Advice

[xxgrellsu65]

Hi! So I've sold my item for $500, buyer isn't paying until the 1st of December. Of course I won't be shipping out my item until the money has been received. But I've go massive concerns of being scammed. I'll be using Direct Delivery as well as Signature Required on the package so there isn't a chance of rerouting the package somewhere and claiming it wasn't received, as they have to sign for it to pick it up, and then they can't claim they never got it. But with the minimum of 12 images allowed, I wasn't able to put a photo showing an accessory to the item on there, but I've explained it is with the item and I've listed any and all flaws I know of with the item, and even put in the description that they are required to ask for additional information and additional photos before buying. I did this to explain I wouldn't be responsible for them being ignorant and not asking for thorough details of the item, so they couldn't claim, "but I didn't know..." bull**bleep**. Is there anything else I need to worry about that they can possibly scam me with? Like, if for some odd reason they can't stand the item, will Ebay make them send it back before getting their money returned? It's a $1,200 item so...I'm really terrified of scam right now.

[coast_of_maine_antiques]

Take a deep breath. While I have no idea what Direct Delivery is, if you are using a pre-filled out ebay label and require a signature (Maybe insure it at least for your cost) be happy that you have a nice sale. Maybe checking your buyers feedback will help you sleep. My question is, why is your buyer not require to make immediate payment? This a best offer or something? If you have taken all reasonable steps to protect yourself and you have someone who is probably thrilled to be getting the $500 mousetrap, its a good day.

[coast_of_maine_antiques]

You do realize that you would not refund them until you got the item back and inspected it right?

[muttlymob]

If you are this terrified of something going wrong perhaps you should cancel the sale.  It is not the best move but it might result in the least damage to all involved.  If you don't plan on selling much, if anything, again then it won't hurt too much.

A scam is not your only worry - I would be seriously concerned about how you are going to ship that thing.  Just a guess, but you probably don't have any more experience with packaging a large item than you did with photographing and listing something for sale on eBay. 

If you do choose to sell stuff again, here is my 2 cents worth of advice:

1) start with small, low value stuff so you can learn the process with minimal risk.

2) photos.  please.  clean trash.  please.  sorry, but I would never buy a fabric or upholstered item from anyplace with what is shown in those pictures.

3) photos.  take photos that clearly show what you are selling.  crop them, clear backgrounds, do not include stuff that is not included in the sale.  choose which photos you include in the listing wisely.  You could have easily fit in a pic of the accessory, if you weeded out the confusing/pointless photos.

4) terms of sale - keep them positive.  read up on eBay policy so you won't have misleading expectations or include policy-violation terms.

As another poster already pointed out, hostile listings/terms will drive away good buyers - if a seller is this hostile, unrealistic or just plain sloppy in the listing, then that doesn't bode well for the rest of the transaction.  Those buyers who read all the terms will either run fast and run far, or they will take it as a challenge to prove the seller wrong.   Those who don't read the terms probably didn't read anything else either.

[wesk_36]

"But I've go massive concerns of being scammed."

That would apply to any sale, yes?

If a buyer doesn't like anything, they can file a not as described case and they can return it for a refund despite you saying returns not accepted. This is true of anything sold on ebay, a $5 item or a $500 item.

This is just how ebay operates and as a seller you cannot prevent returns of this nature. If the buyer did file, they would be required to send it back to you, on your dime, and then you would then be required to refund the buyer when tracking shows delivered back to you. If you were to ignore or deny the return, ebay would most likely allow the buyer to keep the item and the refund as well.

The refund would be automatic, taken from your account either way.

The flaws that you listed are buried in a wall of text and anyone of them could be worse than described in the buyers eyes, if they even read the description.

Teeth need fixing or replacing
Fur on muzzle needs gluing
Jaw is off
Seams coming undone
Zipper sticks
Handpaws different color

Good luck with your sale, it could be that everything will go smoothly.

[this*old*attic]

They don’t get to keep the item unless you make a return difficult. The normal flow requires them to send it back.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Isn’t selling a used furry suit sorta like selling well worn stuff? I saw the CSI about furries. Some people have had weird stalker experiences.

[femmefan1946]

You have 96 hours from the sale to cancel. (If you are in the USA, this is only 48 hours.)

Your customer apparently doesn't have any money to pay at the moment. He also does not have a credit card which he could use to back his Paypal account and pay you immediately, paying off the card at his leisure.

As soon as possible, open an Unpaid Item Dispute. He then has 96 hours to pay you.

If he does, ship.

But he won't. Rather than accepting all his excuses , Block him, and relist.

This time, relist as Fixed Price/Immediate Payment Required. The listing will stay up until someone actually forks over the cash.

This transaction is dead in the water. If he can't pay, he shouldn't buy. You are not a bank.

[femmefan1946]

@this*old*attic 

Signature Confirmation is only needed if the item (plus shipping, I believe) is valued over $750US and there is a non-delivery dispute.

But for a buck fifty, it's very reassuring to the seller that the package won't be left unattended on a porch and that it is put into the hands of a responsible adult.

USPS may charge more than $1.50, which is the Canada Post price. Still worth the reassurance to the seller.

[femmefan1946]

@xxxgrellsu65-- I should have said, you have 96 hours to open an Unpaid Item Dispute in the Resolution Centre at the bottom of this page.
Cancellations are very different.

[city*satins]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

Isn’t selling a used furry suit sorta like selling well worn stuff? I saw the CSI about furries. Some people have had weird stalker experiences.

---

Hmm....well some of them become biohazards after a few uses.  Depends on the uses.  I'm not really all that familiar with furry culture.

This may have cost a lot of money originally to have custom made, although the range of sizes that it supposedly fits doesn't sound all that custom - but it's got a fair bit of damage after 4 years, and none of this is clearly shown in the listing.

The transfer of character rights sounds a bit seat-of-your-pants, and speaking of seat of your pants...well, 'nuf said about that.

Add to that, terms that are completely unenforceable, and a generally rude tone written in a Virginia Woolf  (little put there) style of  stream of consciousness pair of paragraphs....it basically screams NEW AND INEXPERIENCED SELLER.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

According to the furry that I know the biohazard furries are only a very small percentage. The community was apparently outraged by the misrepresentation.

However like anything else, selling something so personal can introduce you to the weirdos who will now have your personal info.

[papermoneyforme]

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@xxgrellsu65 wrote:

I'm in no rush. I'm just terrified they'll lie that it came damaged, or some other fake claim to scam me for my item plus keep the money. I mean it seems like all they've got to do is lie and say, "aw, yeah it came with a hole in the ear...I didn't know and wouldn't have bought otherwise so I'm demanding a refund." I've bought on Ebay for a long time, never sold. Was I an easy target for a quick and simple scam? I wouldn't mind if they demanded a refund but had to send back the item to me before getting refund, instead of them keeping it and the money. It would mean I'm out lost time, but my item would be returned safely 

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Where is your buyer located?

[buyselljack2016]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

You have 96 hours from the sale to cancel. (If you are in the USA, this is only 48 hours.)

Your customer apparently doesn't have any money to pay at the moment. He also does not have a credit card which he could use to back his Paypal account and pay you immediately, paying off the card at his leisure.

As soon as possible, open an Unpaid Item Dispute. He then has 96 hours to pay you.

If he does, ship.

But he won't. Rather than accepting all his excuses , Block him, and relist.

This time, relist as Fixed Price/Immediate Payment Required. The listing will stay up until someone actually forks over the cash.

This transaction is dead in the water. If he can't pay, he shouldn't buy. You are not a bank.

---

Why do that?

The seller has plenty of time to open a UPI if the buyer does not pay after the Dec. date.  Seems that "when paid" is not an issue here. It is not common for a delayed payment request to happen, but then again, it does happen. A buyer should communicate before purchase about a delay in paying, but Dec is not that far off. No reason to annoy a buyer with a demand for payment now.

[city*satins]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

According to the furry that I know the biohazard furries are only a very small percentage. The community was apparently outraged by the misrepresentation.

However like anything else, selling something so personal can introduce you to the weirdos who will now have your personal info.

---

Well, your friend is likely a good source of info.  I probably saw the same CSI episode you did, but I missed seeing Lisa Liang's "Furry Nation".  So I'm probably chock full of mistaken ideas about the culture.

EIther way, my thought on that suit is that it is a high risk for SNAD due to damage mentioned but not shown and possibly more damage that a buyer might consider important.  Some of the issues it has including the slightly different color ...was it the feet?  could matter regardless of what the seller says about it, especially as the photographs showing the suit being worn might not include the alterations/swap-outs/damage.  It's risky even at the best of times.

[biggymoe]

I'm not sure what the concern is about being scammed, although we know nothing about the buyers history.  However, I would predict a better than 50/50 chance that you will get a return, just based on your description.  I think it would have been better to correct, at least some of, the flaws yourself, before selling.