Ebay - am I about to be scammed?

23.1K Posts


I sold a fairly high value item (£600) on the basis that it would be picked up from my home. The buyer has paid for the item through ebay.
Now, I have had a message that the buyer is out of the country and will send his friend to pick up the item. The buyer has loads of good feedback, and lives a few miles away, so it all feels pretty genuine.
Are there any precautions that I should take? For example, I want the friend to sign a receipt when he picks up the item. Any other suggestions?
One potential difficulty is that the buyer will return home eventually and not like the item. He'll them perhaps want to return it and get his money back. Is there a time limit for this?
I'm just selling some of our stuff, and I'm not a dealer, by the way.
Now, I have had a message that the buyer is out of the country and will send his friend to pick up the item. The buyer has loads of good feedback, and lives a few miles away, so it all feels pretty genuine.
Are there any precautions that I should take? For example, I want the friend to sign a receipt when he picks up the item. Any other suggestions?
One potential difficulty is that the buyer will return home eventually and not like the item. He'll them perhaps want to return it and get his money back. Is there a time limit for this?
I'm just selling some of our stuff, and I'm not a dealer, by the way.
No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?
0
Latest MSE News and Guides
Childcare budget boost
More support for children from nine months and those on Universal Credit
MSE News
Replies
incidentally this applies whoever collects , even if the buyer themselves came you would still need the code.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/posting-items/selling/setting-postage-options/local-collection?id=4181&st=3&pos=2&query=Offering%20local%20collection&intent=Collection%20items&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1136
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
If you have been meticulous in your messaging with the buyer (that is, every single message sent and received goes via the ebay messaging system) then you do have a money back guarantee.
However, I would probably want to refuse to hand over anything to anyone who came to collect a parcel on behalf of someone else. If the buyer is out of the country then he's hardly likely to be desperate for the item, is he?
I'd also want to report this to eBay and ask their advice, even if it is a genuine request. No harm done.
For an item costing £600, you have to protect yourself in the first instance. No matter how 'fussy' you might appear to anyone else.
I also recommend, if you haven't seen it already, a programme from the BBC called 'Dirty Rotten Scammers' which is full of great advice and information. You really would be surprised at the number of scams that operate and also, at the cheek of all scammers. I think it's still on iPlayer and it's in conjunction with the Open University. Very educational indeed. Even for those who think they are 'tech savvy'.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
Just to add interestingly eBay says
A copy of the eBay order details, signed by the buyer at the time of collection
Is proof of collection under the money back terms but I wouldn’t put much faith in this.