COD Mail and Auction House Scams: How They Work and How to Avoid Them

What is COD mail?

Cash on Delivery (COD) mail lets the sender attach an item that the recipient can only take after paying a set amount of gold. It is handy when trading with someone far away, but if you don't check the attachment and the amount, you can lose out.

Trick 1. A cheap item with a big price

Instead of the agreed item, the sender attaches a cheaper item with a similar name and charges the agreed amount. When you open the mail, you can view the tooltip of the attachment, so always check the tooltip and quantity before paying. If anything looks wrong, don't pay and return the mail.

Trick 2. An inflated COD amount

You agreed on 50 gold and the mail asks for 500. Check the COD amount all the way to the gold field, and return the mail if it doesn't match.

Trick 3. Auction house unit traps

Auctions are often listed as stacks, so it is easy to confuse price per item with price for the whole stack. Some sellers list far above market price and wait for someone to buy by mistake. Check the per-item price again before you buy out.

Trick 4. Fake market prices

"Prices on that have crashed lately," says someone trying to buy valuable materials cheap. Check the current price yourself on the auction house before you trade.

Summary

• With COD mail, check the attachment tooltip, the quantity and the COD amount before paying.
• If any of them is wrong, don't pay. Return the mail.
• On the auction house, check the per-item price before you buy out.