Buying new and used video games online can be a great way to pick up some bargains if you know how to shop. There are a few things one should watch out for, however. Here are some bits of useful advice we have gleaned from being on both sides of the online sales deal.

Where To Shop – For the most part, you can find what you’re looking for in one of three places, Amazon.com, eBay.com, or Half.com. All three operate, to the buyer at least, much the same, with eBay.com’s auction format being the main exception. Amazon and Half (and some eBay retaliers) take credit cards, but most transactions on eBay must go through PayPal, which requires a separate account.

Sellers Don’t Always Follow Guidelines – Each retail site has their own guidelines to help sellers determine what condition to list their merchandise in, but their chances of getting caught if they don’t follow those guidelines are pretty slim. Most sites rely on buyer feedback to identify the less reputable sellers.

Don’t rely on condition ratings alone when choosing a game. Look at the item description. The more reputable sellers will give more information about the actual condition of the game. (We may be biased here, because we always try to describe items accurately, even though it takes us longer to do so.)

Take time to review a seller’s feedback. Low feedback scores are not necessarily a warning sign, but more than a few, occasional negative feedback ratings may be cause for concern. While there are some buyers who are impossible to please and will give negative feedback to even the best of sellers, sellers who are less reputable will tend to have a pattern of negative feedback.

Be cautious of sellers who state that they do not accept returns for any reason, or that all sales are final, all items are “as is”, etc. This is not always a clue that they are looking to cheat people, but it can give you some warning as to whether they will stand behind their merchandise. If they make a reasonable effort to explain why they won’t take an item back then they may be okay.

For example, one seller was selling a large set of disc-only PlayStation One games, and he admitted that many were pretty scratched up. He felt that they could probably be made playable with resurfacing, but that is not something he could reasonably control or predict. In that circumstance it was understandable that he would not accept the merchandise back. He had given sufficient warning of the risk, and since it was an auction, buyers could assess for themselves how much they were willing to pay under those circumstances.

Watch Shipping & Handling – Though some sites automatically add on a S&H charge for each purchase, some sites allow the seller to set their own price. While some games or items are heavier for various reasons, most individual games should not cost more than $4.00 (Amazon charges $3.99 on most games) to ship.  Alternately, if a seller is offering free shipping you can rest assured they’ve added their costs into the price. Very few people sell games online as a charitable service.

Buying multiple items or lots is trickier. Most sellers will combine shipping for multiple items, but not all–and depending on how much they normally charge for S&H it may not be a negative selling point if they don’t. Sellers of “wholesale lots” of games will sometimes set high S&H prices, counting on the buyer’s inexperience with mailing prices to bolster their bottom line (and avoid sellers’ fees). You can get a quick estimate online at USPS.com if you want to see if the seller is reasonably accurate with their fees. Depending on the condition of the games, figure about 6 to 7 ounces weight per game being shipped.

Check the Return Policy – Most sellers specify a return policy, such as allowing returns within 10 days of purchase at buyer’s expense. Note that there is a difference between returning an unwanted game and sending back a defective game. Returning a game often just means you changed your mind, though there was nothing wrong with the game you ordered. In these cases you should be expected to pay the shipping back to the seller. They did everything they were supposed to do and you just changed your mind.

But if there is something actually wrong with the item (wrong version or title, game won’t play, condition is dramatically different than advertised, etc.) it should usually be the seller who should step up and help resolve the issue. Which leads us to…

Give the Seller a Chance – If there is something wrong with your game don’t just immediately give the seller a bad feedback review. Contact them and politely explain what the problem is. Most sellers want to be reputable and want to deliver exactly what you ordered. Mistakes do happen. Give them a chance to be a reputable seller and take care of the problem. Offer them ideas on how they can make it right for you. Don’t make them guess as to what will satisfy you. But if they do offer alternatives, be willing to listen.

If the Seller Refuses to Help – Most sellers will make a reasonable attempt to resolve your concerns if you give them a chance. Be prepared to budge a little if their offer to help is not entirely what you expected. Be willing to see their side of things. But if the seller refuses to acknowledge any responsibility for your dissatisfaction you may be able to seek mediation and/or a refund through the hosting site. Make sure you keep copies of any correspondence as evidence that you tried to resolve the issue amicably. Most of these sites will usually side with the buyer and will help you get your money back, but be prepared to state your side clearly, calmly, and with supporting documentation.

Feedback Should Be Used Carefully – Buyer feedback is a powerful weapon. Be careful how you use it. No seller should learn that there was a problem with the transaction through feedback unless there is no other way to contact them first. Negative feedback should only be given if they truly did not meet reasonable expectations and truly did not make a reasonable attempt to resolve the issue to your satisfaction.

That said, sometimes it’s only the negative feedback that will finally spur a seller to resolve the issue. If they do so, give them a chance. If they resolve the issue acceptably, be prepared to revise or revoke the negative feedback. It’s the feedback that got their attention, but they will still have no reason to help you if there is nothing in it for them, ie. removal of the bad review.

Negative feedback should be given when it is deserved. For example, we’ve recently seen cases where the seller ships a full game with instructions and case in a large envelope with only a first class stamp, and it comes to the buyer postage due (buyer pays). This is unlikely a mistake an experienced seller would make, and they should be called on it. If it IS an honest mistake, they should be made aware of it. To stick the buyer with yet more postage when they already paid S&H is unethical, and other buyers should be made aware of it if the seller refuses to own their mistake.

Similarly, we’ve seen a buyer order a game listed as “Like New”. When the game arrives it was actually a rental store copy with a non-standard cover art, a damaged case (damaged in such a way it could not have been the post office’s fault), and no manual (something we would list as “good” or “acceptable”). Though the seller likely justified it as “the disc is like new”, that goes so clearly against the listing site’s guidelines the seller should be punished if they refuse to make it right.  No one wants to be a stinker and make life more difficult for others, but we also have a responsibility to other buyers who might be similarly taken advantage of.

Again, though, give the seller a chance to make things right first.

Conclusion – Buying online is an act of faith. We are unable to see the item before buying it, and so we have to be able to trust the seller. Most sellers are trustworthy, but they can make mistakes. Give them a chance to take care of the problem. Those who are not trustworthy should be identified and called out if they do not take care of their customers. It helps you, it helps reward the honest sellers, and it keeps intact the foundation of trust so vital for Internet trade.

Tags: Buying, editorials, Shopping, trust