Dont usually attempt to sell furniture on Ebay but gave it a shot .... listed an item as "local pick-up only"
Item sold and the Buyer doesnt want to pay until they have the item in hand, at which point they say they will make a payment through paypal on their phone with me standing there to confirm.
Their account is connected to their credit card, not a bank account. Can't they stop payment before this clears? I know my account will reflect the incoming payment but my understanding is that it has to clear before I can actually transfer it to my bank account.
Need advice please.
.
I've never sold anything but i see how it can be confusing when
something like this happens.
When i had an issue as a buyer, i posted on the e-bay 'community' forum.
I got a dozen responses within an hour. Beware, some of those folks are
crazy, but they do know all the angles and what to look out for.
Just a thought if you are under a time frame to figure this out.
You may not get a response here right away.
two can play that game
As I see it you have two choices.
1. cancel the sale (you may say the item was destroyed)
2. tell the buyer, as they are local, that you will only accept "cash" upon pickup as you are not covered on PayPal Seller Protection (you are not covered: items are picked up locally or delivered in person). Please check this for yourself.
The majority of people are honest, but this method of payment (credit card on PayPal) does allow room for those less honest people.
I hope it all works well for you.
If I were selling a "local pick up only" item on eBay
I would ask for upfront payment prior to giving out my address and mention that I would refund the purchase ONLY if they decided they can't handle owning it at the time of pickup, although i would make it clear that that option is only as a last resort.
no advice - just facts
You are not covered for any payment mishaps if you accept PayPal for a pickup. That is a fact and not opinion (per the PayPal site). Check for yourself and then do as you please.
Per barrympls, do not provide your address. Have them meet you at your bank (outside security cameras) to make the exchange.
Thanks
Thanks for the advice. I will stick to being a buyer only on eBay after this experience. Buyer won't pay cash as they want to collect airline points ( I am not making this up) and he is insisting that he won't pay until he has the item in hand. If this was a hundred dollar deal I wouldn't be as cautious but this is much more than that.
I sell
i sell furniture regularly on ebay. I never allow a local pick up until payment is made regardless of whether the buyer or their shipper picks it up. Returns/ refusals I only allow if the Item is not as described. I do not do refunds/ returns for buyer's remorse. Things can potentially be a bit dicier with a local pick up, but I have not had problems with a hand full of these so far. What I want to avoid is the Idea that the buyer is shopping at the pick up. Paypal has told me that an ebay purchase is a contract, and the buyer is obligated to complete the transaction.
If you do cancel the sale, do...
If you do cancel the sale, don't say that the item has been destroyed unless this is actually the case, because obviously it would be dishonest but it also puts you in a bit of a bind if you want to relist it. I think there are at least four explanations from which to choose if you decide to cancel and one should be applicable without having to make anything up.
I've sold thousands of things on ebay since 1998 and have done a few local pickups. I always get paid before I give them my address. My first thought was that your guy wants to look the item over before going through with the sale. If you have low feedback as a seller, he may feel more bold about trying to bully you into accepting his terms. Don't. I'm pretty sure that "buyer refused to honor terms" is one of the reasons you are allowed to back out of a transaction.
shop at another location
jdip,
Let the buyer tell that same story at a retail location and collect airline points from them. See how much eBay is going to back you up on the buyers obligation to a contactual agreement. There is a big difference between "needing" the money and "wanting" the money. You are in charge not the buyer. I would suggest that you cancel the sale, block the buyer, and try again in the near future.
I sell quite a bit
but I probably would tell the guy to lump it. If he really wants it he'll have to change his demands. I usually figure that if ONE guy wants it someone else will also probably.
Also, I think MCM stuff is attracting enough attention right now that I think it also attracts it's share of wack jobs and/or cons.
Even for Craigs list (which I do rarely) I don't meet them at my house. I pick someplace simple and easy to get to. Usually in front of the public library.
I don't do pick up, even for big items. I ship.
As always
I appreciate the advice. I have a solid ebay account as I have been purchasing for years. Its the buyer who has a "rookie" account. I will update you guys as to the outcome.
I have a feeling that I am going to end up paying the ebay fee for this even if the transaction is cancelled.
just go with it
I sell on ebay as a job and in 4 years I've only once had a bad experience with payment - a piece of furniture was delivered to the customer via the courier we recommend and then about a month later Paypal voided the sale and I lost the money and the item. Even though the buyer had the table delivered to the address on their Paypal account they were still able to say that it had been an unauthorised transaction and at the time that type of delivery wasn't covered by the Paypal seller protection scheme. I regularly let people pay for an item through Paypal once they get it home if they find something in the warehouse that they'd like but don't have enough cash on the day and there has never been a problem. If you're happy to accept a payment through Paypal and you're there when he/she collects and makes payment via their phone then it's no different to if they make payment in advance - Especially as the transaction can still be reversed, and for quite some time after, up to 3 months I think. The only sure fire way to keep hold of the payment is if it's in cash.
The Problem
here of course, is that ebay lead the buyer to believe the only safe transaction is through Paypal, as they own Paypal and reap another 4% from every sale.
But for the seller, the only truly safe way of receiving payment for goods collected is by cash, any other transaction can be rescinded, and there is no proof that eBay/paypal will accept that the item was ever collected.
If the buyer wants the item they'll bring cash, surely?
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