Eastern Europe - worth the risk?

soolin

Can we please be careful that we are clear what we are talking about here. Like Agutka says there is no reason whatsoever for suggesting that buyers in Poland are any less honest than those in the UK or anywhere else. My only reason for ever being wary of non UK buyers is that although i trust them I don't trust the RM to deliver the goods.

Any buyer in any country can start a chargeback for goods not delivered and the only reason I might be more wary for non UK buyers is the length of time a parcel might take to arrive, and also the fact that in my experience parcels are more likely to go astray if sent overseas.

Fraudulent use of credit cards is also a problem wherever the card is used but is very rare, in over 2000 paypal transactions I have never had an issue with a fraudulent credit card. Also due to the sometimes more stringent money laws overseas it seems a little more likely that a card from overseas could be safer than a card issued in the UK.

If you don't trust paypal then don't accept it, ever, at all. Don't make different rules for UK and non UK buyers.

In this case the OP has offered paypal as an option, so he either needs to accept it, or refuse and take the neg and non perforiming seller complaint. If the oP chooses the latter, then it is worth considering removing the overseas buyers option for all future auctions.

Soo

soolin

bleugh wrote:

Sorry you're offended Agutka

The guy may well be honest, BUT, statistically speaking, and for the amounts involved, it isnt worth the risk of the seller, there's a fair chance he isn't :-(

On what basis is there a fair chance he isn't honest? The OP has already said that this is an item that does well in certain European countries, so why be surprised when someone from Europe bids, what's dodgy about that?

bleugh wrote:

he could always post cash - by recorded delivery and well wrapped and hidden in a small parcel.

The buyer would have to be crazy to now suddenly accept that he needs to pay by cash or whatever. If the buyer was on here posting I would be suggesting that a seller who suddenly refused paypal despite it being an option on the listing and insisted on cash was attempting a scam.

Soo

rizla01

Hi,

Am I missing the point here or something.

If you receive a paypal payment into your acount then surely you can transfer that money into your bank account before sending the goods.
If you send recorded delivery or insured then surely you are covered even if, and it's never happened to me, the goods got lost. If an Email is sent to the buyer explaining that you will not be held responsible for goods lost in the post then aren't you covered. Goods sent in the post are then surely, at the buyers risk unless they agree to collect personally.

masonic

rizla01 wrote:

If you receive a paypal payment into your acount then surely you can transfer that money into your bank account before sending the goods.
If you send recorded delivery or insured then surely you are covered even if, and it's never happened to me, the goods got lost. If an Email is sent to the buyer explaining that you will not be held responsible for goods lost in the post then aren't you covered. Goods sent in the post are then surely, at the buyers risk unless they agree to collect personally.

For a paypal chargeback, you have to prove delivery to prevent them giving the buyer a refund. But what we are talking about here is the separate issue of a possible fraudulent credit card transaction, which would be reversed by the credit card company.

It doesn't matter whether you withdraw the funds or not, as if paypal cannot recover the money from you, they will persue it through debt collection agencies and possibly the courts.

On a separate note, it is the buyers feedback that concerns me most, not their nationality. I think that point has fallen by the wayside in this discussion.

payless

Nothing against Poland nor its people , just bidder did not contact in the way I asked , nor does his feedback/history meet what I asked for, from international bidders ( extra security as you pay for paypal but get no sellers protection)

and lets be we are taking about nearly £500 by the time I add post- I would be as wary for anybody for this amount - if UK or US would get seller protection , and if Uk would use other ways to verify details as well

That said I might just go with it anyway , as I think I have sourced some "verification" that at least this chap is member of a Polish forum that deals discusses teckie stuff.

rizla01

It doesn't matter whether you withdraw the funds or not, as if paypal cannot recover the money from you, they will persue it through debt collection agencies and possibly the courts.

1) Do PayPal actually go to all of this trouble?

2) Surely, proof of posting and an acceptance from the buyer that he is prepared to take the risk of the Postal System, should cover you?

masonic

rizla01 wrote:

1) Do PayPal actually go to all of this trouble?

2) Surely, proof of posting and an acceptance from the buyer that he is prepared to take the risk of the Postal System, should cover you?

Paypal seem to always go to the trouble of calling in the debt collectors. How much further beyond that they go would depend on the value of the transaction amongst other things.

If the buyer paid using paypal, then by accepting the payment, you as a seller are bound by its terms. One of those terms is that you are responsible for ensuring the item is delivered, no matter what the buyer agrees to.

payless

OK decided to go with it

Agutka

I've just thought of something. The low feedback could be due to the fact that the prime auction site in Poland is Allegro and Ebay have only just set up shop this year, so people will not have high feedback scores yet.

Good luck, I hope it goes well.

sp41700

I know this is bolting the stable door after the horse has gone, but perhaps the OP should consider changing the countries he sells to and exclude countries that he is not happy with on future sales. Obviously this would mean that he reduces his possible bids in the future. I personally have sent items all over the world with little problem.

G.