Advice on buyer sending their 'own' courier to collect item

boots_babe

Hi,

I have an amp listed on eBay as collection only - as I couldn't find any courier where it wasn't on their banned list of items. My auction closes tonight, someone just asked if they send their 'own' courier, with cash payment on collection, would I accept that.

Now I've thought about it and cannot see any obvious pitfalls - I would definitely not accept this if it were payment via Paypal as I'd want to use my own paid for courier not have someone else's, but this would not be Paypal it would be cash on collection. However I wanted to ask the experts! Would this be safe to agree to?

Thanks,

Emma.

soolin

boots_babe said:

Hi,

I have an amp listed on eBay as collection only - as I couldn't find any courier where it wasn't on their banned list of items. My auction closes tonight, someone just asked if they send their 'own' courier, with cash payment on collection, would I accept that.

Now I've thought about it and cannot see any obvious pitfalls, but I wanted to ask the experts! Would this be safe to agree to?

Thanks,

Emma.

If they are serious about sending cash then you should be fine, just watch out for the old 'sorry the courier won't carry cash so I've paid by paypal instead' routine. 

boots_babe

Yep definitely would NOT be handing it over without cash payment, no way would I accept Paypal for this type of arrangement. The amp is ~£300 so not money I want to lose.

dj1471

Make sure you check and test the notes to make sure they're legit.

How many couriers will do cash on collection anyway...? Sounds like the beginnings of a scam to me, be very careful...

boots_babe

I did wonder that dj1471, that's why I thought I'd ask for advice. I'm thinking now that I'm best of just to go back and say no sorry, it's collection in person only. I'm not in a rush to sell, happy to wait for a safe buyer!

pbartlett

I did sell an heavy item this way - the buyer ran a small business from home and had a 'man and a van' they used to collect stuff from all over the country. It was fine - the courier paid cash and off they went to their next pickup.

It doesn't differ much from cash on collection to be honest

blackdog2220

courier payiing is common on motorcycle collections , money is sent to (known well) courier beforehand , who quickly checks bike (exists) and hands money over , if failure then money is fast paid via bank back and just a fee for going 

gettingtheresometime

I started a thread recently where I sold a collection only item and the buyer wanted to me to arrange a courier to pick it, although they eventually sorted one out themselves.
The reason I'm responding is that paypal through which the payment was made, put the money on hold until the item was received by the buyer; the courier they used was a national one and so I had a tracking number that I could update both the ebay purchase and paypal payment with. How this would have worked with a man & a van operation I don't know.
The other thing I'd say is that the item I sold was one hubby would have taken to the dump if he had his way so even if the buyer had been less than scrupulous, it wouldn't have been the end of the world.

pbartlett

Lucky dump!

I suppose if you have a national courier collection with tracking then paypal is fine. For man-and-van, cash is the only way. 

gettingtheresometime

pbartlett said:

Lucky dump!

I suppose if you have a national courier collection with tracking then paypal is fine. For man-and-van, cash is the only way. 

No lucky me....hubby told me no-one would buy it & what ever it went for I could have...little did he (or me!) think it would go for well over £100!