Seeking advise: selling to first time poster

KeithAM

KeithAM

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Sellers -- do any of you have any hesitation (or have you had experience) selling to someone whose first post is a reply to your for sale thread? :confused:
 
Hesitation, yes, but I have done so without problems.

We all have to start somewhere.

Just trust your gut feelings. If you do it, have them send the funds, then you send the item(s).
 
Sure, get the funds before you send the toy.

I've joined several forums where the first post I made was to buy something. I send the money, they get the money, THEN I get my new toy.

After the new guy has established his bona fides you can allow for a little leeway, but overall this has worked well for virtually everyone here.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Ren, are there any risks with Paypal? I have some vague recollection about something called a "charge back." Say, he says he never got the knife, and convinces Paypal too reverse the charge. Can it happen?
 
Paypal is is fairly safe but is not bulletproof. There have been chargeback scams and other problems. Just do a search with 'paypal' as the criteria.

Postal MO is more or a sure thing.
 
if ya feel uneasy about it, pass.

i have had several deals with folks who had low post counts with no probs at all FWIW.
 
Oh yeah. The funds are gonna have to be 100% in my hands before the knife goes out.

But, other than that, give the new guy a chance. Tell the guy up front, "It's not that I distrust you personally, but you're a new member. I want a postal money order. If you send a personal check, I'm gonna withhold shipment for ten days." If he's legit, he'll realize that this is part of earning his position in the community.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. While this thread was brewing last night, the buyer Paypal-ed me. I initially told him he could do it, so I feel I need to honor that.

Next time I deal with someone new, I'll ask for a USPS MO.
 
KeithAM said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. While this thread was brewing last night, the buyer Paypal-ed me. I initially told him he could do it, so I feel I need to honor that.

Next time I deal with someone new, I'll ask for a USPS MO.
Click to expand...

I don't think you have anything to worry about. Just insure the package and you should have your bases covered.
 
KeithAM said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. While this thread was brewing last night, the buyer Paypal-ed me. I initially told him he could do it, so I feel I need to honor that.

Next time I deal with someone new, I'll ask for a USPS MO.
Click to expand...

Guys, back up a moment - USPS money orders are the single most couterfeited currency in the United States today. The post office, based on first-hand experience, is unable to determine if a money-order is the real thing or bogus for approximately 6 weeks. I know because I handed them a pair of money orders and asked that they be verified.

I have NO idea why this is an impossibility, I can only assume it is akin to their inability to determine delivery confirmation for 30 days. Fed Ex can tell me where a package is any time between here and halfway around the world inside 12 minutes.

If you are not happy with Paypal entirely, then insist that the paypal come from a bank. If you are not comfortable with paypal period, honestly, I'd call western union to ask about their practices concerning their money orders. I bet WU can look up a money order in a flash and determine if it is the real thing. If we are discussing a big-dollar money order, I want to know it is real. A friend of mine deposited $4,000 of postal money orders and discovered 4 months later than they were fake and he was on the hook for passing a fraudulent check.

Bottom line, however, is that if you feel funny about the deal, don't do it. But if you still want to take the chance, I'd protect myself a little more. You may even want to go so far as to set up a second bank account to have funds wired directly to that account and then take the funds out as soon as the payment arrives.

Maybe overkill, I admit, but if we are talking about custom knives from noted makers, we can all admit that a $2500 loss could really hurt.
 
The PO can check the number on the money order to tell if it is real.
They do it everytime I cash one.
 
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