Buyers Scammed for Millions in Record EBay Ripoff

Google will give users a choice in hopes to appease Beijing

(AP) - Google will stop automatically rerouting users of its China search site to its Hong Kong site, the company said today, after Beijing threatened the company with the loss of its Internet license. Instead of automatically being switched to Hong Kong, visitors to Google.cn now see a tab that says in Chinese "We have moved to google.com.hk." "They made it clear to us that they did not think the redirect was acceptable," said a Google spokeswoman. She declined to say what reasons the government gave for its objections. More»

Fervent web surfers face electro-shock treatments

(NEWSER) - China is about to become the first nation in the world to officially declare "internet addiction" a clinical disorder, reports the Guardian. Citizens hooked on the web may face treatment that includes military-style discipline, hypnosis, electro-shock therapy and drugs, reports the Guardian. The totalitarian Chinese authorities have repeatedly attempted to suppress internet use, and the latest move appears to be another means of doing so, observers say. More»

Guidelines for safe e-shopping are necessary even on eBay

(NEWSER) - If it looks too good to be true, it might be. Counterfeit goods are no stranger to sites as mainstream as eBay, so you'll want to take a few precautions to avoid forking it over for a fake. Forbes outlines tips for a safe and reliable e-shopping spree.

• Know what to look for: Before purchasing a pricey purse item, read a corresponding authenticity guide. Written by legitimate sellers, you'll learn what to look for, from genuine monogram placement to label fonts.

Showdown may force online auctioneer to monitor—at a big cost

(NEWSER) - A legal battle between Tiffany & Co and eBay could change the face of online auctioneering forever, the Wall Street Journal reports. The jeweler says eBay should be responsible for checking its millions of listings for counterfeit goods, while eBay maintains that it's up to the trademark holder to flag the fakes—especially since eBay itself never holds the items. More»