Do I trust selling an expensive item?

[username99chris]

Hi guys,

I have heard bad things about selling high cost items on  eBay in regards to some people using "Credit Card Chargeback" or other paypal false claims or even sending back the wrong item or damaged item.

How can I avoid this if my item is >$3000? 

Should I bother selling it here?

Regards.

[kopenhagen5]

You could try listing as pick up only, cash on pick up.

I must admit I would probably only sell pick up cash payment, treat it like the old trading post (gumtree) type of transaction.

The other problem you have being a new seller is the 21 day hold on funds in PayPal.

If it's a vehicle, you don't need to offer PayPal.

[username99chris]

Can i refuse paypal for pickup?

Couldnt someone just use the old "never received" after coming to pickup?

[kopenhagen5]

Well, strictly speaking you cannot refuse PayPal but I have put in listings 'Cash on pick up preferred' and buyers have understood especially when I suggest it is safer for the buyer to inspect before handing over the cash.

An INR case is not available on pick up items. (But INAD is now avail on pick up items)

PayPal didn't have protection on p/u items but now does. Mostly if an item ceases to work after a month or two or defects are found later.

What type of item is it ?

Most people won't have 3000+ in PayPal to use and would probably feel safer doing cash on pick up.

The only problem I think you would have is keeping scammers away.

[repentatleisure1952]

No...you can specify cash only but it will not stop a buyer paying with PayPal.

Yes.

What is the item you are thinking of listing?

[username99chris]

laptop.

[digital*ghost]

Computer hardware is (arguably) one of the more volatile categories to sell in, just based on the threads that appear here about problematic buyers. 

I don't know how common it is in terms of ratio of good transactions to bad, but I do know I have seen a lot of "buyer returnd box of bricks, buyer damaged it and now claiming it arrived faulty, buyer removed parts and returned the empy shell..." etc threads in relation to computers, computer hardware, and other tech goods.

High priced items also tend to attract your more self-evident scammers (the "I want to buy this for my brother who is a priest working on an oil rig, and will pay an extra $500 so you can send it to him" types), though of course they are easier to avoid. 

There are a lot of things you can do to protect yourself, but there are also some ways you simply can't (this applies to all items, categories, and price points), though in most cases sellers still have recourse available to them, it tends to be a time consuming legal process that doesn't guarantee full (or even any) restitution. 

It's a shame we don't have any regular posters who deal in expensive tech who can share their experiences, and any measures they take to minimise risks, as I tend to think it would be better with some more specialised advice.  I suppose it's obvious that I would be extremely reluctant to list something (anything) of that value on eBay, but if I were going to list a $3k laptop, I would be taking a lot of photos and video, showing the working condition, every angle for cosmetic and other identifiers, the packaging process - preferably with an unrelated and credible witness who can provide a stat dec, eg pack it at the post office). It probably seems over the top, but it's scaled to how much losing an item of that value and / or the funds would affect me. 

[bimberiretrosystems]

someone once threatened me with going to paypal to get their money back as the laptop i sold them did not have the latest microsoft office installed(not advertised with microsoft office) - they said that a laptop without office software was broken and useless for anything and not as described.  They did not follow through but these days with the money back guarantee buyers try anything and are more bold with their claims. 

Another laptop i sold as part/spares as it would not turn on-the buyer was angry that replacing the RAM/HDD did not make it work and claimed my description was ambiguous and deceptive-these days they would have claimed and proably got their money back. 

Another funny one was one of those stupid apple users claimed i did not describe the fault of an apple laptop properly- i could not get the machine to display anything on screen but when they got it it and powered on it displayed some things on the screen-that turkey apple user did a claim through paypal saying i did not describe the fault properly-they were under the impression that the screen worked fine as i could not get anything on screen (loose cable?) but after tinkering they powered it on and the screen did not work properly.  I stopped selling apple hardware after that and now just automatically dispose of apple hardware when i get it-too many dumb apple users.

Good luck with paypal and your laptop

[username99chris]

Sounds like I should just try to sell it via cash on gumtree.