Social Security: Dec 7 Deadline To Choose Your Medicare Enrollment Approaches What Are Your Options
Every year the Social Security Administrations Medicare program provides an open enrollment period that gives beneficiaries a chance to review their current coverage and decide on what they need to change. That period is currently underway and will continue through Dec. 7, 2022.
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Your main focus during open enrollment will be deciding which type of coverage best fits your current health needs and financial situation. Making the right choice could lead to hundreds of dollars in savings but youll need to do your homework.
Most people dont pay much attention to the open enrollment period and that can come at a cost, Tricia Neuman, senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation and executive director of its Program on Medicare Policy, told the AARP in an interview.
The most popular option for seniors is Original Medicare, which includes the following, according to the SSA website:
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Medicare Part A : This helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or at a skilled nursing facility following a hospital stay. It also pays for certain home healthcare and hospice care services.
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Medicare Part B : This helps pay for services from doctors and other healthcare providers as well as outpatient care, home healthcare, durable medical equipment and certain preventive services.
In terms of the current open enrollment period, you will want to review a few things before making your final choices on or before Dec. 7.
Protection For Buyers Purchasing High
Because eBay is now selling very highly priced items, including major equipment and cars, it has instituted specific buyer protections for those items. It’s important to read the entire policy carefully because there are very specific significant limits to the refund policy. However, in general, here are the protections available.
Buyer Protection for Capital Equipment
For items purchased on or after September 1, 2016, your capital equipment purchase is protected for up to $100,000 or the equipment purchase price, whichever is lower. For items purchased prior to September 1, 2016, your capital equipment purchase is protected for up to $50,000 or the equipment purchase price, whichever is lower. This program is free on all eligible capital equipment transactions completed on the eBay Business site with a final price of at least $1,000.
Buyer Protection for Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Purchase Protection provides protection, against certain losses associated with fraud, up to a maximum amount of your purchase price paid, not exceeding $100,000 , for purchase of an eligible vehicle on ebay.com or through the eBay mobile application. The types of fraud that are generally covered are:
- Non-delivery of the vehicle.
- Undisclosed defects in the title, and certain undisclosed defects with the vehicle. VPP is automatically included at no additional cost when you complete the purchase of an eligible vehicle on ebay.com or eBay mobile applications.
The Most Common Ebay Motors Scam You Need To Be Aware Of
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Buying a car is always always a harrowing experience. When I was thinking of this article I sat down and realized that Ive done it 11 times. Since Ive never bought a brand new car it always feels like a roll of the dice.
If you are feeling super adventurous next time you decide to gamble on a new used car you can try eBay. While eBay has sold over 5,000,000 million vehicles on eBay Motors there are thousands of people who have been scammed out of 100% of their money and never see the tailpipe of a car.
So how do you avoid getting scammed on eBay Motors? Well, there are a few things that are enough to keep you and your money safe from the most common scams.
> Read about the 5 most common eBay scams
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The Seller Is A Private Entity
There are tons of car dealerships that list their cars on eBay. Exotic car dealerships more or less use eBay as a promotion platform for their interesting cars. Buying from an established dealership on eBay is about as safe as possible .
On the cheaper side of cars, however, there are far fewer dealerships. It simply isnt worth it for dealerships to sell/ship low-value cars across the country.
As soon as youre dealing with a private seller instead of a dealership youll have to work much harder to vet that they are actually a trustworthy entity. Your best bet is to look at their eBay sales history and feedback to get an idea of the kinds of things theyve sold and how they do business.
If someone without feedback or a sales history is trying to sell you a car on eBay, dont bite. No matter how good the deal is.
How To Use Feedback To Gauge A Seller’s Legitimacy:
So, you’ve found your dream car on eBay, but before you hit that “Buy it now” button, you want to make sure that the seller is trustworthy and their feedback is the best indication of that. Every user on eBay has an overall feedback percentage that’s calculated from positive, neutral, and negative feedback as a seller and as a buyer. When carefully analyzed, this is one way you can make a better decision about going forward with a transaction. Obviously, a 100% feedback rating should be the first thing you should look for, but there are many other factors.
Most importantly, you’ll want to look at the user’s feedback as a seller. Since most eBay breaks feedback down into “as a seller” and “as a buyer” categories, you want to make sure that they’ve done transactions as a seller. It’s a lot easier to accumulate feedback as a buyer , so feedback as a seller definitely holds more weight in regards to trustworthiness.
The site also breaks down feedback received within the last month, six months, and 12 months, so if a seller had one bad transaction months ago, but has since received many positive feedback ratings, you can better assume that your transaction will be smooth as well.
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When The Buyer Is Not Covered By Buyer Protection
To win a claim, eBay must believe that the buyer fundamentally did not receive the item for which they paid. Some examples that may surprise buyers include:
- If you purchased a product, it was delivered in a timely fashion, and it is substantially the same as other products of the same make/model, eBay will not refund you simply because it turns out that you’re very dissatisfied with the product.
- Similarly, a product that is inexpensive and generally recognized to be poor in quality is not likely to be refunded even if it breaks within the first 45 days you have it.
- A used item purchase is rarely refunded for breakage even if it was originally a high-quality, brand-name item. Notably, eBay usually rules that previous use has resulted in normal wear and tear and that buyers knowingly take a risk when buying a used item that the item may break soon after purchase.
It’s worth noting that items that arrive very late, in a condition not matching the description, or with obvious damage or defects that were not disclosed in the listing, are generally covered.
How The Buyer Protection Program Works
To take advantage of the program, a buyer that believes they’re entitled to a refund must:
- First, contact the seller and try to resolve the issue without eBay intervention.
- Contact eBay within 45 days after purchase if the dispute can’t be resolved directly.
- Respond to messages and required actions from eBay as the case is being processed.
- Return the item to the seller if eBay requires this step.
Once eBay has been contacted, the claims process will begin. Notably, eBay will remain in contact with both the buyer and seller, asking questions or requesting evidence for claims.
For this reason, there’s more to Buyer Protection than just knowing how to file a claimit’s also important to know how to persuade eBay and win a claim if you want to be sure of receiving a refund.
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Why Ebay Motors Is A Safe Destination For Buying A Vehicle:
Buying a car of any kind, regardless of where it’s listed, comes with some level of risk. Even if a car is accurately advertised, it could very well break shortly after you purchase it. After all, it is a machine and there are plenty of variables that neither you nor the seller have complete control over. With that said, you’ll want to eliminate all the other risks associated with buying a car that you do have control over.
Alternatives like Craigslist and Facebook buying and selling groups can be convenient to use as they require less work to make a sale or purchase on, but with no real regulations on business practices, they’re essentially free-for-alls between buyers and sellers. I’ve done my fair share of car and auto parts shopping on platforms like these, and from firsthand experience, you will undoubtedly come across scammers, time-wasters, falsely advertised cars in regards to condition and vehicle history, and generally crappy items merely listed for those naïve enough to bite. And since most sellers on those platforms require will require you to pay in cash some might even try to convince you into shady payment methods or reloadable debit cards your hard-earned money could be put in jeopardy.
On the other hand, eBay Motors has plenty of attributes that make it safer, with user feedback, secure payment methods, and Vehicle Purchase Protection being some of the most important.
How To Find The Perfect Car On Ebay:
With more than 118,000 active listings right now, there’s a lot to choose from on eBay Motors. And with its huge inventory comes a fine-tuned search engine. You can search by make, model, year, color, transmission type, distance from you, price range, and more. Even if you’re not sure what you’re looking for specifically, eBay Motors has categories like Classics, Exotics, SUVs, Electrics and Hybrids, Minivans, and Sedans to help you make a decision. It’s set up so that you can either find the right car or let the right car find you.
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How Buyer Protection Is Different From Credit Card Disputes
As a final step, buyers that are unable to win an eBay Buyer Protection case may in some instances find that their credit card issuer is willing to refund their purchase price through a . It is because there is somewhat more attention available on a per-case basis inside credit card processors.
Also, credit card companies have a clear pro-buyer orientation. Additionally, the protection policies offered by many credit card issuers usually default to the assumption that the “customer is always right.” On the other hand, credit card disputes typically take much longer to process and often require much more intensive communication from the buyer to document the case as it proceeds.
When The Buyer Is Covered By Buyer Protection
Buyers are eligible for a buyer protection claim as long as they:
- Made the purchase on the eBay site
- Paid througheBay using the eBay checkout process, such as PayPal, Bill Me Later, direct credit card purchase through eBay checkout, or another approved payment method
- Made a purchase that is not specifically excluded from protection
- Made the purchase within the 45 days preceding the claim
- Have a good faith dispute with the seller
This last point catches many disputers unaware. Buyer Protection is not an “unconditional guarantee” refund policy.
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The Seller Requests Very Specific Methods Of Payment
Nearly every scammer requests payment via very specific methods. Typically you will get an invoice in an email that requires payment via gift cards or bank transfer. Both of those payment methods allow a scammer to skip and scot-free and leave you with no recourse.
Make sure that you are paying directly on eBays platform using traditional methods of payment. Paying through eBay gives you some level of protection, as does using a card or processing platform.
If you pay through eBay there will also be a record of who the money is going to which will, at least, allow you to pursue the person if they end up scamming you.
Two Main Ways To Stay Safe When Buying A Car Online
Whether you buying on eBay Motors or another online platform there are some things you can do that will keep you safe when buying a car.
Those two simple steps will cut through 99% of car scams that you find online.
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How To Avoid Ebay Scams
This looks like a long list but its important to be very diligent when buying or selling on the eBay platform. Some of this advice may be second nature to you, or may not apply to all sales. Be aware and act cautiously as financial dealings online can be risky no matter how careful you are.
Heres how to avoid eBay scams:
Ebay Buyer Protection Program
Generally speaking, eBay Buyer Protection is a promise to shoppers on the U.S. eBay siteeBay.com that eBay will intervene in disputes between buyers and sellers to rectify issues when the seller has failed to act adequately to resolve the dispute.
Buyers that file a successful claim under the program are usually:
- Issued a refund from eBay directly for the full purchase price and shipping amount
- Required to return the unsatisfactory item to the seller
- Absolved of any further connection with the transaction or obligation to the seller
In rare cases, the buyer may not be required to return the item to the seller but will still receive a refund.
After a decision in a buyer’s favor, eBay takes responsibility for recovering funds from the seller, because the buyer has already been reimbursed.
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The Buyer Offers To Handle All The Shipping
If youre buying a car online, chances are youll either have to travel a significant distance to pick up the car or have it shipped to you.
If the person youre buying from tells you that they will handle 100% of the shipping process, be suspicious. Many scammers offer to handle the shipping process so that nothing actually gets set up.
If they are setting up shipping for you, make sure that you get the name of the company and other specific details so that you can verify that such a shipping situation actually exhists.
The Deal Is Too Good To Be True
The days of getting insane deals on eBay are mostly gone. While you can still snipe eBay bids at the last second, you probably arent going to get away with paying 1/2 of what a car is worth. There are simply too many buyers.
So, at the risk of sounding glib, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Scammers want you to act fast for fear of missing out on a deal before you can think through it and get suspicious.
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Put The Brakes On Phony Online Car Sales
You can buy practically anything online, including used cars. But before you shell out any hard-earned cash, heres a warning about scammers trying to sell cars they dont have or own.
Heres how the scam works: Criminals post ads on online auction and sales websites, like eBay Motors, for inexpensive used cars . They offer to chat online, share photos, and answer questions. They may even tell you the sale will go through a well-known retailers buyer protection program. Recently, sellers have been sending fake invoices that appear to come from eBay Motors and demanding payment in eBay gift cards. If you call the number on the invoice, the scammer pretends to work for eBay Motors. Trusting buyers have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past year alone.
So how can you tell if an online car sale is fake?
For more tips, check out ftc.gov/usedcars and Online Auction Buyers. Want to avoid the latest rip-offs? Sign up for free consumer alerts from the FTC at ftc.gov/subscribe. If you spot a scam, report it at ftc.gov/complaint.
Secure Payment Methods And Ebay Motors’ Vehicle Purchase Protection:
Every car purchase on eBay Motors comes with Vehicle Purchase Protection, which covers certain losses associated with fraud. Buyers can receive up to $100,000 or the value of the car if deemed a victim of fraud. The only way to ensure that you’re protected as a buyer is to make the purchase through eBay. Even if you’re in close proximity to the vehicle or you’re willing to travel to it, the transaction must ultimately go through the site if you want the assurance and protection of eBay’s plan. Some fraudulent sellers from other sites claim eBay protection on their vehicles as part of their scam.
The protection plan covers instances like never receiving the vehicle after purchase, purchasing a stolen vehicle, or purchasing a vehicle with undisclosed issues with the motor or transmission. General maintenance issues like belts, hoses, and lightbulbs are not backed. You can read more about Vehicle Purchase Protection here.
To successfully pay for your vehicle on eBay Motors, you’ll have to use PayPal and eBay’s financing center. Most sellers require a deposit upon winning an auction and the remaining balance to be paid within a set amount of time. This gives you time as the buyer to see the car in person before finalizing the purchase. If a seller accepts financing, eBay can help you get a loan and will manage your car payments thereafter.
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