Safest payment method (for Sellers)

tonyg_2

I want to start to sell some items worth £200 or so each on Ebay. Following all the problems highlighted with Paypal, what do people suggest are the safest methods to request payment in?
Thanks, Tony

vultura

I'd say cheque and wait till its definately cleared and wait another 3 or 4 days after that, just in case.

Make it clear in the listing that item won't be dispatched until funds have cleared.

You could try bank transfer, but that means giving bank details to purchaser, unless of course you have a seperate account for ebay use only.

soolin

Bank transfer is the safest way to accept ayment for a seller. I'm not sure why vultura suggests setting up another account to do so, unless it is for tracking purposes so you don't miss payments coming in or something. Bank transfers are safe, all the buyer needs is your bank sort code and your account number just as is shown on every cheque you issue. The worst a scammer can do with that info is to pay money 'into' your account!

However, if you don't take paypal then many buyers will not bid. I certainly wouldn;t bid on any high value item if I did not have a paypal option, in fact I probably wouldn't on any items without paypal.

One other thing, buyers are usually in a hurry to receive their goods and even when paying by cheque will start to harrass you for shipment. Just read the other threads on here, I have certainly considered leaving a neg for slow shipping where a seller took over a week to wait for a cheque to clear, buyers want their things instantly and your feedback will reflect it if you wait a week or more before shipping after getting paid by cheque.

I have over 1000 positive feedback, always take paypal and so far have never had a problem with it. I have however had many problems with cheques.

Soo

Curry_Queen

It's a while since I've sold anything on Ebay now (got boxes of stuff I really should list :rolleyes:) and I found nearly all my buyers opted to pay via Paypal. I know it means you gain extra costs but I prefer the quickness of it and being able to get items shipped as soon as the auction has ended rather than waiting a week or so for a cheque to clear. Also, from my own point of view, cheques were a hassle for me as I can't get to the bank so had to rely on other people to do that for me, often adding to the time involved to complete the transaction.

As a buyer I much prefer to use Paypal, and completely avoid cheque only auctions (unless it's something I desparately want and is selling at a good price) as I'm rather impatient and expect my items to arrive within a couple of days of paying for them

Party_Animal

But what's the safest way of paying for the buyer? I've been robbed once when paying by cheque. Seller cashed cheque and never sent goods. It looks like I'm about to be robbed for the first time using Paypal; no goods and no contact from seller. Can anyone advise the best way to buy goods on E Bay.

Curry_Queen

There is no "safe" way if someone is intending to defraud you anyway. You need to choose who you deal with very carefully and don't take risks with dodgy looking buyers/sellers

Hintza

No PayPal = No Sales in my book.

(or at the very least low prices)

However why not offer 5% discount for bank transfer??? Possibly worth a shot

Party_Animal

Curry_Queen wrote:

There is no "safe" way if someone is intending to defraud you anyway. You need to choose who you deal with very carefully and don't take risks with dodgy looking buyers/sellers

Thanks CQ. I thought I'd been careful as both sellers had long histories and 100% feed back. They'd both sold similar items before. What else do I look for?

stavros_2

Buying:

I suggest you look for auctions where you can pay by paypal as then you will be best protected....it's even better to go for only those sellers who are verified as well as that way you get free coverage up to £500 at no additional cost

I don't normally bid on things that aren't paypal verified anymore (unless I've no choice)

Selling:

As soo said, the best way by far is bank transfers because once the money's there then there's no way for them to get it back. I completely disagree with the first reply about cheques: these can go wrong weeks (or even months) after they have been cashed so they're a definite no no.

Personally I offer bank transfers (with a discount like Hintza suggested) and paypal. The bank transfers are preferred but rarely taken up, and you can't really operate on ebay effectively without accepting paypal. When selling I would expect 95% of people to pay using paypal, but if your against it, a bank transfer is what you want

cafenervosa_2

stavros wrote:

Buying:





As soo said, the best way by far is bank transfers because once the money's there then there's no way for them to get it back. I completely disagree with the first reply about cheques: these can go wrong weeks (or even months) after they have been cashed so they're a definite no no.

I thought theres no going back once the cheque has cleared after the 5 days?

I thought cheques were real safe. Also can the bank charge the seller if a cheque bounces as well as the buyer. I know business accounts charge for bounced cheques but what about personal current accounts?

Party_Animal

Thanks Stavros, I've used Paypal but the seller isn't verified. That's something I'll look for in the future.