How do I buy an item?

In order to buy items in the BoardGameGeek Marketplace just do the following:

• Create an account on BoardGameGeek, and verify your email address.
• Browse to the game you wish to purchase. You can click on [Browse Games] or see if there's a game for sale directly on the game's database entry page.
• Click on the 'Buy!' icon - this will add the game to your shopping cart.
• When you are done purchasing games click on 'Checkout' on the top menu bar.
• Make sure your shipping address is correct, and verify your order is correct on the checkout pages.
• Submit the order! That's all there is to it. The seller has 2 business days to confirm the order. You will receive an email updating you on the status of the order.
• If all goes well, you will receive and email with the order total, shipping costs, and payment instructions.
• Make the payment to the seller - the seller should promptly ship you the game.
• After the sale is complete and you receive the game, you should leave 'Feedback' about the transaction. This helps to build good (or bad) reputations in the community of buyers and sellers.

What is the Pre-Order link for?

Pre-ordering is a way to specify an item that you want to buy with a set of criteria. When the item becomes available a seller will have the option of selling it to you right away.

To pre-order an item do the following:

• Search for the game you want to buy using the 'QuickSearch' or 'Advanced Search' functions of the database.
• Click on 'Pre-Order Now!' link from the games's database page.
• Fill out the criteria page (minimum condition, maximum price, other notes, etc...) and set the expiration date (90 days max).
• Click on Submit - that's all there is to it. You will be notified by email when the sale is made.
• If you need to cancel your pre-order, you can do this using the Pre-Order Manager from Your Account section of the marketplace.

What is the Make Offer link for?

The 'Make Offer' link is used to offer a lower (or higher) price on an item that is for sale. The seller has the option of accepting or refusing this new price. Either way you will get an email notification on the results.

• Click on the 'Make Offer' link on the game you are interested in making an offer on.
• Enter in your offer price and submit. That's it! You will receive email on the status of the offer.
• If your offer is accepted you can buy the item at the new price. You will only see the new price on the final step of the checkout process.

What is the Market Info link for?

Clicking on this link will bring up a subwindow with all of the past sales history for a particular item. It will show the high,low, and average price for a game based on currency and condition.

How do I protect myself from fraud?

• Check the Seller's Feedback
  • Be cautious of sellers with little or no feedback, and take negative comments very seriously.
• Compare Listings
  • Search for similar items to see if your item's price is fair-trade. Be suspicious of hard to find items offered at a very low price.
• Choose PayPal Verified Sellers
  • If the seller is conducting business via PayPal, check that they are a Verified member of PayPal and has been a PayPal member for at least a couple of months.
    • To check PayPal membership status, go to the "Send Money" tab on PayPal and initiate a payment to the seller. On the "Check the details of your payment" page, before the payment is sent, you'll see the seller's reputation link (e.g. Verified Premier Member) next to his email address. Click the link to see more information about the membership status.
• Don't Sacrifice Caution for an Impulse Buy
  • Always shop with a level head. Take the time to research the item and get to know your seller before agreeing to buy. Don't buy if there isn't enough time to check for warning signs.
• Use Extra Caution with High-Demand Items
  • Particularly around the holidays, certain high-demand items are associated with higher purchasing risks.
• Be Wary of Items with Delayed Shipment
  • Pay attention to the advised delivery date. Delivery dates further than 20 days after your payment involve more risk.
• If It Sounds Too Good to Be True...
  • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ask yourself if the information in the item description sounds believable.
• Warning Signs
  • Seller Has Large Quantity of Hard to Find Items If a seller claims to suddenly have a large quantity on an item that's impossible to find, question the validity of the claim.
  • Seller Buys Low Dollar Items and Lists High Ticket Items
  • Read feedback comments carefully. If the seller has only made purchases (rather than sales), his feedback is not necessarily an indication of his selling reputation.
  • Seller Has Little, No, or Negative Feedback
    • While a low feedback rating may simply indicate that the seller is new, transactions with low feedback sellers tend to involve more risk. Following these tips will help you have a safer shopping experience.

Admin Contact

If you have more questions about buying games on the BoardGameGeek Marketplace please send Octavian a message. If you experience a problem please review the dispute resolution process.