Ebay Scam or not ???? Advice

[kinsella]

Colleagues
I have a lathe on sale on eBay. Its listed as collection only as its heavy. I have an email from a guy in Spain saying that he wants to send a courier. I would insist on payment first. But where is the potential scam? if i get the money digitally, then where's their angle. Could it be, they say it wasn't delivered? But as i have it as collection only.

Sound familiar to anyone?

 

[wallace]

I wouldn't be too concerned, just make sure payment has processed. I have had a couple of foreign buyers. One piece of advice would be to get him to arrange the courier then if anything goes wrong its his responsibility. I got stung once when someone payed me for the courier through ebay and then ebay takes a cut of the postage.

 

[shed9]

Yes, it's a scam. IMO

 

[blackrodd]

The buyer can get the money "returned" within a week or so, would this be it?
Down here in Sunny Devon people do say, "In God we trust, all others pays cash"
Regards Rodders

 

[brianhabby]

If you have stated collection only, stick to your terms. Also when someone collects in person, insist on cash on collection.

Check out this post.

regards

Brian

 

[Mr_P]

If in doubt, forget it.

He pays by paypal, opens a dispute as it arrived in a million pieces then what. Paypal /ebay always side with the buyer, seller can't even leave negative any more. Stinks but stops tit for tat negative feedback.

 

[custard]

AFAIA, you're vulnerable with any "collection only" sale because you have no proof of despatch, you don't have the all important (in Paypal/Ebay's eyes) courier tracking number to a registered Ebay address.

So the scam is whoever gets the item then claims it was never sent, Paypal always sides with the buyer and simply raids your account/lodged credit card details to re-imburse them.

The "buyer" may well not even be in Spain, maybe it's just a smokescreen, they turn up at your door pretending to be the courier and waltz off with the lathe, a few days later Ebay/Paypal contact you to ask why you haven't sent it.

 

[Stu_2]

I don't bother selling on eBay, but if I was selling a lathe, it'd be cash on collection or nothing. I'd rather skip it then give some twit the opportunity to pull a fast one.

 

[custard]

I don't bother selling on eBay, but if I was selling a lathe, it'd be cash on collection or nothing. I'd rather skip it then give some twit the opportunity to pull a fast one.

I think (only think, I'm not positive) the problem is that Ebay refuse to accept "cash payment only" listings, AFAIK you must offer the buyer a Paypal option or your listing is removed, and if you persist then your Ebay account gets closed. So there's a Catch 22, if the buyer collects and pays Paypal they can then claim that the item was never received, and without a tracking number your stuffed. But if you demand cash the buyer can have the listing closed.

It's a right old mess is what it is!

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/a ... ebay-fraud

 

[shed9]

Another big issue is that even if you can prove the lathe is collected, the buyer can courier you a box of bricks and as soon as you sign for that parcel, Paypal will give him his money back as a return and refund process.

 

[MrYorke]

Scam. Avoid like the plague. DO NOT SELL TO THEM!

They'll pay, then get the cash returned to them. It's far too easy in afraid

 

[Homerjh]

As said above, ebay isnt worth the bother.

Sky high seller fees, disputes that favour the buyer...

i would try other places like here, gumtree and the like.

Ebay is good for some things but for the larger collection only it is advertising to the world where in reality a 50 mile radius is all you need.

 

[wallace]

I must have too much faith in people I have always taken photographs of the palletised item if its a machine. Made sure its insured and everythings gone smoothly. Make sure the buyer knows what hes getting if selling on ebay so theres none of that not as described nonsense.

 

[morfa]

As others have said, if you go via PayPal, they can send you the money, you post the item, then they claim it back. Even if you take the money out of the PayPal account into your bank account, they can still claim it back.

I'd say to them if you're willing to do a bank transfer, then I'll sell to you. If they don't respond to that then they're trying to scam you.

 

[RogerP]

Colleagues
I have a lathe on sale on eBay. Its listed as collection only as its heavy. I have an email from a guy in Spain saying that he wants to send a courier. I would insist on payment first. But where is the potential scam? if i get the money digitally, then where's their angle. Could it be, they say it wasn't delivered? But as i have it as collection only.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Tell him yes but the carrier must come with cash in British twenty pound notes.

 

[shed9]

I'd say to them if you're willing to do a bank transfer, then I'll sell to you.

Seems like an equitable compromise and will indicate the legitimacy (or not) of the buyer.

 

[Jacob]

I sold a 50s sideboard to someone in Spain. She paid by paypal and sent a courier to pick up several weeks later. No problem.
You just don't know. Paypal tends to favour the buyer, quite rightly. But my last disputed purchase - a lathe listed very inaccurately as "little used" , went in favour of the seller.

 

[Wildman]

I'd say to them if you're willing to do a bank transfer, then I'll sell to you.

Seems like an equitable compromise and will indicate the legitimacy (or not) of the buyer.

Apparently even a bank transfer can be reversed.

 

[AJB Temple]

Guys. Lots of rubbish in this thread. I work in the industry add have written pages and pages of banking T&Cs in the tedious area. For large items by far and away the safest payment method for individuals and businesses is CHAPS. When this hits your account it is irrevocably cleared funds and cannot reversed except in extreme circumstances that only apply in the banking sector not retail markets.

Cash is problematic as unless you can recognise counterfeit notes, you have no recourse. Don't use cash for large transactions. There are lots of fakes about (even coins).

Cheques take 7 days to clear and many financial institutions operate an 8 working day cycle (whatever you may think the clearance time is) and can be recalled beyond that if there is fraud. Clearing banks have protocols for this and you can find them on line if you are super keen.

A cheque that show up on your bank statement does not mean the money is safe.

BACS takes varying periods - typically 3 days. If you want to be sure, use CHAPS. It costs £25 usually.

Paypal is regulated, not very stringently IMO, from Luxembourg. It is not regulated by the FCA and you do not have retail client FCA protections in the UK. They process hundreds of thousands of transactions with no problems but also have thousands of complaintsa dn it is very difficult to resolve these in many cases. If you want o be sure of your money and it is a lot of money, do not use paypal or any of the similar services. Use CHAPS!

If the overseas buyer pays by CHAPS and it is visible in your account on collection then there is practically zero scam risk.

 

[mind_the_goat]

Think about what me might be offering to pay for the item + shipping fees, does it really makes sense to pay that much ?
If he arranges a 'courier' then you are may effectively be handing over your item to some random person.
You've looked at the buyer feedback ratings, as a buyer, too, yes ?