Ebay seller wants bank transfer

Fern_Merkin

Hello

I have just bought something for 80£ and the seller wants a cheque or bank transfer, not paypal.

Is there a problem doing this through ebay? Will I have any protection if I do? Probably a simple answer to this but I've never been asked to do anything other than Paypal before so am a bit adrift

Please advise

Cheers FX

Flyonthewall

There is no problem doing that for an ebay sale if you trust the seller. You will not have any protection though. Bank transfers can not be reversed.

paulc333

Basically you lose all ebay protection if you pay by anything other than paypal, simply because how can Ebay know you actually paid?

That said some decent sellers will ask for bank transfer etc, what is the sellers feedback like??

Overall it's about risk, you have a couple of choices.

pay by paypal anyway, your covered if anything goes wrong, however the seller might get ratty and might just not send the item (you would eventually get your money back but how badly do you want the item?)

pay by other method, no protection from Ebay, if the seller is good you will be fine, otherwise might get nothing and have a hard time getting money back.

Up to you, but personally for £80 would not be doing anything other than paypal, seller is clearly just trying to save themselves the associated fees, thats just a cost of selling on ebay and they should accept that.

soolin

Fern_Merkin wrote: »

Hello

I have just bought something for 80£ and the seller wants a cheque or bank transfer, not paypal.

Is there a problem doing this through ebay? Will I have any protection if I do? Probably a simple answer to this but I've never been asked to do anything other than Paypal before so am a bit adrift

Please advise

Cheers FX

Unless you have bought a car a seller *must* have PayPal, and any seller that expected me as a buyer to pay via an unsafe method would be treated as a scammer.

Fern_Merkin

soolin wrote: »

Unless you have bought a car a seller *must* have PayPal, and any seller that expected me as a buyer to pay via an unsafe method would be treated as a scammer.

Thanks all.

He's trying to save on fees is my guess.
I tried to pay by Paypal but it's 'unclaimed' and he says - through ebay messages - that it will stay that way.

He has 160 positive and 3 neutrals.

He's probably ok, independant artist wanting to save £s. The thing I got is very low priced compared to his other work.

Should I ask for an invoice from his website first? I know it's not ebay then but I do want the item and I could then be covered by DSRs?

Oh, I don't know

SlowCooker

Fern_Merkin wrote: »

He's probably ok, independant artist wanting to save £s. The thing I got is very low priced compared to his other work.

Should I ask for an invoice from his website first? I know it's not ebay then but I do want the item and I could then be covered by DSRs?

Oh, I don't know

So the seller doesn't mind paying eBay's 10% fee, but cannot afford to pay Paypal 3%?

Of course it's up to you, but I don't think it's safe.

shaun_from_Africa

Fern_Merkin wrote: »

He's probably ok, independant artist wanting to save £s. The thing I got is very low priced compared to his other work.

Should I ask for an invoice from his website first? I know it's not ebay then but I do want the item and I could then be covered by DSRs?

As you said that the item was low priced, did it sell by auction?
If so, the DSR's wouldn't apply.

If it was a BIN item then the DSR's should apply, but as the seller has shown that they are not willing to abide by the terms of the ebay contract that they signed up to, who is to say that their willingness to follow the DSR's won't be the same.

paulc333

Fern_Merkin wrote: »

Thanks all.

He's trying to save on fees is my guess.
I tried to pay by Paypal but it's 'unclaimed' and he says - through ebay messages - that it will stay that way.

He has 160 positive and 3 neutrals.

He's probably ok, independant artist wanting to save £s. The thing I got is very low priced compared to his other work.

Should I ask for an invoice from his website first? I know it's not ebay then but I do want the item and I could then be covered by DSRs?

Oh, I don't know

Almost certainly deliberately entered a wrong email address then to make it unclaimed.

What's the details of the feedback, does anyone mention a payment method in the feedback.

Distance selling regulations are all well and good but you still might have to go to court to enforce them.

Overall the seller is probably legit but can you afford to risk £80 on the off chance that they are not?

Fern_Merkin

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

As you said that the item was low priced, did it sell by auction?
If so, the DSR's wouldn't apply.

If it was a BIN item then the DSR's should apply, but as the seller has shown that they are not willing to abide by the terms of the ebay contract that they signed up to, who is to say that their willingness to follow the DSR's won't be the same.

Sold by auction.

paulc333 wrote: »

Almost certainly deliberately entered a wrong email address then to make it unclaimed.

What's the details of the feedback, does anyone mention a payment method in the feedback.

Distance selling regulations are all well and good but you still might have to go to court to enforce them.

Overall the seller is probably legit but can you afford to risk £80 on the off chance that they are not?

No one mentions payment method in feedback. It's all very positive like 'very happy' etc everyone bar 3 in 160+ are well happy and just 3 neutrals.

I've just tried finding an old cheque book, still looking. If I paid by cheque would that be any better? Well, better than bank transfer?

FX

paulc333

no expert in cheques but I think that the seller would wait for it to be cleared before sending, once it was cleared not sure you'd have any comeback really.

Fern_Merkin

SlowCooker wrote: »

So the seller doesn't mind paying eBay's 10% fee, but cannot afford to pay Paypal 3%?

Of course it's up to you, but I don't think it's safe.

Listed at 99p sold for very much more

I've asked him to explain why he lists on ebay but wants to sell 'off' and asked about buyer protection. All through ebay messages.

He's in Manchester - not that far from me. May next ask if I can collect or meet. His website says only over 100£ can. Could work, though

Thanks for all your advice. It is really something I want so will let you know how it all pans out.

Cheers
FX