Fighting online crime

“The situation in question is extremely unfortunate and the first of its kind we have experienced in South Africa, and bidorbuy is taking the matter very seriously,” says Gillian Meier, business manager at bidorbuy.co.za.

“The rate of fraudulent transactions on bidorbuy is a fraction of a percentage of the total transactions that take place and in most cases (the current case in question excluded) would have been avoided by most savvy buyers. bidorbuy is doing everything possible to resolve the case in question and to recover the funds for the affected buyers,” she continues.

Missing in action

It is presumed that a seller has gone missing in action after having sold over R100 000’s worth of goods on bidorbuy in a single day. The seller had been trading legitimately on bidorbuy for over a year and had previously concluded a number of successful sales with various satisfied buyers.

In August 2006 he applied to bidorbuy to become a verified seller, and after having passed the stringent velocity tests with bidorbuy he received a verified status. With no previous history or record of abnormal behavior there was no way that bidorbuy could have prevented or suspected any conduct unbecoming.

It now appears that the seller may have disappeared after having accepted payment from various buyers via credit card and direct deposits, with the promise of delivering the goods. Unfortunately the goods have not yet been delivered and the seller is unreachable.

Protect SA users

bidorbuy has a number of procedures and fraud detection systems in place specifically aimed at protecting South African users. The bidorbuy rating system is designed to offer all consumers – buyers and sellers – with a transparent view of the trader’s credibility.

Consumers should always check comments made by other buyers before concluding a transaction. It is easy to spot uncanny behavior or irregular patterns by observing the comments posted on the rating system. This system has proved to be an invaluable tool in assisting buyers to determine the trustworthiness of sellers.

bidorbuy has also implemented a Buyer Protection Program where buyers are protected up to a certain amount when buying from a verified seller.

Other factors to be alert to when purchasing online should include buying from traders outside of South African borders, unless they have a positive and credible trading history on bidorbuy. Most sellers on bidorbuy are based in South Africa and bidorbuy has an automated check to ensure that the seller is in fact in the country where they claim to be.

SA-based trading

It is much safer to buy from a South African-based trader since virtually all local sellers accept bank transfers as a form of payment. With the latest FICA regulations, the buyer has recourse should something go wrong as the buyer has access to the sellers banking details.

With PayPal still being unavailable to receive payments in South Africa, bidorbuy has introduced a local equivalent called bobPay, which enables buyers to issue charge backs should payment have been made for an item not received. While the buyer and seller are in the same country, there is a complete electronic audit trail of all transactions making it very difficult (but not impossible) for fraud to take place.

One should apply logic at all times when purchasing online. If one feels suspicious about the identity of any particular seller, get more information. Although bidorbuy hides the contact details of the buyer and seller during the transaction phase (in the interest of protecting their identities and the bidorbuy business model), there is no reason not to call bidorbuy in order obtain peace of mind in regards to the person you are transacting with.

Bidorbuy has also taken the initiative in forging closer relationships with authorities such as the SAPS, SAFACT and ICASA in order to assist with blacklisting sellers where necessary and to aid in taking necessary precautions and legal actions where required.

With crime on the rise - whether online or offline - consumers need to take necessary precautions. As one takes care not to leave one’s purse or credit card unattended, so too should one be alert to the precautions to take when purchasing online.