collection items on ebay

Crowqueen

tigeress289 wrote: »

4 large wheels and tyres picked up by buyers own courier and an exhaust system by another buyer paid through paypal, then picked up in person same week. Sorry, been on EBay for years and only post advice I have done.

And there were no problems?

It has been known to happen and every time I've said that it's a rare event someone usually pops up independently on the forum later on to say they've been done over, so although it may not have happened to you, it has happened to other people, hence the insistence on a safety-first approach.

However, I do think the risks are exaggerated on the OP's items, and they will get into trouble if they try SG's line and try to argue semantics with an angry buyer who thinks you are accusing them of scamming. That's why I wouldn't go down the eBay route for these items.

hermum

Most people on ebay are fine however this potential seller specifically asked how to safeguard themselves against scammers.
The advice you gave is exactly opposite how to safeguard yourself and are the two easiest ways to get yourself scammed.

Crowqueen

hermum wrote: »

Most people on ebay are fine however this potential seller specifically asked how to safeguard themselves against scammers.
The advice you gave is exactly opposite how to safeguard yourself and are the two easiest ways to get yourself scammed.

There is, however, a reasonable element of doubt here and counter-examples where it hasn't happened may well reduce the paranoia to reasonable and acceptable assessments of the risk.

After all, there are people who absolutely insist on sending things tracked because they don't want to risk false INRs, and this is definitely one way to protect against scams; just because something can happen, though, doesn't mean it actually will and over-reaction/scaremongering is probably not a good idea either.

Oliver14

tigeress289 wrote: »

4 large wheels and tyres picked up by buyers own courier and an exhaust system by another buyer paid through paypal, then picked up in person same week. Sorry, been on EBay for years and only post advice I have done.

Thats fine its your choice to take those risks. You though gave advice to use Paypal for a collection item and allow a buyer to arrange a courier without mentioning possible risks. Like there werent any. Its your choice to take these risks but if your giving advice you should tell people of the possible downfalls otherwise how can anyone make an informed decision.

I frequently send items by dropping them in the post box. So no COP or tracking. Its a risk which I have assessed knowing all the information. I would though never advise anyone to do this as I know it is contrary to general practice.

Enfieldian

LilahDavies wrote: »

I'd just risk it to be honest. Worst case scenario is that they claim it wasn't received and you just go to Paypal and dispute it - print an invoice from eBay or Paypal and have them sign it when they collect - this can then act as your 'evidence' to Paypal. Either way you'll have got rid of the stuff and will have avoided the costs associated with disposing of it yourself!
Good luck!

Don't forget:

"Take a photo of the buyer putting the item into their car" as well....

To complete the useless set of documentation.......

scheming_gypsy

Crowqueen wrote: »

And, SG, you've been told often enough, on eBay you HAVE to both offer and ACCEPT Paypal. Please don't spread misinformation, it will only put other people's accounts in danger if they take your advice. If you could do what you're suggesting there would be no problem with this scam.

And i will keep saying it. You can still put cash on collection only it doesn't put anybody's account in danger and Paypal is still listed as a payment option. Just because you 'HAVE to offer and ACCEPT Paypal' it doesn't mean you can't put it on the listing..

soolin

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

And i will keep saying it. You can still put cash on collection only it doesn't put anybody's account in danger and Paypal is still listed as a payment option. Just because you 'HAVE to offer and ACCEPT Paypal' it doesn't mean you can't put it on the listing..

You can offer cash on collection as an option, but saying it is preferred or saying 'only' does potentially endanger your ebay account. Go read the community boards, it crops up on there fairly frequently and usually from someone who starts by saying they have been doing it for ages and suddenly ebay have pulled their auction and given them a warning.

You can put anything you like on your auctions, I suspect the 'bots' and such like often bandied around are nowhere near as good as ebay pretends, therefore it relies entirely on someone reporting you. It is easy to slip under the wire for months, even years, but one day a competitor or someone with a grudge will report you.

scheming_gypsy

eBay says themselves

Permitted
Sellers may offer to accept:

• PayPal (all sellers must offer PayPal in their listings)
• Credit cards (including MasterCard, Visa, American Express), debit cards (Visa, Electron, Maestro), and bank electronic payments
• Payment upon pick up
• Permitted online payment services (see Some Examples section) below

taken from http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html

and on http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/pay/accepted-payment-methods.html#options

They say

Payment on collection
How does it work? Your buyer pays you when they pick up the item.
Do I need to register? No
Do I pay a fee? No
Does the buyer have to register? No
Does the buyer pay a fee? No
How soon am I paid? Immediately. In-person payment methods can include cheques, postal orders, cash, PayPal, or credit card. In your listing, be clear about which of these payment methods you’ll accept.

• Most sellers don't offer cheques or postal orders, because if they don't clear after the buyer has picked up the item, the seller has little or no recourse. See Accepted Payments policy.

Is there seller protection? Yes. With eBay Buyer Protection, sellers are protected when they show an item was properly described.
Is there buyer protection? Yes, see eBay Buyer Protection, and make sure you pay through an electronic payment method. Cash or cheques are not covered by the programme.
Does this method require eBay checkout? No
Is there help if I have a transaction problem? Yes, through the eBay Resolution Centre. See what to do if a buyer doesn't pay.


So their rules state that you can request payment on collection and that you can state which payment terms you accept when it's collected. If people collect they can pay by cash only.
So by eBay's rules you can set it to payment on collection and that you want to be paid in cash and you're abiding by eBay's T&C's

soolin

From your own link it states:

Sellers who state in their listing that they accept certain payment methods must not selectively offer those payment methods to buyers or discourage buyers from using those payment methods.
This means that sellers must always accept payment from buyers through the payment methods they have selected in their Payment Details section of their listing, including PayPal, and must not act in any way to discourage buyers from paying by these methods.

And I suspect saying 'cash on collection only' would be deemed to be discouraging people from using paypal.

Crowqueen

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

And i will keep saying it. You can still put cash on collection only it doesn't put anybody's account in danger and Paypal is still listed as a payment option. Just because you 'HAVE to offer and ACCEPT Paypal' it doesn't mean you can't put it on the listing..

And most of us will go on correcting you until you get it right.

What you write on this forum has repercussions not only on your account, but on other people's accounts. People use these threads for reference all the time, as is proved by the numbers of threads that get accidentally necro'd, so your information - and misinformation - is visible for years and years after you post it. Someone googling paypal on collection items scam is going to dig up this thread, see your post, and think they're safe.

So it's our responsibilities to make sure people get correct information, even if it's an uncomfortable truth for you that you can't do as you please on someone else's websites.

Ironically, THE WHOLE PROBLEM WITH THE SCAM is that your post is incorrect. If you were correct, there would be no big deal and sellers would not be at such a risk of being scammed. That's why it's dangerous misinformation rather than just a harmless difference of opinion.