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The best site to defraud users is:

A) Ebay
B) Etsy
C) Rubylane
D) Craigslist
E) Amazon
F) Alibaba
G) The site you're currently using
H) Any site with precious metals
I) All of the above

All answers are correct. These sites deal with fraud by ignoring it. Absolutely and completely ignored at every possible turn. Money will always rule these sites no matter the human or other costs. It makes the most sense because people might not know they've been hoodwinked or just don't speak up. Why ruin a huge revenue stream if no one says anything? If illegal sales were disallowed then just about every website listed above would go out of business immediately!

Sears changed shopping by sending out the first mail order catalog. Their recent bankruptcy shows that sending payments through the mail has gone the way of dinosaurs. Nowadays, a few mouse clicks can do in seconds what took hours back then.

Collectors saw it is a blessing or curse depending on which side of the transaction they found themselves. They had to sell somewhere so online services helped tremendously. It made everyone an expert, at least in their own minds.

Ebay and etsy - They are not four-letter 'F' words but they are four-letter 'E' words. Both maintain they will not interpret the law even when historical fact proves something doesn't exist. It's funny how they can financially benefit from internet fraud but don't police their sites.

Experts estimate that 90%+ of some categories are counterfeit on ebay! European countries have successfully sued them for turning a blind eye to it.

Etsy was an amazing site dedicated to handmade goods. Now, it is a dumping ground for imported, mass-produced goods like its cousin. Plenty of fakes, too. Customer service is horrible.

Regarding ebay, there is no site that manipulates and messes with the search results more. They fuck over a certain number of people by not showing their items in the appropriate searches, thus ensuring someone will always be saying how they got such a good deal on ebay.

Craigslist - It is a quasi-informal site that lacks real infrastructure. You expect it to be crap and won't be disappointed. There are some scary people on that site. It has everything from yard sales and job offers to dating and hiring a hitman. Maybe not the last one but there was a guy....

Offerup - They do offer purchase protection. Most listings have low-quality pictures with barely a word or two. No one seems to know what a ruler is or that one picture doesn't capture all six sides of an object. Old listings pollute the site so expect a dismal reply rate. It is the least refined site, a lifehack, lol.

Amazon - Putting countless book stores out of business was practice for dismantling even more industries. They are marginally better than the ebsy-like venues regarding upholding their rules.

Their treatment of sellers and employees is borderline criminal. THEY PAID NO TAXES ON HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INCOME! That's switching the tax load to the average person, who happily gets free shipping and returns.

Rubylane - For the claimed professionalism -vs- the actual implementation of those standards, no company is worse than this shithole. Arrogance redefined. Overall they are barely marginally better than ebsy sites. They have less market share and higher costs for sellers, and buyers will be paying a premium for perceived worth, I don't know? It's more upscale so be nice about whatever misdeeds you desire. Their programmers need to step it up a notch.

Summary - Time and time again, internet businesses like these follow one mantra: When the money comes a knockin', ethics go a walkin'. Reimbursements to wronged buyers are a small line item.

As a buyer, you'll generally get what you bought. Be wary of precious metals in any form. Trusted businesses will ensure your satisfaction. As a seller, counterfeit items and whatnot might not be a big deal until they rot your market.

Fringe and specialty websites pop up frequently so it is anyone's guess what happens there. The deals are, conveniently, too good to ignore.

Posted by M: September 28, 2019

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