eBay denies auction site is riddled with fraud

Online auction website eBay today defended itself over accusations it was being used for fraudulent transactions.

British consumer magazine Which? Computing has warned that internet auction sites are being exploited by bogus sellers.

Buyers risk getting drawn in by scams which can often leave them out of pocket.

But eBay.co.uk claimed just 0.01% of transactions end in a confirmed case of fraud and that safeguards are in place to limit the risks to users.

Examples of fraud include the sale of counterfeit items and the attempted theft of users’ personal details.

Sarah Kidner, from Which? Computing, said: “We are not telling people to avoid these websites but what we are saying is read the guidelines and make sure you are covered if something goes wrong”.

Gareth Griffiths, head of taste and safety at eBay UK, said: “We have lots of systems in place to drive the number of fraudulent transactions down.

“However, we try to solve the problem at source but constantly telling people to use the same common sense they would use in any other environment”.

The website advises buyers to read feedback from other users about the seller of an item they are interested in, and contact them through the site if necessary with any questions.

It says users should be wary of any seller who insists on payment by a money transfer service and, if in doubt, use a credit card which protects against fraudulent transactions.

The site offers two levels of protection if all goes wrong and users are left out of pocket.

It offers compensation on purchases from €22 and up to €180 through its Protection Programme.

Those who use its PayPal payment method are also covered on purchases up to €370.