JANN Eason believes there is a loophole for online auction fraudsters.
For four years the principal of Macleay Vocational College has confidently made hundreds of online transactions.
However, she and about 37 other online traders were victims of a 14-year-old eBay fraudster who still owes them more than $23,000.
In December 2007, Jann and her husband decided to buy a Mac Pro Laptop for their daughter who had finished a Graphic Arts degree.
“The advertisement on eBay was significantly less than purchasing one straight out of the store, but it was the going price on the internet,” Mrs Eason said.
“We purchased it a couple of days before Christmas and it was meant to be our daughter’s Christmas present.
“After four and a half years at uni it was to show her how proud we were of the effort she made and to help set her business up.”
However, the family never saw the laptop, even after Mrs Eason deposited $2231.20 into a bank account she now knows to be in the name of a fictional person.
The girl, now 16, was found guilty in the Ipswich District Court on March 20 of fraud and given a probationary order for two years.
The girl managed to defraud users of up to $50,000.
“How could eBay allow a little girl of 14 to do 37 trades with items she didn’t even have?” Mrs Eason said.
“I don’t understand how eBay can allow people to supply inaccurate contact details, have no age check and take no responsibility for providing the medium for these fraudulent trades to take place.
“The college sell chickens over the internet and it would never cross my mind to sell birds we didn’t even have.”
Mrs Eason said eBay was no longer replying to her emailed complaints about the issue.
Mrs Eason paid for the laptop using Paypal but the girl refused and demanded payment by direct deposit.
EBay’s first payment recommendation is Paypal and their second is direct deposit.
“I did everything eBay suggested I do to protect myself,” Mrs Eason said.
EBay spokesman Daniel Feiler said the fact that sellers had to register with Paypal and provide bank account details ensured sellers provided proof of identification to the site.
It was up to parents to ensure children were properly monitored when using online sites and users needed to protect themselves by using suggested safe payment methods such as Paypal, he said.
Mrs Eason went to Kempsey Police about the incident but because it was an interstate matter it was moved to the federal police.
“Kempsey Police were absolutely fantastic. One officer rang the girl directly and managed to get her to pay $500 back,” she said.
The incident has not stopped Mrs Eason from using eBay, but she does believe there needs to be new legislation on online trades.
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