Featured link: www.ripofftipoff.net

Internet auction sites are hugely popular, with eBay at the forefront of the phenomenon. Internet trading is an enjoyable experience for the majority of people who take part but things can go wrong ...

IT IS now possible to buy and sell virtually anything online. In fact, internet auctioning is a multi-million pound industry.

The vast majority of transactions go through smoothly but there still many unscrupulous traders out there ready to make a fast buck out of decent and unsuspecting people.

What do you do if you fall victim to an internet auction scam? The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) offers the following guidelines:

  • First off, always read the frequently-asked questions section on the auction website and note the safeguard advice given before you begin trading.
  • Simply being careful can save you a lot of grief further down the line
  • If things do go wrong you should initially contact the website involved using its "contact us" or "help" facilities.

The main auction sites have a good customer support service.

eBay, for example, has a dispute resolution scheme, a protection programme for users and various other tips for safe trading.

If contacting the website to sort out the problem is unsuccessful, the IWF advice is to contact the Department of Trade (DTI) and Industry and Trading Standards' website, www.ripofftipoff.net This site urges people to report any scams, whether they are e-cons, cowboy builders, bogus competitions or any other kind of fraud.

There is also a link to the DTI's "Don't Be A Mug", site which provides a consumer's guide to scams and rip-offs.

Being conned, whether it is at an internet auction or elsewhere, can be a costly and embarrassing business but only by reporting it can you help stamp it out.