Can a seller refuse local pick up if it is advertised?

[nicaronte]

Hi all, I am bidding for an object which has a shipping cost advertised but has also local pick up for free.

I've contacted the seller to confirm that they will accept the local pick but the initial answer was "Hey sorry no because the price varies because of delivery" which seemed strange.

I then answered pointing out that the local pick up was listed as an option and they replied with "Ok no worries I’ll do local pick up but can u pay via PayPal?"

Can a seller refuse to offer Local Pickup if it was advertised?

And also, if I choose Local Pickup do I need to necessarily pay with Paypal?

Thanks!

[kopenhagen5]

Can a seller refuse to offer Local Pickup if it was advertised?

And also, if I choose Local Pickup do I need to necessarily pay with Paypal?

Not technically, but due to the Covid-19, it may be sensible to suddenly refuse pick up.

No, you can pay cash on pick up. It is often new sellers thinking they are safer with PayPal, but don't realise that cash on pick up is safer for both buyer and seller. (many have seen - always use PayPal, but that is for items posted)

[nicaronte]

Thanks! 

[audio-spot]

I've had a couple of pickups where the seller wouldn't give me address details until I paid via PayPal (pre Covid-19). I got the impression they had been messed around by other buyers who had turned up with cash and tried to negotiate a lower price.

[kopenhagen5]

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@audio-spot wrote:

I've had a couple of pickups where the seller wouldn't give me address details until I paid via PayPal (pre Covid-19). I got the impression they had been messed around by other buyers who had turned up with cash and tried to negotiate a lower price.

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Quite possible.

You are not obligated to paying PayPal if it's a pick up item.

If it happens again I suggest telling the seller that you will pay cash on pick up as it is one of eBay's suggested methods.

Safer for the seller as well, they are not left open to chargebacks. (but many sellers are unaware of that fact)

[11dustyattic]

If they want you to pay by paypal, do it. They obviously don't know that cash is safer for them. I won't accept paypal payments for pickups because I once met a buyer for a pick up, usual conversation, gave them their item, stopped on my way out of the carpark to mark the item as paid and do feedback only to find he had opened an item not received case!! Wow, the nerve of some people. So I only accept cash now because we have no protection without a tracking number.

For you though as the buyer, perfect! I personally like to keep all communications on here, no exchange of numbers, that way everything is on record, but that's just an extra precaution I take