Escrow vs. Other Payment Methods
Today, most people who trade online frequently question which payment terms are the best choice. Compared with Western Union, T/T and Letter of Credit, a third-party escrow service is considered to be the safer and more convenient option. Currently, there are lots of escrow service providers, such as market leaders PayPal, Escrow.com and AliPay. However, although escrow is the safest form of transaction when trading online, it is also important to remember the following advice:

1. Only Use a Reputable&Genuine Escrow Service
In order to make scams seem like genuine transactions, criminals often build fake escrow websites that look genuine and have convincing names such as Simple-Escrow.net and WhyEscrow.com. To an untrained eye or on casual inspection, it can be very difficult or nearly impossible to tell the difference between a real escrow site and a fake escrow site. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you insist on using a well-know escrow service like PayPal, Escrow.com or AliPay. These well-known sites are regularly used by millions of people worldwide every day.
Click here to learn how to spot a fraud escrow website.

2. Keep Your Account Secure
Scammers will find it much easier to steal your account details if you use a simple password or do not install anti-virus software or a firewall. After stealing your account, the scammer will make a deal with you and then use your account password to release money into their account. It is highly recommended that you set a secure password that is difficult to guess. You should also install good anti-virus software and a firewall to stop spyware, Trojans and other malware from stealing your private details.
Click here to learn how to protect your account.

3. Always Follow the Instructions on the Escrow Website
Buyers should never agree to release money to suppliers unless you have received delivery of you order and are completely satisfied that the product is in good condition.  Suppliers should never ship goods unless they are notified by the escrow companies that the buyer's money has been received.

Dear Paula Bao,


Almost all the staff in the Alibaba Team either have countries that are not actual or names that are out of this world. I see your country as Canada, with Chinese family name, it is good to keep yourself anonymous, for the sake of safety from would-be law-suit for defamation. The concept of a safe method for transaction ought to be there in every on-line trading, and it should be here in the first place, before Alibaba or any other portals want to be committed to this service as a B2B, B2C or C2C provider.


I am rather taken back by Alibaba to receive a reply that Alibaba does not provide such facility to Trust Pass members. This could be a downside of the world's biggest Internet Trading Portal. I know Wilhelm, he is an elderly German, who speaks off his mind, he does not hide or pretend to be good, neither will he give you lots of praise, or flattery, and then stab you behind when your back is turned.


Frankly speaking, Alibaba is something like a paper tiger, the number of fraudulant cases involving payment and non-delivery, phishings, and counterfeits are high. Some are more bold and blatant, while others are subtle, but the practise of the implementing the rules or constitution is often lagging behind, and the members are left to their own discretions, and discernments as who is real and who is not, who is phishing and who is counterfeit, I am aware that every portal for online trading has this major threat.


Other portal like eBay also faces the similar situation, but they got PayPal as the service provider for their transactions security. Alibaba has not started to implement their AliPay, and the two classes of paid membership still persists, although all Trust Passes, which is for the foreign paid members and the Gold Supplier, which is for the domestic paid members are now merged to form as one Gold Supplier.


The structure is different, and the shop front is also different, which present Gold Supplier of former T.P. is almost the same as the former, with a little change in a few more items for display. Thank you for putting up this thread, which is the issue starting from day one of Alibaba's creation. But you have left out the details, such as how to apply Escrow system in Alibaba site, which I do not see such facility given.


On your point 2. You mentioned installing anti-virus softwaree or a firewall, all these is short of telling people like me on how to do it on my Alibaba site. I asked through email this question to the Admin and Sales Team of Alibaba, s/he replied that there is none such facility as AliPay for the T.P. or Gold members at this time. So, what you are suggesting is only wishful thinking, and ideal conditions, but these are not available, nor can it be implemented immediately.


Street Smart

Unique insights

As certified China lawyer, I have seen too many buyers scammed by China fraudsters, if buyers use Escrow service, it can greatly cut down the rate of being scammed. Because 1st the scammer will give up fraud when they see a Chinese lawyer is contacting them, 2nd the lawyer holds the money until the buyer gets the products ordered, so nobody can cheat anymore.

I am thinking to write an essay on Escrow for my LLD degree.

Dear Gong lawyer,

Please tell me what does a lawyer has to do with Escrow?

Further enlighten us with the relation of your thinking to write an essay on Escrow for your LLD degree, maybe a thesis for your PhD, anything to do with the announced implementation of safe transactions through intermediary parties?

It is like a already established portal doing large numbers of transactions telling their clients that they are going to implement a secured transaction facility for their paid members, which has been announced prior to this, about another system called AliPay, which was not seen to be implemented, and now about another system, which we have not heard of. To us it is only talks and no action, and that is not doing any good to the businesses and people who got scammed due to the lack of security and a safe environment.

It is also futile to transfer all Trust Pass members into Gold Supplier, only to increase the fee to $3000 from the $500 odd, there is very little change in the structure, or benefits and a Trust Pass member changed to Gold Supplier is under different class of membership as the Gold Supplier of Chinese supplier. Is Alibaba practising a caste system on the two category of membership, or discrimination against the members from the foreign countries?

Street Smart

Good points, Street Smart !

I am a victim of this so called Michael he is a scam artist. www.2009digitaloem.com. Light Global Trading Co.Huli Road,Jimei area,

XIAMEN CITY,Fujian Province,China.( Lighttechology@gmail.com )  I paid for two iphones but nevr got the delivery. BE CAREFUL.... of this CHEAT...His name is CHUN MING LIN ( Michael ).

Hi Satishnewyork,

Did you encounter this person on Alibaba.com? If yes, please kindly email our service team at: alibaba@service.alibaba.com and provide us with the supplier's full company name as well as their link on Alibaba site for further check.

Hope things goes well as expected!

Hi satishnewyork

I got here because start negotiations with:

Michael, Sales Manager Light Global Trading Co.,Ltd. Add: Huli Road, Jimei area, Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China Tel :86-592-8751191 Fax: 86-592-8751192 Mail: lighttechology@gmail.com

he give me his web site www.2009digitaloem.com that is not working.

I think is the same cheated you, do he?

Have you resolve your problem with him?.

Thanks.

Antonio.

Hello,

seems I, ve been also cheated by Michael. I have inform the Alibaba Service. Hope they are able to help us. As I remember this company which has called

Michael, Sales Manager Light Global Trading Co.,Ltd. Add: Huli Road, Jimei area, Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China Tel :86-592-8751191 Fax: 86-592-8751192 Mail: lighttechology@gmail.com

is an trusted gold supplier, but I am not sure.

 

See you

Icecrusher64