How to not get scammed when doing local pick up?

[berrset1]

I am planning to sell a high value item through local pick up in a day or two. Can you provide some tips on avoiding scams? I have heard that sometimes buyers will pick up an item and then claim that they never received the item. I plan to only take cash or an app like cashapp or PayPal (and ONLY friends and family on pickup if they insist on using PayPal)  to combat this. 

Are there any other scams to avoid? I am also slightly worried that they will pull the "item was defective" return scam. 

Thanks

[itscalledapostingid]

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@tools* wrote:

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@itscalledapostingid wrote:

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@tools* wrote:

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

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@tools* wrote:

You can in fact control the method of payment by telling the buyer that you'll only accept cash.

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You can tell the buyer whatever you want BUT you cannot force them to comply. I do local pickup on a infrequent but regular basis and always have,  I have not had a single buyer pay cash at pickup in many years, they always pay via eBay and that is not just since Managed Payments. So while it's possible to get paid in cash it is not possible to require it.

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It's simple: No cash, no item. Have a nice day.

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I can assure you no one is going to give you cash after they already paid online.

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I can assure you that if I require cash for a local pickup, and the buyer pays online, I'll refund the payment and let them know.

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Good luck with that. If you read this thread you may realize your plan has some flaws.

Have a nice day.

[luckythewinner]

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@berrset1 wrote:

 I have heard that sometimes buyers will pick up an item and then claim that they never received the item.

{snip}

I am also slightly worried that they will pull the "item was defective" return scam. 

If the buyer pays through eBay, the buyer can file a fraudulent dispute and get refunded. Period. 

If I were selling a high value item, I would insist on being paid in cash. If I were buying a high-value item, I would insist on paying through eBay. 

[craigstevensstudio]

dont do it....  by selling on ebay you are now "locked in" to ebays rules.   (customer can come back at you for up to 6 months!)  and say item not as described.  and get their money back. 

much better to sell at your own garage sale or craigslist.  (there are no rules, just cash.) 

[dees_den]

Good comments on this thread.

From a personal safety standpoint, I select a public meet-up spot like a Target or Library parking lot and specify 2 time options within 24 hours of purchase so it fits within my seller ratings parameters.  I prefer online payment (would never do cash - safety) and scan the QR code they display on their phone and enter into the system immediately for full seller protection - I ask them in advance to make that available. I rarely coordinate local pick up because it takes way more of my time than it does to pack and ship but occasionally a buyer is local, buys a lot of items and makes it a worthwhile, pleasurable experience. Kinda think early ebay was like this - more personal.

[downunder-61]

To be honest, I would not be listing a local pickup on eBay.

You are better listing with a local platform, Craigslist/Facebook MP - eBay offers great exposure normally, but if you are only looking at 'local' buyers I don't see the point in paying the eBay fee's for that small demographic. 

[duffy4444]

   You have every right to be concerned, as you are thinking of listing a high-value item while having relatively low feedback and nearly all of those feedbacks are only as a buyer yourself. You are a scammer's delight.

   DON"T sell a high-value item here or anywhere online, that you and your business model are not prepared to lose, possibly along with your payment for it on a forced refund to a potential scammer. And there are many scammers out there who are much smarter than you.

   Since you want it to be local pickup anyway, it is way better that you bypass eBay altogether and sell it locally or with CraigsList locally. That way you can require cash (no credit card chargebacks), be in total control, and avoid other eBay pitfalls.

Cheers, Duffy

[dellarosa]

Craigslist buyers are not your typical high-end product buyers, and you get flooded by foreigners with scam attempts. You also have no real idea of a buyers history

[kh-ornesh]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.