Paypal for collection items

techspec

buggritt wrote: »

The scam is actually theft. The world doesn't begin and end with ebay/paypal.
If you take reasonable precautions, you can still accept paypal for collection items.

Like what?

soolin

techspec wrote: »

Like what?

Seconded, like what?

shaun_from_Africa

buggritt wrote: »

If you take reasonable precautions, you can still accept paypal for collection items.

You can also accept payment in magic beans or horse manure, but that doesn't mean it is a sensible option.

buggritt

Sorry if I've upset the gurus and gone against the doctrine.
Crowqueen makes a very valid point regarding wandering around with loads of cash.
I used to own a business, and accepted all forms of payment, like most businesses. Every method of payment carries some sort of risk. How many of you have the equipment or knowledge to detect forged notes? In the early nineties, this was a major problem.
In this case, if you are selling to a member with a good record, and verify it's the same person, then a signed receipt would protect you. Not with paypal, but they are not the whole ball game.
The whole "never do this" advice is understandable, but making money involves risk. Unless you run a bank apparently.

soolin

buggritt wrote: »

Sorry if I've upset the gurus and gone against the doctrine.
Crowqueen makes a very valid point regarding wandering around with loads of cash.
I used to own a business, and accepted all forms of payment, like most businesses. Every method of payment carries some sort of risk. How many of you have the equipment or knowledge to detect forged notes? In the early nineties, this was a major problem.
In this case, if you are selling to a member with a good record, and verify it's the same person, then a signed receipt would protect you. Not with paypal, but they are not the whole ball game.
The whole "never do this" advice is understandable, but making money involves risk. Unless you run a bank apparently.

How does a signed receipt protect you though, you haven't actually answered that? No one is being 'funny' here but you appeared to suggest that the paypal on collection scam was easy to avoid by getting a bit of paper signed by a random stranger, and nothing you have said changes that.

I know of some business sellers on here that ask buyers to bring a photographic ID with address details and a secondary piece of iD with an official signature, but those business sellers are prepared to go through small claims if it goes wrong and even then I don't think they have a guaranteed win as the person collecting may have no connection with the buying acccount they were using. We only need protecting against scammers not against a genuine buyer and If someone is going to scam then it is not unreasonable to consider the fact they may have fake ID and may not be the person they represent themselves as.

I have allowed paypal on collection, in fact I sold a £60 item last year to a local dealer as he has very good reasons for using paypal. Yes it was a risk, but to me that risk was acceptable. It doesn't mean though that I would post on here re assuring less active sellers that they are safe if they get a receipt signed.

Herongull

One problem with insisting on cash on collection is that you may get fewer bids, and therefore sell an item at a significantly reduced price. This is fine if you don't mind this but some sellers may wish to get the highest price from an auction.

Most buyers are not aware of the Paypal on collection scam. They are used to paying for things with Paypal and therefore may feel uncomfortable about a seller who does not accept Paypal. They may be concerned that perhaps the seller is trying on some form of scam, and so they bid instead on a different auction where the seller does take Paypal.

Also suppose an item was sold as working or having recently had a service, and they take it home and it doesn't work or stops working after a few hours? Buyers may feel (rightly or wrongly) they have fewer rights in this situation if they paid cash. So they don't bid (or only bid low) because of the perceived risk.

cattie

I had a very dishonest and crafty buyer recently who collected an item but paid via paypal despite me saying cash on collection preferred. A couple of days later she messaged me to say that she had paid twice, that she had given me cash as well as paying via paypal.

I strongly disputed this as I knew she had definitely not given me any cash.

However, crafty cow did a paypal charge back so ended up getting a very nice item for free. I'm sure she still is feeling very smug over the whole thing, the rotten thief.

I'd be very loathe to let anybody else collecting an item pay me anything but cash.

richto

A simple way I use around this problem is just to sent them their receipt via plain cover 2nd class recorded mail - works out about £1.45. I have never had one not signed for, and in the event of a dispute being raised you can supply the tracking # and signature confirmation.

buggritt

soolin wrote: »

How does a signed receipt protect you though, you haven't actually answered that? No one is being 'funny' here but you appeared to suggest that the paypal on collection scam was easy to avoid by getting a bit of paper signed by a random stranger, and nothing you have said changes that.

If you read it again, I said a signed receipt would protect you but not with paypal. In fact, you need to read the whole thing again, as there's also no mention of getting a piece of paper signed by a random stranger either. Nor did I say it was easy.
Small claims court isn't relevant. This oft quoted scam is theft. Hence a criminal offence.

soolin

buggritt wrote: »

If you read it again, I said a signed receipt would protect you but not with paypal. In fact, you need to read the whole thing again, as there's also no mention of getting a piece of paper signed by a random stranger either. Nor did I say it was easy.
Small claims court isn't relevant. This oft quoted scam is theft. Hence a criminal offence.

I think we must agree to disagree then as I do not still comfortable in suggesting to newbie or less experienced sellers that paypal on collection is fine if they get a receipt signed by someone to say they have collected an item. I doubt that a receipt will really help the police at all if it isn't backed up with a guaranteed correct address and proof that the person collecting was who they purported to be.

We all have our comfort levels, and many of us are OK with lower end items and paypal on collection. However, to suggest that it is barely a risk at all is dangerous. Even with my experience on ebay I do not sell high end goods that I cannot post.