Buying jewelry on eBay is considered an extreme sport, especially if you are looking for valuable jewelry, for example, gold or diamonds. This is because despite being one of the largest online marketplaces known for its large catalog of products, especially jewelry, it is also a marketplace that is full of untrustworthy sellers and buyers.
And this means that despite being required to be careful when shopping online, in general, you’d have to be extra careful when shopping on eBay. That said, can you buy gold jewelry on eBay safely? Are there things you should know and look out for before you complete an order for gold jewelry on eBay?
Well, keep reading to find out more about buying jewelry on eBay and the precautions you need to take when shopping on this site.
Is it safe to buy gold jewelry on eBay?
Well, just like everything else on eBay, buying genuine gold jewelry on eBay is a game of chance that depends on the seller you are buying the jewelry from. This means that although there are some really amazing sellers that will send your exactly what you order, others are out to scam buyers.
The first thing to do to determine if it’s safe to buy gold jewelry from a seller on eBay or not is to check the seller’s feedback on the platform. Reputable sellers you can trust have a good positive track record. Besides the reviews and feedback for that sellers, you also need to protect yourself (money), and you can do this by making your payment via PayPal. PayPal is a reliable safety net because if the item you receive is not what you ordered, they’d be forced to get you your money back or get you exactly what you ordered.
Therefore, if you are shopping on eBay, you must keep your eyes peeled. Most of the sellers on the platform are reliable, but once in a while, you will come across sellers that pull scams deliberately.
Do American sellers on eBay sell fake gold/gold-filled or plated jewelry?
The unfortunate truth is that most of the gold jewelry sold on eBay is either gold-plated or gold-filled, and very few sellers actually sell jewelry made of solid gold. If you are shopping for jewelry on eBay, especially gold jewelry, it would be safe to assume that the jewelry sold is gold-filled or gold-plated. With this in mind, you must educate yourself on what gold-filled jewelry looks like and how it differs from gold-plated jewelry.
And as mentioned above, it’s quite rare to find solid gold jewelry sold on eBay. What is regarded as pure solid gold is actually alloyed 10k, 14k, or 18k gold. Since these are some of the best versions of gold sold on the market, they have a high price tag attached to them, especially the 14k and 18k gold, and what you get on eBay is nothing close to the real thing.
If the seller notes that the jewelry is gold-filled or gold plated, here is how you can tell these two types of gold apart from each other.
Gold-filled jewelry is made through gold bonding, where gold is bonded to base metals like brass or nickel. Such pieces are made such that the gold used makes up a minimum of 5% of the jewelry’s total weight. Most gold-filled pieces are made with 18k gold.
Gold plated jewelry, on the other hand, is jewelry containing the least possible amount of gold-coated on the base metal. The gold coat is between 1/1000 and 3/1000 of an inch. As a result, gold plated jewelry is the cheapest one on the market.
Well, these are the ones regarded as a gilt or gold flash.
Tips for buying gold jewelry on eBay
If you don’t want to get duped on eBay, the first thing you should do is to learn all that you must about gold jewelry sold on eBay. We’ve compiled that information into the important tips below.
- Start your search with pre-owned pieces.
Unless you have bought gold jewelry from that seller previously and they are still reputable, you may want to start your search and purchase with the pre-owned pieces of gold jewelry. This applies to the jewelry with stones too.
- For the best deals, avoid the big dealers.
A dealer might offer what would seem like the best deal you could find, but if you are looking for the best deals on gold jewelry, for example, look for the real scores offered by sellers who are new to the trade. These sellers are often less knowledgeable than the dealers, and it would be easier to negotiate excellent deals with them.
- Buy from sellers who allow returns and are based in your state or country.
While most sellers offer returns, and you could have the purchased pieces returned, changed, or fixed easily, this isn’t always guaranteed. To avoid a situation where you are stuck with something you will never wear, confirm that they accept returns and that they are from your country.
- Always read the seller’s feedback.
Read the sellers’ feedback, and make sure you understand what that feedback means. Also, ensure that you are reading the most recent feedback for that seller. And though there will be some negative feedback on there, check them out first – buyers aren’t all good, and some leave unfair negative feedback without allowing the seller the chance to explain or fix the problem. However, avoid the seller if they reply in a condescending way or if they are rude.
- Make use of the ‘followed Searches.’
This is the other tip to follow to ensure that the gold jewelry you are buying is not fake. Followed searches allow you to narrow down your searches easily.
- Narrow down your price range
This ensures that you get what you want easily. With a followed search, you get to narrow down the price range easily, and this means that it will be easier for you to stand out from the crowd.
- Watch out for red flags.
For example, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Also, no one would sell high-quality gold with topaz, and the seller must know if the stone set on the ring is real or synthetic.
- Ask many pertinent questions and ask for as many pictures as possible
- Try making an offer
- Watch out for re-listed items
- Be patient; you don’t always get what you want the first time around
- Educate yourself on everything you need to know about gold jewelry
- Use the resolution centers by eBay and PayPal.
Conclusion
It might not be 100% safe to buy gold jewelry on eBay, but the tips above will ensure that you get the best deal on actual gold jewelry.
You guys can read more useful tips here or visit this page for more related posts!
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.