There are many ways to sell just about anything online. From message boards and classified lists to auction sites and online apps, you have a lot of choices but those options involve quite a bit of work.
You choose what seems to be the best route and sell your toner through a toner buyer website. However, you are posed with a new roadblock. How do you know if your toner buyer is a scam?
Here’s how you can discern if your toner buyer is legit or not.
You decide to sell your toner and find a few websites through a Google search. When you visit the first website though, you notice that it looks dated – like Geocities dated.
If an online site today looks like the one below, chances are that it’s either really old, something basic set up purely to get visitors, or the company does not care about its web presence at all.
There are a few reasons why a website may have such a poor online presence. None of which are good. And it is advisable to steer clear. If you want to ensure a fair and smooth selling transaction, be sure to select a website that is fresh, clean, and up-to-date.
Whatever the reason, you do not want to visit a site that could potentially be a scam and cheat you out of your valuable property.
Even if a website doesn’t look like it’s from the 90s, it’s important for companies to refresh their look somewhat often. Amazon, for example, has updated their homepage multiple times since their launch.
Notice how their homepage from 2008 looks compared to their page today. Every company should update the design and feel of their website to not only legitimize their products and services but also to provide the best web experience possible for their customers. Similarly, it’s good to make use of their customer service options.
Come up with a question you would like answered about selling them your toner and see how quickly and courteously they respond. Remember they’re looking to sell you their business as much as you’re looking to sell them your toner. Feel free to shop around until you’ve found a company you feel comfortable doing business with.
Contact Information
You’re browsing your potential toner buyer’s website and have a few questions that the FAQ doesn’t cover and need to talk to someone.
Is there a contact form?
Or a phone number and email address?
Even better, is there a live chat?
If their website doesn’t have any contact information, can you really trust it?
If a company is hiding their information, chances are you’ll have a difficult time communicating with them.
Who actually works at the company?
Are the CEO’s name and photo on the website?
If there’s no one listed or only one person listed, chances are that they will most likely lowball you and sell your toner to other surplus toner buying companies. You’d be taking a risk selling your toner at a huge discount so that the buyer can make a bigger profit when they sell your toner.
Most people selling toner are doing it for the very first time. They don’t know what the process is like and what to expect.
Those who shop around will notice that the professional websites will have a tutorial of some kind to explain the process. Either in the form of an explanatory video or detailed description complete with pictures. They want their customers to feel confident with their first selling experience and hopefully have them come back time and time again.
They’ll also answer the following questions in an FAQ:
When do you actually get paid?
Do they mention anything about shipping costs? And if so, do they pay it or take it out of your possible sale?
Once you sell your toner, is there any sort of step-by-step order tracking system?
How do you know where your toner is?
A lack of transparency in the toner process can leave you worried and frustrated. You don’t know where your toner is, when it’s been received, when you’ll get paid, or even if your toner is acceptable for purchase.
If you can track your Domino’s pizza from the time of purchase, to when it’s out for delivery, you should be able to track your toner.
In any industry, it can be difficult to choose the best company, especially if they’re all offering similar pricing.
How do you then decide?
Online reviews from companies such as Yelp, Google and Facebook can give you an idea of what to expect when dealing with each website.
A company is only as strong as its reputation amongst its customers. If a customer complains about a product, service or their experience, a company should do what it can to remedy the situation. Not every company who receives a negative review is a bad company. Mistakes can happen but they should be addressed. Every company who receives a negative review and chooses to not do anything about it is a bad company.
Do your research before you sell your printer toner. Look at what other customers are saying about the company. If they have reviews and address the comments or issues, there’s a higher chance of them being legitimate.
So whether you’re a first-time cartridge seller or you’re a veteran of eBay, understanding the key points in avoiding a scammy website can spare you the time and trouble it would otherwise cost you. Stick to this checklist and you’ll be on your way to turning that toner into cash in no time. And that’s no gimmick.
