller has conducted from their company profile page under "Past Sales". Never make a purchase from a new seller with whom you haven't done business with before unless you are using a credit card that offers a dispute/chargeback recourse.
Shopping
- Closely review details, photos, and instructions the seller has provided in their item description and sale terms and conditions before bidding on or purchasing an item.
- Send the seller a message from the item page before bidding or purchasing if you have questions or concerns about an item.
Paying
- Locate items you won through an online sale or auction on your Invoices page. You can view the invoice, date won, seller information, amount, and status for all items you have won.
- After winning an item, you can send the seller a message if you have questions or concerns about your invoice directly from the “Communication” section on the individual invoice page.
- After winning an item, the seller will contact you to discuss in-person pick up, shipping, or delivery information. Some sellers prefer to wait until the sale has completely ended before contacting you or charging your payment method.
- After winning an item, if you have an on-file payment method, a seller may optionally charge your payment method after reviewing your invoice or allow you to pay from your invoice. Some sellers require an on-file payment method prior to bidding.
- If a seller allows you to pay from your invoice, you will see a “Pay Now” button in the “Payment” section on the Invoice page. Clicking the button will allow you to pay by Debit or Credit Card, or by using your PayPal account if the seller has enabled that option.
