Is Paypal safe?

GrahamLM52

I'm selling a motorbike on ebay. The only payment method ebay offer is "cash on collection". Most bidders want to pay a deposit by bank transfer and the balance in cash on collection but one of the bidders has said he can only pay by PayPal. Is Paypal safe? 

ballisticbrian

If asked to use PayPal friends and family the answer no, don't use it. Also, I may stand corrected by some other posters on here but I believe you need tracked shipping to defend an item not received case in PayPal which you won't have if it's collected.

ButterCheese

I would not sell to that person full stop.  If they have the money then they could easily use bank transfer.  Insisting that they can only use PayPal sounds dodgy to me.  Just say you want cash or bank transfer, and if they refuse then cease all contact with this person and sell to someone else.

Some people think that using PayPal will protect them in some way i.e. if you sell them a dodgy bike that blows up then they can somehow complain to PayPal and get their money back.  This is not how it works; it is "buyer beware" with used vehicles if bought privately

GrahamLM52

Thanks both. Yes, @ButterCheese that's what I was thinking. They have now also said they can't collect it themselves, so they will send someone else. I've said no.

soolin

GrahamLM52 said:

Thanks both. Yes, @ButterCheese that's what I was thinking. They have now also said they can't collect it themselves, so they will send someone else. I've said no.

That's a definite scam - just block and move on.

noitsnotme

ballisticbrian said:

If asked to use PayPal friends and family the answer no, don't use it. Also, I may stand corrected by some other posters on here but I believe you need tracked shipping to defend an item not received case in PayPal which you won't have if it's collected.

Actually, as a seller, there is no downside to accepting Paypal F&F.  It's the buyer that is at disadvantage as they cannot raise a dispute.  If anything, it's safer for the seller to use F&F.  The seller is more at risk by NOT using F&F as the buyer can indeed raise a dispute.

However in this particular case I would advise the OP to tread carefully as it does sound like a scam in the making.

soolin

noitsnotme said:

ballisticbrian said:

If asked to use PayPal friends and family the answer no, don't use it. Also, I may stand corrected by some other posters on here but I believe you need tracked shipping to defend an item not received case in PayPal which you won't have if it's collected.

Actually, as a seller, there is no downside to accepting Paypal F&F.  It's the buyer that is at disadvantage as they cannot raise a dispute.  If anything, it's safer for the seller to use F&F.  The seller is more at risk by NOT using F&F as the buyer can indeed raise a dispute.

However in this particular case I would advise the OP to tread carefully as it does sound like a scam in the making.

F and F is not entirely safe for a seller, there is no way of defending an INR fraud case if raised by a bank. We’ve had at least 2 examples of this on MSE over the past couple of years now that scammers realise it’s possible. 

Obviously a simple INR or SNAD with f and f can’t work but a case for fraud is possible. 

Renmer

GrahamLM52 said:

Thanks both. Yes, @ButterCheese that's what I was thinking. They have now also said they can't collect it themselves, so they will send someone else. I've said no.

Thanks for the useful information.