posted on February 24, 2001 05:43:40 PM new
Greetings Folks.
This is my first post here. I have found a good deal on an item that currently is $400. The seller is a new user to eBay, in fact joined and listed the item the same day. I am a bit leery in trusting this person. Is it justified to ask them to send the item first, and when I receive the item, pay? I have 20 positive feedbacks, no negs or neutrals, and have been a eBay member for about two years.
What do you think? Any suggestions
TIA for your input.
posted on February 24, 2001 05:47:12 PM new
I don't think the seller should have to ship the item before receiving payment. Buyers have much more protection out there against deadbeat sellers - sellers have basically NO protection.
What are the payment options? If you can pay by credit card, you could do a charge back if you never receive the item. Buyers also have Ebay's insurance protection to fall back on. You could also ask the seller if they would consider Escrow.
posted on February 24, 2001 05:53:50 PM new
Thanks AZ and Exec Girl, those are good suggestions and observations. As the seller is accepting Paypal, I can pay by CC and look for a chargeback if needed.
Escrow my be an option, but being the cheap guy I am......
posted on February 24, 2001 05:54:37 PM new
I would talk to the guy. See how his emails answer your questions. I would pull his info. Call him up and chat. Act like it's a thrifty nickel add. If you see a PO Box and get a pager/message phone only, then walk away.
I would ask myself..is this the only version of this item I will ever see again? If yes, then talk about escrow etc. If no, maybe I might pass.
Sometimes it might be a guy doing an estate for his family etc, so they won't have feedback.
edited for strange typos
[ edited by Capriole on Feb 24, 2001 05:56 PM ]
posted on February 24, 2001 06:09:31 PM new
This person could be like me when I started.
I didn't have a clue how important feedback was or that it was something that was really considered when bidding, so for my first auction I listed a very nice diamond ring. I did start the auction out at 100.00 dollars. I sure couldn't figure out why it didn't get many bids. Oh well live and learn. I now know I should have started out with smaller things.
Much to learn
When your at the end of your rope:
Tie a knot and hang on!
posted on February 24, 2001 06:15:08 PM new
A few weeks ago I spotted a seller offering a $600 digital camera with no reserve. He had a hotmail account, zero feedback and accepted paypal. I sent him $1 through paypal just to check his account (I cancelled before it went through). He had just opened his PP account and it was unverified personal account. That means he could not accept the final payment in credit card. So I sent Damon from PP an email to check this guy out. Overnight he was Narud from ebay. I can only guess that PP found out he used a stolen credit card to open his account and notified ebay. I then emailed his two winning bidders and warned them. They emailed back that he had already sent them a notice to pay by money order. At least one of them had been about to do it.
Don't assume that just because he accepts PP (or any credit card based service), you are protected. If you dont pay by credit card, you can't charge back. Even if you do, some credit card companies will not allow you to charge back a payment. Using a third-party service may restrict your rights. And what is he sends *something* but not what you paid for. Your ability to charge back may be restricted in cases of dispute. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
posted on February 24, 2001 09:08:12 PM new
I agree with yisgood, If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If this is truely a one-of-a-kind item that you just gotta have, I would suggest you pull his contact info and give him a call.
It wouldn't happen to be an empty playstation 2 box with receipt, would it?
posted on February 24, 2001 10:21:49 PM new
All good suggestions, but...
Your odds also depend on the kind of thing it is. Someone selling a piece of antique furniture is vastly less likely to be a crook than someone selling a hot new computer.
Check out the other auctions by this seller. Lots of auctions is a negative indicator.
Do send mail. Ask, among other things, if the seller is just new to eBay. You're trying to evaluate the story. Does it add up? How does seller happen to come to have this thing for sale? Does seller know important things about the item? Don't be shy or worry about offending by asking such questions. Most people selling high end items are smart enough to have a feel for the insecurity of buyers, and handle it fairly well, even with little eBay experience. Hostility or defensiveness is a way-bad indicator (along with limited coherence).
On the other hand, it would not be acceptable to ask the seller to ship before seeing the money.
Paying by credit card, PayPal or not, is of course the safest way to go.
