@nechen0414,
There's been some terrific advice (and quite a variety of it) on this thread! It's good to see that you are absorbing a fair amount of the helpful information here.
For future pick-up items, in terms of payment method:
- You do have to offer a "safe" payment method (which, at this time and in these circumstances means PayPal), but you can also offer cash on pickup in your listing.
- As long as you don't discourage PayPal, you can say "Cash on pickup preferred" (or words to that effect).
- The majority of buyers looking for pick-up items won't actually tell sellers who only list with PayPal that they won't be bidding on their items... but that doesn't mean that those buyers want to pay via PayPal for a pickup item. You may significantly increase your potential buyer pool if you offer cash on pickup.
- Cash on pickup is by far the best payment option for pick-up items. It means that no money changes hands until the buyer has arrived to inspect the item (after winning the auction or buying it now, depending on the listing format). Once the buyer's satisfied, he/she hands over the cash to complete the payment portion of the purchase. Payment should be complete BEFORE the buyer takes/carries the item.
- The buyer should transport the item from its location to his/her vehicle. (Note: do not offer to help carry it. I'll explain why further down.)
- You can mark the item in eBay as "paid" on the spot.
If the sale doesn't go ahead
If the buyer inspects the item before paying, and is dissatisfied, he/she can pull out of the purchase. Some sellers will attempt to send a cancellation request through on the spot, so that they can talk the buyer through the process of accepting the cancellation request. (However, beware of the buyer accidentally connecting to your internet connection on their phone or iPad or what-have-you; you do not want eBay to link your account with the buyer's on the basis of IP, as this may propel eBay into accusations of shill bidding or feedback manipulation. It can be avoided by reminding the buyer to turn off wi-fi in their Settings.)
Because the cancellation request process relies on the buyer physically doing something (accepting the request quickly - otherwise, if no response from the buyer, it's a lengthy process), some sellers will simply go straight for the cancellation process using the only other reasonable option that a seller has: "problem with the buyer's address". It's not accurate, but in lieu of eBay providing a reason that "buyer inspected pick-up item and decided not to proceed with the transaction", it's not hard to see why it's the best of a bad bunch. (Never ever choose the "out of stock/damaged" options if you can possibly avoid it, as the defects flung at sellers who choose this option are very sharp and very painful.) But there's no question that if you can get the buyer to accept the cancellation request on the basis of "buyer requests cancellation" before leaving, that is the best (most accurate) reason to choose.
Here's why you may want to avoid lending a helping hand in lifting, transporting, carrying, helping to support, etc., the goods from their original item pickup location/inspectionpoint.
Quoting from eBay's Money Back Guarantee:
❝🚫 Not covered
- Items damaged during local pick-up
- Items not delivered when the buyer arranges pick-up or delivery of the item (for instance, the buyer arranges freight)
[...] - Local pickup items that weren't collected by the buyer❞
Important to note: If the buyer damages the item during the pick-up, he/she has damaged their own item. It's not covered under the eBay MBG. You ensure that you can't be held responsible by not being a carrier who can be blamed if an item's damaged in the process. (Of course it would be your responsibility if the item were damaged at your hands, before the buyer arrived, for instance.)
Re this particular interstate buyer wanting your address, I do not see the harm in that (unless you suspect that the buyer is a blank-eyed knife-wielding psychopath determined to track you down and stab until his clothing is spattered and soaked with blood). I take your point that the buyer only needs to know the exact particulars after making her PayPal payment, as she doesn't need those details for the purposes of payment. However, it isn't an entirely unreasonable request and providing those details would very likely mean that the buyer feels secure enough to make the PayPal payment, organise the courier, and get that item launched on its way away from you and straight to the buyer.
(See the second point that I quote above in eBay's MBG "not covered" list to see why a purchase of a pick-up item where the buyer arranges pick-up/delivery of the item is a good result for the seller.)
