@immerge wrote:

Hi. How do i check if a buyer is legitimate. I have accepted offer and now awaiting payment. I do not want to pass on details unless i know for sure.. thanks

You can't. Not in advance.

No one can know that a seller or a buyer is going to be legit till after the transaction.

I got scammed years ago (before paypal) by a seller with a perfect track record over a few years, someone I had bought from before, who suddenly disappeared with money from a load of customers. She was eventually banned by ebay.

These days though you have some safeguards & things you can do if things don't work out.

So you have accepted an offer. You are awaiting payment.

The way you will know if a buyer is probably legit is if they pay for the item or contact you.

If this is a pick up item, as others have sugegsted, then I would expect a customer to contact you for pick up details within 48 hours. That's what a keen buyer would do. If they don't contact you by then, message them and ask when they would like to arrange to pick up.

If you don't hear back from them at all, then they have cold feet. Don't mess around. I think it is after 4 days you can cancel a sale on the basis a buyer has not paid. It may be different for a pick up item, not sure, they may get longer, look up the terms & conditions for exact details. But if you have heard nothing after 4 days-no reply etc, then in my opinion they are not interested and asap you need to put in your cancellation with ebay for an unpaid item. That way you will get a refund of your fees.

But I think most buyers are legit.

If the buyer gets in touch with you, you can arrange a mutually agreeable pick up date, it doesn't have to be within 4 days or anything, it could be any time though if I were you, I would aim for within a week or the next weekend, whenever. Try to have a time span. Whenever I have picked up (usually from a buyer's home) I have usually had an agreed time range (within half an hour), that way the seller isn't hanging around all day.

Accept either cash or pre payment but make sure you use the QR code at pickup.

Some buyers, if they pick up, won't ring the doorbell, they text you when they arrive. Be prepared for that.

As for knowing if a buyer is legit. You can check feedback but once something is sold, you are expected to carry through with a sale unless there are some obvious red flags or obstacles.

If you are a buyer though, always check feedback and seller location etc before buying.

Welcome to selling on eBay.

Unless you have a pickup item, you won’t have details to pass on.

Is this in relation to a pickup item?

And… once you’ve accepted an offer, you are obliged to send the item (or advise buyer of pickup details). You can designate a pickup location next to a police station if safety is a concern.

Otherwise… what do you mean by “details” to pass on to the buyer?

You cannot know for sure

But you can do things to help protect yourself

As advised, check their feedback left for others

Make sure you read the selling basics

Make sure the buyer has the QR code

Are they paying by cash or otherwise?

Do you have the means to transport the sink to a neutral location rather than them coming to your home? (such as a place close to a police station) 

check their feedback (as a buyer, as a seller, and left for others)