Question about payment email....Dodgy?

Katgoddess

I am currently selling a top on Ebay, starting price 4.99, Buy It Now 30 quid.

I've just had the following email from someone with an Australian email address, looks like a work one.

Dear katgoddess,

Please email me at xxxx@yahoo.com Hi there, I would love to do buy it now on your top, but I don't have a paypal account. Can I pay you by direct deposit into your bank account? Please email me at xxxxx@yahoo.com rather than replying directly to this email as I am unable to access my ebay email address at the moment. Thank you very much, Kindest regards Sarah

Do you think this is a scam, asking for my bank account details? :rolleyes:

I am tempted to write back and say if she wins the auction I will consider a postal order but if she wants to use Buy It Now it will have to be paypal.

soolin

A bank transfer is absolutely fine as long as your buyer knows you won't ship until you receive the payment.

All you would need to do is let the buyer have your bank sort code and account number (which is on your cheques anyway) and she can make a transfer straight into your bank. The money will take up to 4 working days and will be cleared funds on arrival. My only one negative thought in this case though if the buyer is in Australia the bank transfer is going to really cost her and she may not realise that. Is it worth responding firstly by asking her whether she is in the UK or not?

It does have the advantage though over paypal that you don't have to pay any charges!

Direct bank transfers have been discussed in various threads on here, so see if anything turns up when you do a search as there is a lot of information around about them.

One final point, do you always list your start price and BIN price so far apart? The reason I as is that buyers might be tempted to bid low and early to knock out your BIN price which means you have paid your BIN supplement for nothing.

Soo

RACHIE77

Have you checked out their feedback on their ebay account? It does sound like they are still wanting to buy the item through ebay but use different payment methods? Which seems okay except for the fact I think a bank transfer costs about £25 when you are in Oz (this is a dim and distant memory so dont quote me on it!) so I think it would be worth asking them if there is any chance they can set up a paypal account??

tricky one??

Katgoddess

Her feedback is ok, which is making me feel guilty now.

But she is in Australia, and my auction does say I will only post to the UK. This top isn't going to be much of a bargain after posting to Oz.

Hintza

She will be over here along with all the other Aussies; Kiwis and Boks taking their year out I would have thought. I would just enquire where it is to be posted and then make sure you charge enough to cover postage.

RACHIE77

probably just best to email her and clear up where she is and ask her to find out if any fees are incurred if she does the transfer etc, otherwise no problem??

Katgoddess

All of her recent transactions have taken place in Australia.

I will email her to find out the details.