Selling on eBay

[Noddy]

Someone has offered to buy my PMC speakers for £900, on condition that I deliver them £40 miles away as they do not drive. I don’t have issues with delivery, but they want to pay cash. I am concerned about forged money, since they‘ll probably give me £50 notes. I am also a bit concerned they might change their mind when I get there.

Any helpful advice or comments?

 

[Al ears]

Someone has offered to buy my PMC speakers for £900, on condition that I deliver them £40 miles away as they do not drive. I don’t have issues with delivery, but they want to pay cash. I am concerned about forged money, since they‘ll probably give me £50 notes. I am also a bit concerned they might change their mind when I get there.

Any helpful advice or comments?

Insist they use PayPal or a direct bank transfer would be my suggestion.
I would only consider driving to deliver when the money is actually in your bank and you have included a few quid for the fuel.
Otherwise get them to arrange a courier to pick them up.
What do you consider your speakers are worth? How did you advise them, was it collection only?

 

[Noddy]

Thanks. I prefer a bank transfer as that can be done in seconds. I could ship them for £40, and they would pay £850 + £40, he is offering a bit more. It smells fishy, why ask me to deliver in person and pay cash?

 

[Al ears]

Thanks. I prefer a bank transfer as that can be done in seconds. I could ship them for £40, and they would pay £850 + £40, he is offering a bit more. It smells fishy, why ask me to deliver in person and pay cash?

Some people will accept cash but they generally come to you to pick them up.
If not happy avoid like the plague.
did you advertise as cash on collection?

 

[James105]

Thanks. I prefer a bank transfer as that can be done in seconds. I could ship them for £40, and they would pay £850 + £40, he is offering a bit more. It smells fishy, why ask me to deliver in person and pay cash?

I'd insist on Paypal or Bank transfer then ship them, Ebay/Paypal won't release the money to you straight away if its a large amount, I've only sold 3 things but they did that with one item another the guy collected and we had to use the app to confirm he'd collected it. The system protects both sides in the deal.

Honestly how does it matter how they get to his door unless hes thinking he might try and make a lower offer when you get there, but TBH if you're not comfortable with the deal don't do it. If you do ship them I'd advise photographing the packing stages as you go then message them to them through ebay, I did that thinks its protects the seller and ebay all ready have photos if theres a dispute.

 

[Florestander]

Just as the mantra goes when buying, "if something seems too good a deal to be true, then it probably isn't". so the opposite is likely to apply, when selling. This is not to say that thee are not good buyers too. If I am buying an expensive item, I will always try to visit and see the item in situ to ensure that it is what I want and I will then pay in cash at the agreed price. I am happy to pay a refundable deposit and pay the balance on collection, if that is what is required, and I insist that the deposit is refundable f the goods are any different than as described (remembering that photo's can be tampered with easily these days. It is a difficult one, but trust is required on both sides. Always be prepared to walk away, if things are not to your liking.

 

[jjbomber]

Any helpful advice or comments?

What is their feedback score?

 

[Amormusic]

DO NOT USE PAYPAL if delivering them yourself. Common scam. They will claim undelivered and they get full refund and you have no item.

I would not accept a bank transfer either as they can also be reversed.

For high value items I would accept cash on collection as this is not reversible. However, this would be on collection only. Delivering them, nah! What's to say you don't get jumped by some big hairy blokes and your speakers removed from your possession.

If they want them that badly then arrange a courier delivery (using paypal) or the buyer should arrange their own transport.

I'd avoid this like the plague.

However, saying that I did sell my Twenty23's and met the buyer half way to London in a service station. Accepting cash for payment. So that goes against everything I've just said.

Caution though

EDIT: I'd also add that by you delivering, and not a professional courier, then there is no proof of delivery and hence more opportunity for a scammer to state they never arrived (even if they did).

 

[twinkletoes]

PayPal isn’t what is used to be on on ebay. EBay use their own payment scheme now which will also cover you if you have problems and they’ll take their fee straight away so wouldn’t do a bank transfer either.

Never expect cash insist they pay digitally ,

And if I believe correctly ebay doesn’t like you excepting cash on collection anymore. Could be wrong though as I always insist they through eBay if they don’t want to I move on it’s not as if they have fees to pay on their end like you do.

They also have to scan a qr code to state they have collected/received.

 

[Amormusic]

Good point. Forgot they've removed PayPal.

You can still accept cash on collection. They then just bill you the fee in next billing cycle.

 

[Emark600]

one advantage could be, deliver, take the cash and cancel the sale on eBay. Thus avoiding the fees, but maybe a risk?

 

[aversaurus]

I've bought and sold on eBay since the beginning never really had and issues.but get a bank transfer if you want to be more secure.
I have driven to some dodgy places but always felt safe once I'm there .

 

[nopiano]

DO NOT USE PAYPAL if delivering them yourself. Common scam. They will claim undelivered and they get full refund and you have no item.

I would not accept a bank transfer either as they can also be reversed.

For high value items I would accept cash on collection as this is not reversible. However, this would be on collection only. Delivering them, nah! What's to say you don't get jumped by some big hairy blokes and your speakers removed from your possession.

If they want them that badly then arrange a courier delivery (using paypal) or the buyer should arrange their own transport.

I'd avoid this like the plague.

However, saying that I did sell my Twenty23's and met the buyer half way to London in a service station. Accepting cash for payment. So that goes against everything I've just said.

Caution though

EDIT: I'd also add that by you delivering, and not a professional courier, then there is no proof of delivery and hence more opportunity for a scammer to state they never arrived (even if they did).

This all sounds spot on to me, bar one thing. If there is collection, then you get a QR code or similar from eBay, and by exchanging these numbers you are getting a receipt. I can’t see why that wouldn’t work for delivery, as long as you swap the number thing.

I‘d be more precise if I could remember exactly how it worked, but only used it twice, and majority of my stuff is posted.

Frankly, I’ve never had an issue as I’ve always had a chat by phone first. I drove 90 miles to Birmingham to met the buyer of my Krell at a service area in exchange for over £1500.

 

[nopiano]

 

[James105]

This all sounds spot on to me, bar one thing. If there is collection, then you get a QR code or similar from eBay, and by exchanging these numbers you are getting a receipt. I can’t see why that wouldn’t work for delivery, as long as you swap the number thing.

I‘d be more precise if I could remember exactly how it worked, but only used it twice, and majority of my stuff is posted.

Frankly, I’ve never had an issue as I’ve always had a chat by phone first. I drove 90 miles to Birmingham to met the buyer of my Krell at a service area in exchange for over £1500.

LOL, I remember about a 1000 years ago buying a Laser disc player advertised in "Bargain Pages" ( they didn't even had the internet back then) from a guy in B'ham. Its 9 O"Clock at night pitch black and I'm thinking WTF am I doing here with 300 quid in my pocket?

 

[aversaurus]

Bought some mission speaker stands from Breck road in Liverpool the horror the horror.
Good stands and good price still have them

 

[jjbomber]

EDIT: I'd also add that by you delivering, and not a professional courier, then there is no proof of delivery and hence more opportunity for a scammer to state they never arrived (even if they did).

Easy enough to get them to sign for the goods when you deliver them.

 

[Amormusic]

Easy enough to get them to sign for the goods when you deliver them.

Wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on in ebay view. You could make it up. Fake a sig. How does eBay know that's their sig and not one your mate did etc?

The collection code thing NoPiano mentions above is I think in place to show ebay it has happened (so they can claim their fee) and more in place to protect them than you as the buyer/seller. But I may be wrong about this.

I'd still prefer cash as it cannot be reclaimed from me if in person sale. But that's just my preference.

 

[Noddy]

Thanks all. He has only four transactions on eBay, all fine. I asked him why he didn’t want to pay online and have it delivered. He said he has no money in his account, and he is an oap. He also said he is no longer interested.

It is all very odd, why not just pay the money into the account then buy them? His English is poor, not foreign, but semi literate using u rather than you etc. I don’t like that.

I’m glad he got cold feet, it felt as if something was wrong.

 

[nopiano]

Wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on in ebay view. You could make it up. Fake a sig. How does eBay know that's their sig and not one your mate did etc?

The collection code thing NoPiano mentions above is I think in place to show ebay it has happened (so they can claim their fee) and more in place to protect them than you as the buyer/seller. But I may be wrong about this.

I'd still prefer cash as it cannot be reclaimed from me if in person sale. But that's just my preference.

Yes, you need their PIN/QR system regardless of the cash/transfer/PayPal thing you choose. It’s the only way to show they got the goods unless you use a courier - which isn’t the case here, obviously.

 

[davidf]

The collection code thing NoPiano mentions above is I think in place to show ebay it has happened (so they can claim their fee) and more in place to protect them than you as the buyer/seller. But I may be wrong about this.

No doubt it IS to make sure eBay get their cut of a directly delivered/cash-in-hand type sale, but if you don’t do it, you risk being scammed by the buyer who can claim non delivery.

 

[davidf]

Thanks all. He has only four transactions on eBay, all fine. I asked him why he didn’t want to pay online and have it delivered. He said he has no money in his account, and he is an oap. He also said he is no longer interested.

It is all very odd, why not just pay the money into the account then buy them? His English is poor, not foreign, but semi literate using u rather than you etc. I don’t like that.

I’m glad he got cold feet, it felt as if something was wrong.

OAPs don’t use “u” instead of “you”. Sounds like a much younger person, especially as they’re now pulling out after you’ve asked questions.

 

[James105]

I think some part of your monkey brain saw a tiger in the trees

 

[Noddy]

OAPs don’t use “u” instead of “you”. Sounds like a much younger person, especially as they’re now pulling out after you’ve asked questions.

That thought did occur to me.

 

[Noddy]

I think some part of your monkey brain saw a tiger in the trees

Ha ha, monkey brain, you obviously know me better than I thought. 🙂