Posting an item advertised on Gumtree

Corelli

Hi,

I've an item on Gumtree and so far the only repsonse I've had is from someone asking if I would send it via courier if they transfer the money to me. Is there anyway I can do this safely? A courier with signed for delivery and paypal, or a bank transfer? What scams should I look out for? Tbh, I think even with myhermes it would be so expensive that the bargain they see would no longer be a bargain. Just in case it would be financially viable for them I'd appreciate advice. Thanks.

dianasnan

I had this for a relatively low value item on Gumtree and the person asked if they could arrange a courier themselves and pay me by paypal.

I decided there was a risk in them arranging a courier as I had no way of tracing whether the item had actually arrived.

Gumtree stress that the site is designed for cash payments and personal collection- if not I would have used ebay .

Someone could possibly confirm this- that paypal could refund them if they state that they have not received the item.:(

soolin

You must not take paypal due to the paypal on collection scam. If the buyer will pay you via a secure method (for you) like bank transfer then it might be worth it, but personally I would use Gumtree as it is intended for face to face cash purchases

googler

soolin wrote: »

You must not take paypal due to the paypal on collection scam. If the buyer will pay you via a secure method (for you) like bank transfer then it might be worth it, but personally I would use Gumtree as it is intended for face to face cash purchases

You would? Or you wouldn't?

Corelli

Thanks people. They asked if I would arrange getting it to them, so I thought paypal would be safe if I used a signed for service.

soolin

googler wrote: »

You would? Or you wouldn't?

"but personally I would use Gumtree as it is intended for face to face cash purchases"

soolin

Corelli wrote: »

Thanks people. They asked if I would arrange getting it to them, so I thought paypal would be safe if I used a signed for service.

If you use a signed for service then you do have paypal seller protection , however, you are still subject to claims if item is damaged en route or if courier fails to upload correct tracking.

In case item is damaged and you have to refund you must ensure you can find a courier that covers your item.

bxboards

Corelli wrote: »

Thanks people. They asked if I would arrange getting it to them, so I thought paypal would be safe if I used a signed for service.

Paypal is one of the least safe ways of taking payment. Out of cash, cheque or bank transfer and Paypal, only Paypal exposes you to scams, possible buyer fraud and chargeback possibilities.

For a face-to-face site like Gumtree then only trade locally and accept cash on collection.

Brooker_Dave

Corelli wrote: »

Hi,

I've an item on Gumtree and so far the only repsonse I've had is from someone asking if I would send it via courier if they transfer the money to me. Is there anyway I can do this safely? A courier with signed for delivery and paypal, or a bank transfer? What scams should I look out for? Tbh, I think even with myhermes it would be so expensive that the bargain they see would no longer be a bargain. Just in case it would be financially viable for them I'd appreciate advice. Thanks.

Bank transfer or cash on collection, gumtree is as full of scammers as ebay these days.

soolin

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Bank transfer or cash on collection, gumtree is as full of scammers as ebay these days.

And looking at a thread on another MSE board it seems they operate on Loot as well. We have a fair number on the Facebook selling pages as well, but they can be quite blatant yet people still fall for them.

GabbaGabbaHey

bxboards wrote: »

Paypal is one of the least safe ways of taking payment. Out of cash, cheque or bank transfer and Paypal, only Paypal exposes you to scams, possible buyer fraud and chargeback possibilities.

Agreed.

But from a buyer's perspective, out of cash, cheque or bank transfer and PayPal, only PayPal provides Buyer's Protection.