October 11, 2006

Two-Dollar eBay Purchase Results in Superior Court Case — What you need to know about buying and selling on eBay

STORY IDEA: If you’ve ever bought or sold anything on eBay, you understand the importance of the auction site’s feedback forum. What others have to say about you can make or break your transactions.

So it’s not surprising that feedback from a $2.33 purchase has led to a California Superior Court defamation case. In that case, a dissatisfied buyer accused the seller of shipping a fake smoky quartz stone and posted several negative notes about the seller in the feedback forum.

The case comes at a time when online fraud appears to be at an all-time high, especially for buyers and sellers of high-end electronic equipment such as laptop computers. Oftentimes, honest eBay participants worry that backing out of suspect transactions will impact their feedback ratings.

Local attorney Brian Weber can discuss legal remedies for those who have been defamed, while also offering tips for avoiding fraudulent auctions and transactions.

BACKGROUND: The nation’s most popular online shopping site, eBay moves $729 worth of merchandise every second and is a primary or secondary source of income for 724,000 Americans, according to ACNielsen International Research.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that in 2005, Americans reported losing $75 million in auction fraud. Only one in seven of those reported cases found their way to a law officer.

CONTACT: Brian Weber, Johns, Flaherty & Collins, 608-784-5678 or Annette Mikat, Mikat Public Relations, 608-782-1780.