Advice on Ebay, PayPal and collection

[Craig22]

Paypal split from eBay in 2014/15. Sellers now get proceeds (less eBay fees) paid directly into their bank account. The only bit that goes through Paypal, curiously, is the shipping cost.

But yes - always link Paypal to a bank account.

Everything that has been said about this strange £500 transaction sounds strange. What is the seller's feedback rating?

 

[Bottingswood]

Not used Ebay for a while and aware that they have had an ongoing spat with PayPal. Anyhow I have just purchased something large in size (requires collecting) for around <£500 and the seller has asked for PayPal payment before collection (and before giving me the address). Does PayPal protection still cover me if I pre pay and if something goes wrong after that? Their account looks good, not much selling but no alarm bells as such.

Any advice appreciated. Tried trawling the PayPal FAQ's and associated forums but the conversation seems to bias around sellers having issue in not being able to prove collection more than buyers being concerned.

Shed9,
If you ask a Q on a forum I guess you expect a whole bag of different answers and opinions, some more helpful than others. I have used eBay for a number of years now. I have PayPal set up with my credit card. The first time I bought for pickup was a bit concerning but I got over that soon enough. As you say, The account looks good. If there are problems my experience is eBay sort it out way before you need PayPal. Just maintain a trail of comms between you and the vendor should it all go sideways. Good Luck

PS What was the item purchased?

 

[Bottingswood]

Shed9,
If you ask a Q on a forum I guess you expect a whole bag of different answers and opinions, some more helpful than others. I have used eBay for a number of years now. I have PayPal set up with my credit card. The first time I bought for pickup was a bit concerning but I got over that soon enough. As you say, The account looks good. If there are problems my experience is eBay sort it out way before you need PayPal. Just maintain a trail of commas between you and the vendor should it all go sideways. Good Luck

PS What was the item purchased?

Should read ‘Comms’

 

[Krome10]

Bear in mind also that some of the fees the seller pays are avoided if the payment is made in cash. For PayPal it's around 3.4% I think (I imagine it's similar for eBay payments). On £500 that's a worthwhile saving. Which then begs the question why they wouldn't prefer cash on collection to avoid these fees...?

Also, I've been in this position a few times as a seller and I've insisted on cash on collection to protect myself. From the seller's perspective, HE is on dodgy ground if you pay via PayPal as he would have no seller's protection. So technically, you could collect the item and then put in a PayPal claim for item not received. To defend such a claim, the seller HAS to provide trackable delivery, which he wouldn't be able to, and so you'd win.

With those to things in mind, the seller should be pleased you're paying cash. In fact, he should be insisting on it! If he's not aware of the above two points, perhaps explain them and see if that changes his mind. If it doesn't, then I'd say it begs the question why he's insisting on PayPal and starts to smell like fish...

 

[jonn]

Ebay when you have Aliexpress? Have had over 300 orders on Aliexpress, and just once didn't I get what I was after, but got money back, all of it. Re-ordered and all was fine. And also the quality is fine for my use, both for woodworking machinery and for metal work. And the freight cost is rather competitive unless you expect to be paid for freight Okay, delivery time can be a bit long, but I, at least, got used to that, so long as the parcels in the post arrive. Here in Norway freight is at snail pace and extremely expensive, so when you get the same stuff from China, where it is originally made anyway, the preference is obvious.

 

[user 35906]

Last week I was asked by a very elderly acquaintance about selling a really nice Honda suitcase generator that had been his brothers and was in his garage, he is not in the slightest internet savvy and I was/am reluctant to sell the item for him on my Ebay account with that has 100% positive feedback.

Do I use his address for collection and let him (alone in his late eighties) deal with any possible time wasters or hagglers?
Do I use my address?
Do I state payment by Paypal so that payment has been sorted before collection?
I know what I would have done but it hasn't happened yet.
I prefer payment on collection but can understand his reluctance and as I understand it payment through paypal can be withdrawn but cash can't.
I have done over 1400 deals on Ebay mainly buying and could count the bad experiences on one hand, if there has been a problem Ebay has got my money back so I can't understand all the expert doom and gloom merchants slagging Ebay off all the time. Obviously you have to be careful but Ebay certainly looks after the buyers more than it's sellers.

@jonn the only time I used Aliexpress I got stung with an £11+ charge including handling on a £28 laser level, never had that on any parts I have bought on Ebay from China probably just a coincidence though.

 

[Jacob]

Walk...nay run away.. as fast as you can. It's a scam and you will have no protection. Why would they not take cash on collection ? It stinks.

Cash on collection can be a scam technique. Paypal is safer and you have comeback - which a scammer would not want.

 

[Krome10]

Cash on collection can be a scam technique.

How? I guess they could mug you when you get there. Or use counterfeit money. Any other ways cash on collection can be a scam?

 

[Krome10]

Paypal is safer and you have comeback

As far as I know there is no comeback with PayPal if you collect

 

[Jacob]

How? I guess they could mug you when you get there. Or use counterfeit money. Any other ways cash on collection can be a scam?

If you find the thing is faulty you would have no comeback via Ebay or Paypal

 

[Jacob]

As far as I know there is no comeback with PayPal if you collect

t'other way round - if you have a prob such as finding the thing is faulty you have much better chance of money back with Paypal and Ebay. There is usually a time lag as they leave it open for the parties to sort it out but so far for me almost every issue I've had has been sorted OK eventually. The exception was a damaged delivery via Ebay Global which cost me a lot. Don't use Ebay Global try DPD and everybody else first.

 

[StephenArfer]

Avoid using PayPal for this transaction unless seller submits an invoice through PayPal and you pay using the "Goods and Services" option. You have buyer's protection in this case. However seller may ask for PayPal payment as "Friends and Family" to avoid PayPal's charges. I assume he is neither so avoid this at all costs unless you are prepared to lose your money as you have no buyer protection.

Since Ebay and PayPal's divorce it is easier and safer to simply pay through Ebay and leave PayPal out of it. The seller does not get paid until the goods are supplied with tracking info and received (except after a long delay without buyer's complaint) or under some other circumstances for established traders, which I assume do not apply in this case.

There are lots of scams involving PayPal which they are trying to stop, but their prevention systems rely largely on computer algorithms which the scammers work around or simply rely on buyer's naivety. Cash on collection can be OK and surely could only be unacceptable to seller if it is a scam.

I hope this helps for you to make up your mind. I smell a scam attempt here.

 

[DBT85]

These kind of things for me are always cash on collection if I'm collecting. I check the thing over, see if it works and go from there.

 

[shed9]

This is more confusing now, it seems PayPal won't offer buyer protection if payment is made prior to collection but Ebay will cover buyer protection even if you use PayPal. I think they use a QR code scan to confirm collection after which the seller gets paid.

Apologies if I missed that in the advice above. Still checking this out now.

 

[Jacob]

This is more confusing now, it seems PayPal won't offer buyer protection if payment is made prior to collection but Ebay will cover buyer protection even if you use PayPal. I think they use a QR code scan to confirm collection after which the seller gets paid.

Apologies if I missed that in the advice above. Still checking this out now.

Confusing! I've always paid up front with paypal and, as I said earlier, almost always been covered and got my money back when things went wrong, whether or not collected or posted.

 

[shed9]

Confusing!

You're telling me.

I communicated with Ebay direct which was way easier than it has ever been IMO. If I pay through Ebay using a preferred option (PayPal included) then on checkout I get the collection address. The collection time is agreed between both parties before payment which has already been agreed by us anyhow. If I collect and everything is good, no problems, if however I go to collect and there are major issues then Ebay will return my cash. I suspect the seller doesn't get paid until positive feedback is received or post exchanged messages confirm collection.

You learn something new everyday.

 

[martin.pearson]

I see you have now offered cash on collection which is a better idea I think, not sure what sort of protection you would have if the person who is actually selling the item is not on ebay, you would have to speak to them through the friend if things went pear shaped & Paypal might not be OK with that.

 

[martin.pearson]

Confusing! I've always paid up front with paypal and, as I said earlier, almost always been covered and got my money back when things went wrong, whether or not collected or posted.

I actually stopped using ebay & Paypal because of a purchase where I lost my money, took out a dispute because the item hadn't been delivered, the sellers proof of delivery was a picture of my front door & delivered through customers letter box. The picture could easily have been lifted from google, I informed Paypal that the item would not physically fit through a letter box but they found in favour of the seller & there is no appeals process

 

[baldkev]

I bought a dehumidifier on ebay, through PayPal, it broke after a few months ( wasnt a cheapie ) and paypal did sweet f.a about it, but lloyds took it up to get me a chargeback

 

[pgrbff]

I have nearly 2000 feedback on two accounts selling but mostly buying, in UK, Ireland and Italy. The market in Italy is totally different but I have still had relatively few problems and can't really say I have lost out. I think people overreact to the slightest thing, I have never been scammed and Paypal and eBay have protected me 99.99% of the time, in fact, I have on more than one occasion been refunded and not had to return the item.