How to organise a pick up for buyer without getting a warning from ebay?

[pancaket52]

The last time I tried this ebay told me not to try organising a sale outside ebay.

How can I let the buyer know where to pick up?

[lyndal1838]

If the buyer has already committed to buy the item you should be OK to exchange details and arrange the pickup.

The problems were rearing their ugly heads when there was no commitment to buy and ebay thought you would sell off ebay.

[go-tazz]

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@pancaket52 wrote:

The last time I tried this ebay told me not to try organising a sale outside ebay.

How can I let the buyer know where to pick up?

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With pick up items I've always put my pick up details in the invoice before sending it as per their "instuctions".

Local pickup

Sellers can offer a local pickup option – for example if they don't want to post large, heavy or fragile items, or they'd simply prefer to have buyers pick up the item.

How it works

• Read the listing carefully to determine the location of the item and the postage or local pickup options the seller offers. Use the Ask a question link in the listing if you need to check on anything before buying.

• Complete your purchase on eBay. If the seller hasn't entered pickup instructions in checkout, use theContact seller link to get in touch with them.

  You only get in "trouble" if you send your address before the sale as it's deemed to be trying to sell off site,

  (your suburb is in the listing and they deem that sufficient information for a buyer).

  They don't believe in inspection before pick up as inspection is only allowed when the buyer gets there and

  they then have the option to take it or leave it,(wasting everyones time if they don't take it).

[lm-entertainment]

just out of curiousity (because i've never offered local pickup) and i know lots of people on here do - if the buyer arrives then and doesn't want the item, do they get an unpaid item strike? seeing as they've "committed to buy.." 

[egglesdtp]

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@lm-entertainment wrote:

just out of curiousity (because i've never offered local pickup) and i know lots of people on here do - if the buyer arrives then and doesn't want the item, do they get an unpaid item strike? seeing as they've "committed to buy.." 

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Good question. I've wondered that myself. I guess the seller just has to cancel the sale?

[lyndal1838]

No, the buyer does not get a strike.

By ebay's reasoning it is the same scenario as a posted item being not as described....the buyer does not have to keep it.

If the buyer looks at the item when they arrive to pick it up and decide they don't want it/like it/it is not what they thought they are free to walk away without penalty.

[lm-entertainment]

thanks for the answer lyndal :] 

[kopenhagen5]

Further to lyndals, and if the seller does open an unpaid afterwards, call ebay explaining you inspected the item and it wasn't as described.

The seller can do a cancellation and relist. (Hopefully correcting the description).

This is one of the reasons I refund a PayPal payment on a pick up item explaining it is for their protection to inspect the item first before paying cash.

Also eliminates chargebacks being possible. 

[pancaket52]

Thanks Lyndal and Go tazz - It's not often I offer pick up but the lady only lives up the road and is buying  2 items from me.

[anotherpancake52]

Just an update on this transaction.

An Invoice can only be sent when the buyer commits to buy. In this instance I wanted to delete the postage costs.

Unfortunately the buyer was taken directly to checkout and had to pay for both items with postage - this in spite of turning off the Immediate Payment button.

I had to refund the postage through paypal - so both ebay and Paypal got their fees.

I have since read that this is the norm now and ebay says the Sellers have to educate our buyers to opt out of the Pay Immediately option!!

A bit late when they've already been made to pay with postage.

I don't think I will be offering Pick Up again - it gets too hard finding the correct words to use in the messages when the buyer can't understand why I can't send an invoice or tell them my address.  Talk about making myself look like a dodgy Seller!!