Sold phone on EBay - but can’t bring myself to send it

Captain_Maniwaring

Yes sold my old iPhone on EBay and was happy watching the bid gradually climb up and up over the week, eventually finishing in an exiting last minute flurry at £400 odd pounds - excellent no fees to pay either !

Only problem is that now I cannot bring myself to send it,I did intend to ,otherwise wouldn’t have spent so long on the listing photographs and descriptions- but looking at it now ,have I got only a possible 50/50 chance of being scammed ? -

I can’t afford to lose this money,but it seems as there’s no realistic way that EBay can guarantee ( or any other selling platforms ?) that I won’t lose it due to a scam - especially when they do tend to favour the buyer in most cases ,there’s nothing in sellers feedback to set alarms ringing ( no negs but they all seem worded similarly )and they have bought items for 5 or 6 years 

Im really struggling with this one
any thoughts either way ? 

Thanks 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Packaged it up very well in a good box so it doesn't look like a phone stuffed in a grey mailing bag, send it Special Delivery and keep fingers crossed.

If the buyer has been on eBay for 5/6 years and buys regularly the odds of being scammed are significantly reduced. 

DE_612183

you could always take it to CEX - not sure what they'd offer you but at least there is no worry - or even try Gumtree and sell in person...

Mark_d

You sold the phone so, assuming the buyer has paid, it's time to send the phone.  As has been already suggested, pack it securely and send it by Special Delivery ensuring it's fully insured.
Using eBay you can never guarantee that you won't be scammed.  You have to take steps to minimise your risks.
I tend to sell to CEX rather than using eBay.  You don't get as much money but you get a quick sale and some assurance that you're not being scammed.

Spoonie_Turtle

Make sure you make note (or even better, have a photo) of the IMEI.  That way if the worst does happen you can at least get the phone blocked, and if they claim it's broken and send back one that they've swapped, you'll have proof it's not the one you sent.

From what you've said though it doesn't sound suspicious, my own feedback I leave tends to be worded similarly because you're covering the same points and we all have words that we tend to favour to describe how good it was or wasn't.  The main reason I even try at all to vary it is so I don't bore myself!  

So hopefully it'll be fine, the IMEI is simply a basic precaution just in case.

DullGreyGuy

Captain_Maniwaring said:

I can’t afford to lose this money,but it seems as there’s no realistic way that EBay can guarantee ( or any other selling platforms ?) that I won’t lose it due to a scam - especially when they do tend to favour the buyer in most cases ,there’s nothing in sellers feedback to set alarms ringing ( no negs but they all seem worded similarly )and they have bought items for 5 or 6 years 

Im really struggling with this one
any thoughts either way ? 

Have sold circa 12 phones and laptops on eBay over the years for similar and more monies. Never had a problem with a single one of them. That isnt to say scammers arent out there but the odds arent 50/50

hermante

I have been scammed a number of times on ebay, but it is actually RM who got scammed.

I sent RM my ebay sale record and provided proof that I put the item in the package. As the buyer claimed to have received an empty box / a brick I said that RM must have somehow allowed my item to be stolen and replaced by a brick. RM paid me.

However last year I genuinely received a brick instead of an expensive item I bought on ebay, which made me think twice about the previous incidents. The seller seemed to be genuine based on their feedback and they instantly refunded me, so who knows what really happened

GadgetGuru

You can get scammed anywhere these days - although it's just easier when its via an online place of purchase. The buyer could state none delivery (even if the item is tracked and states its been delivered), or just say there was something else in the box and no phone etc. Alternatively, they could remove the phone, use it for a week, drop it, and then return it as 'not as described'. 

eBay will offer some protection in some cases, but they do generally side favour more with the buyer then the seller. 

Saying that, you can get scammed with a cash on collection sale too.
Several years back, I was once given £700 worth of dodgy £20 notes for an iPhone. I only realised when the machine at the bank wouldn't pass them through when paying in. The Bank Manager investigated and told me they were the best fake notes he had ever seen - they only picked up they were dodgy when checking serial numbers on each note!
Fortunately the deal was done at a local station - but the police took so long to act that they let the footage overwrite and it was no longer available! Because of that I kicked up a fuss, so they assigned an investigative officer who chased it using the IMEI and serial numbers I had, and finally traced it (via a SIM search) to someone who had purchased it via an Amazon seller, but then returned it as she didn't like the colour!
Long story short, they found the guy and he was made to pay up via the courts. 
Took a year, but I got my money in the end!

Even so, I have stopped selling all high value items on eBay now. I only use it for low value items that I won't miss if it was lost etc. Anything high I try trade in services, or local sales via Gumtree/Forums, with a bank transfer as payment - there's always new ways to be scammed, but I figure bank transfer is as safe as I can get!

BethRobinson

GadgetGuru said:

You can get scammed anywhere these days - although it's just easier when its via an online place of purchase. The buyer could state none delivery (even if the item is tracked and states its been delivered), or just say there was something else in the box and no phone etc. Alternatively, they could remove the phone, use it for a week, drop it, and then return it as 'not as described'. 

eBay will offer some protection in some cases, but they do generally side favour more with the buyer then the seller. 

Saying that, you can get scammed with a cash on collection sale too.
Several years back, I was once given £700 worth of dodgy £20 notes for an iPhone. I only realised when the machine at the bank wouldn't pass them through when paying in. The Bank Manager investigated and told me they were the best fake notes he had ever seen - they only picked up they were dodgy when checking serial numbers on each note!
Fortunately the deal was done at a local station - but the police took so long to act that they let the footage overwrite and it was no longer available! Because of that I kicked up a fuss, so they assigned an investigative officer who chased it using the IMEI and serial numbers I had, and finally traced it (via a SIM search) to someone who had purchased it via an Amazon seller, but then returned it as she didn't like the colour!
Long story short, they found the guy and he was made to pay up via the courts. 
Took a year, but I got my money in the end!

Even so, I have stopped selling all high value items on eBay now. I only use it for low value items that I won't miss if it was lost etc. Anything high I try trade in services, or local sales via Gumtree/Forums, with a bank transfer as payment - there's always new ways to be scammed, but I figure bank transfer is as safe as I can get!

"The bank manager said they were the best fake notes he'd ever seen". Really? Did a bank manager really say that to you?

GadgetGuru

BethRobinson said:

GadgetGuru said:

You can get scammed anywhere these days - although it's just easier when its via an online place of purchase. The buyer could state none delivery (even if the item is tracked and states its been delivered), or just say there was something else in the box and no phone etc. Alternatively, they could remove the phone, use it for a week, drop it, and then return it as 'not as described'. 

eBay will offer some protection in some cases, but they do generally side favour more with the buyer then the seller. 

Saying that, you can get scammed with a cash on collection sale too.
Several years back, I was once given £700 worth of dodgy £20 notes for an iPhone. I only realised when the machine at the bank wouldn't pass them through when paying in. The Bank Manager investigated and told me they were the best fake notes he had ever seen - they only picked up they were dodgy when checking serial numbers on each note!
Fortunately the deal was done at a local station - but the police took so long to act that they let the footage overwrite and it was no longer available! Because of that I kicked up a fuss, so they assigned an investigative officer who chased it using the IMEI and serial numbers I had, and finally traced it (via a SIM search) to someone who had purchased it via an Amazon seller, but then returned it as she didn't like the colour!
Long story short, they found the guy and he was made to pay up via the courts. 
Took a year, but I got my money in the end!

Even so, I have stopped selling all high value items on eBay now. I only use it for low value items that I won't miss if it was lost etc. Anything high I try trade in services, or local sales via Gumtree/Forums, with a bank transfer as payment - there's always new ways to be scammed, but I figure bank transfer is as safe as I can get!

"The bank manager said they were the best fake notes he'd ever seen". Really? Did a bank manager really say that to you?

Yes.
By 'the best' I obviously mean the most legitimate looking.