Support :: Security :: Online Auctions

Use Online Auctions Safely
Online auctions match buyers with sellers and are one of the success stories of the internet. They are however are also a market opportunity for fraudsters; if you aren’t careful and don’t take simple precautions you could be asking for trouble.

Risks

• You make a purchase but your goods are never delivered.
• You make a sale but your payment never arrives.
• Your online identity is used by a fraudster without your knowledge.

Know how the system works

• If you are new to online auctions, read the online guides provided by the auction company so you understand how the system works.
• Learn what the auction company will and won’t do if something goes wrong.
• It may seem obvious but use a login name for the auction site that is different from your email address.
• Use strong passwords (see our passwords advice and password generator | | ).
• Keep your contact information up to date, including email address, if it changes.
• Pick good sellers, look for recommendations from other users of the auction service if possible.
• Get to know the seller. Look at their profile, their rating and transaction history.
• Be very wary of sellers who have lots of negative feedback.
• Everyone is a newcomer to auctions at some point and most sellers with few ratings from other buyers are not necessarily bad people to deal with but it may pay to exercise a little caution with them.
• If a seller is a business, check their information and credentials. If they provide a phone number or address, you may wish to at least call them to find out more about them.
• Sellers outside the UK will be a lot harder to chase if something goes wrong with your transaction.
• Ask the sellers questions by email. Prompt replies with helpful and especially knowledgeable replies are encouraging. Slow rude responses should serve as a warning to you.
• Make sure you have been clear about shipping and delivery costs and methods of payment.
• Never ever ever give out your password to anyone (again see our password section for more information about strong passwords and our free password generator | | ).
• Be very wary about giving out personal information to sellers. Never ever ever give out your password. You may need to give some personal information to a seller once you have won their auction, for example a delivery address, but remain conscious of the risks and don’t give out any more information than you absolutely have to.
• Be wary of phishing emails. These may appear to be from a trusted organisation but are really from criminals trying to lure you to a fake website to get your personal information (see our sections Don't Fall for Hoax Emails. and Avoid Fake Websites.).
• If you think your auction account has been compromised, take action immediately. Check the site’s online help files. Contact the Auction provider. If necessary contact your Bank / Building Society.
• Always make sure you are using a secure internet connection (see our Certificates Section).
• Although many trusted organisations do send emails containing legitimate links , always be careful when clicking on them unless they come from a trusted source (remember there is more than one way to make a link look like it comes from somewhere that it doesn't).
• Check that communications between buyer and seller are not being blocked by spam filters by checking your spam folder regularly.
• Auction companies will never send you emails asking you to disclose PIN numbers, passwords or other personal information. Do not respond to any such emails. Notify the auction company instead and send them a copy of the email.
• Do not respond to requests to close auctions early. Usually the best bids will arrive toward the end of an auction. You will not lose anything by holding on to the end of the auction period.
• Again this may seem obvious but make sure you have been paid before dispatching anything you have sold.

Linx Data Ltd. do not sell computers or computer peripherals, however as we are regularly asked by our clients and others what laptops, home or office computers are the best value for money.
Linx Data Ltd. Recommend Dell computers.

Dell Desktop Dimension XPS™ 730 - (D117302) | / Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9650 (3.67Ghz Overclocked, 1333MHz FSB, 12MB cache)/ Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 - English/ Hard Drive: 1TB NCQ SATA (2x500GB) 7200Rpm Dual HDD Config Raid 0 Stripe/ 2048MB 1333 MHz Dual Channel DDR ... £ 2,948

Dell Desktop Dimension XPS™ 730 - (D117303) | / Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9650 (3.67Ghz Overclocked, 1333MHz FSB, 12MB cache)/ Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 - English/ Hard Drive: 640 GB (2x320GB) Serial ATA (7200 Rpm) Dual HDD Config. Raid 0 Stripe/ 4096MB 1333 MHz Dual Ch ... £ 3,148

Linx Data Ltd. Recommend and Use Dell Computers exclusively.

• Styles
  •  Corporate
  •  Shades
  •  LemonTang
  •  BlueIce