eBay

weatherloach · ‎07-01-2017

Hi

I sold an item and the buyer asked me before the auction ended if he could pick it up. I told him yes and gave him a pick up spot at a gas station. He asked me if he could pick up at a restaurant instead. the restaurant is not far and I said ok. Then he asked me to meet inside the restaurant. I told him why inside the retaurant? He said outside would be ok.

Anyway I started not being confortable with the meet. I am afraid of being scammed. I told him he would have to sign me a form stating that he recieved the item. He said ok to that.

What if he signs whatever and later on says it wasn't him that signed? How can I protect myself? I will never meet again with a buyer, I am not confortable with it.

Please advise as I have to meet him Sunday 11am eastern time.

Thxs

Pat

tellmemama · ‎07-01-2017

Has he paid through PAYPAL already? If not and you agree to offer him local pick up, you need to specify that payment must be in cash only. No exceptions. Otherwise he can claim item not received and will win since you won't have tracking showing the item was delivered and he will be getting a full refund.

If you are getting that gut feeling that something is wrong, you are well within your rights to refuse and tell him you are just going to ship. Especially if he has already paid.

Offer good customer service but protect yourself first.

Joe

timemachine777 · ‎07-01-2017

@weatherloach wrote:
Hi

I sold an item and the buyer asked me before the auction ended if he could pick it up. I told him yes and gave him a pick up spot at a gas station. He asked me if he could pick up at a restaurant instead. the restaurant is not far and I said ok. Then he asked me to meet inside the restaurant. I told him why inside the retaurant? He said outside would be ok.
Anyway I started not being confortable with the meet. I am afraid of being scammed. I told him he would have to sign me a form stating that he recieved the item. He said ok to that.
What if he signs whatever and later on says it wasn't him that signed? How can I protect myself? I will never meet again with a buyer, I am not confortable with it.
Please advise as I have to meet him Sunday 11am eastern time.

Thxs

Pat

Be smart...Take a guy with you, an I don't mean a teen. People have no problem ripping you off in public, or something worse.

weatherloach · ‎07-01-2017

yes he paid through paypal. I think you make a lot of sense in asking for cash only. My guts feeling is telling me that I am going to get screwed. I will wait to see if other experienced sellers post by the morning to make a final decision but more than likely I will refund and claim that the item got broke by accident and can't be sold.

thxs again

pat

tofu107 · ‎07-01-2017

if neither of you are going to eat in the restaurant,why restaurant?

but may be better than outside restaurant,people may think the two of you are dealing in you know what?

Put lime in the coconut and call me in the morning !

retrose1 · ‎07-01-2017

He gives you cash, you give him the item and you go into the restaurant to get some lunch. Do not hand over the item on a paypal payment.

Local pickup - person to person cash on the barrelhead is the best way to not get scammed - but you can not let paypal get involved. If you do, it will happen like this....you hand it over and they go home and file an INR disute on you. since you can not prove that they got the item, you will lose.

(*Bleep*)

retrose1 · ‎07-01-2017

What is the item?

(*Bleep*)

creativecrisis · ‎07-01-2017

@weatherloach wrote:
yes he paid through paypal. I think you make a lot of sense in asking for cash only. My guts feeling is telling me that I am going to get screwed. I will wait to see if other experienced sellers post by the morning to make a final decision but more than likely I will refund and claim that the item got broke by accident and can't be sold.

thxs again

pat

Don't refund and cancel the sale, becase you'll receive a seller defect. I suggest you simply message the buyer and let them know you're unable to do the local pickup. Ask the buyer if they want the item shipped or would prefer to cancel. If the buyer requests to cancel the sale, you won't get a defect for doing so.

timemachine777 · ‎07-01-2017

@retrose1 wrote:
He gives you cash, you give him the item and you go into the restaurant to get some lunch. Do not hand over the item on a paypal payment.

Local pickup - person to person cash on the barrelhead is the best way to not get scammed - but you can not let paypal get involved. If you do, it will happen like this....you hand it over and they go home and file an INR disute on you. since you can not prove that they got the item, you will lose.

I agree...Cash an Carry.

hidy-hoo · ‎07-01-2017

@weatherloach If the item is expensive or in a highly scammed category, I would do as suggested and tell the buyer that you are only able to ship the item ~ if not expensive then just have the buyer use his smart phone to send you a message through eBay messaging that he has received the item at the time of pickup.

When a listing is correctly set up for local pickup only, which your wasn't, but if it was, then the buyer forfeits buyer protection for an INR. If an INR is filed and there are messages between the buyer and the seller regarding when and where to pick up, the buyer will lose...according to an eBay Blue during a Wed. Chat.

How much better life would be, if a liar's pants really did catch fire!

emerald40 · ‎07-01-2017

@weatherloach wrote:
yes he paid through paypal. I think you make a lot of sense in asking for cash only. My guts feeling is telling me that I am going to get screwed. I will wait to see if other experienced sellers post by the morning to make a final decision but more than likely I will refund and claim that the item got broke by accident and can't be sold.

thxs again

pat

You need to be careful -

First if he paid by paypal, then you need to ask the buyer to agree to a cancellation using problem with address. Then you need to list showing local pickup cash only - no shipping info.

Otherwise, he could claim INR.

Do not cancel saying item is broken or out of stock as that will result in a dreaded defect.

I am assuming you are a woman. Yes, take a man with you. I would agree to meet at a police station.

If he does not agree and your gut is giving you the willies, cancel problem with buyer's address.

timemachine777 · ‎07-01-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@weatherloach wrote:
yes he paid through paypal. I think you make a lot of sense in asking for cash only. My guts feeling is telling me that I am going to get screwed. I will wait to see if other experienced sellers post by the morning to make a final decision but more than likely I will refund and claim that the item got broke by accident and can't be sold.

thxs again

pat
You need to be careful -

First if he paid by paypal, then you need to ask the buyer to agree to a cancellation using problem with address. Then you need to list showing local pickup cash only - no shipping info.

Otherwise, he could claim INR.

Do not cancel saying item is broken or out of stock as that will result in a dreaded defect.

I am assuming you are a woman. Yes, take a man with you. I would agree to meet at a police station.

If he does not agree and your gut is giving you the willies, cancel problem with buyer's address.

You never know a buyer's real intent, whether good or bad. Last year I had a buyer request local pickup on my item. I said no problem. You can pickup at my shop, an ended the message with my name. A few minutes later I get another message. "Changed my mind". I never heard from him again.

lemarcheaupuces · ‎07-01-2017

@weatherloach wrote:
Hi

I sold an item and the buyer asked me before the auction ended if he could pick it up. I told him yes and gave him a pick up spot at a gas station. He asked me if he could pick up at a restaurant instead. the restaurant is not far and I said ok. Then he asked me to meet inside the restaurant. I told him why inside the retaurant? He said outside would be ok.
Anyway I started not being confortable with the meet. I am afraid of being scammed. I told him he would have to sign me a form stating that he recieved the item. He said ok to that.
What if he signs whatever and later on says it wasn't him that signed? How can I protect myself? I will never meet again with a buyer, I am not confortable with it.
Please advise as I have to meet him Sunday 11am eastern time.

Thxs

Pat

don't know if 1 explained the potential issue.

buyer paid through Paypal.

you deliver the item.

all goes well.

buyer files a NOT received claim.

you of course have NO "online" delivery confirmation confirmation.

buyer wins it all...

i like the anonymity of selling online.

but if i requested a pick up, i would oblige.

in public and not at my house.

i also would feel more comfortable meeting inside a restaurant than in a parking lot.

especially if a valuable item.

letoulousain

scstool · ‎07-01-2017

This and a bunch of other reasons is why I stopped doing local pickup.

But if you agreed I would go through with the transaction, just pack your nine when you go.

A lot of times the best place to do a transaction is at the police department. Since so many custody transfers of children are done there many have set up good lighting and video surveillance.

When you consider your time and logistics it just is not worth local pickup for easily mailable items.

But the biggest factor is probably the paypal issue others have brought up.

castlemagicmemories · ‎07-01-2017

@weatherloach wrote:
yes he paid through paypal. I think you make a lot of sense in asking for cash only. My guts feeling is telling me that I am going to get screwed. I will wait to see if other experienced sellers post by the morning to make a final decision but more than likely I will refund and claim that the item got broke by accident and can't be sold.

thxs again

pat

@weatherloach

DO NOT claim the item got broken. That is an OOS defect that can work towards your losing your selling privileges.

If you had that this item would be shipped, you can tell the buyer that that is how you have to do it, and you can ask them if that is not acceptable, would you like to cancel it. Then you can cancel using problem with buyer's address.

Good Luck.