Recommended process and payment method for Classifieds sales

[Josh2]

Hi,

I would like to sell two items through the Classifieds section but I am a little worried about the process. What is the process and payment method others recommend? I want to feel comfortable and I want that they buyer feels the same.

Thanks!

 

[edwarmr]

Require payment through PayPal. Make sure the money is not sent via a Friends & Family payment. First off, it’s against PayPal’s terms of use to pay for a service using Friends & Family. Secondly, PayPal does not offer the buyer protection if they pay via Friends & Family. PayPal will charge the seller a 2.9% fee + $0.30 on the total value of the transaction but will offer protection for the buyer in case the seller doesn’t fulfill his end of the bargain. Personally I would never buy anything on here through a Friends & Family payment. You can either include the PayPal fee in your listing price or tell the buyer what the fee will be. For me personally I like to give the buyer a flat rate rather than give them a price and tell them they will have to cover fees. It’s easier just to plan for it and include it in the total price you will charge them for the listing.

 

[DynaGlide]

Hi,

I would like to sell two items through the Classifieds section but I am a little worried about the process. What is the process and payment method others recommend? I want to feel comfortable and I want that they buyer feels the same.

Thanks!

Having sold and bought via forum classifieds here and elsewhere for over a decade: Do your research. If a member has 1 post vs a member that's been a regular and is well known is one thing to consider. Payment method is usually PayPal. As a seller, 'Friends and Family' is better for you but worse for the buyer. If you do the regular PayPal with protection I think it weighs in the buyers favor if they were someone not reputable who isn't truthful to PayPal if they file a claim. Again, it all goes back to a certain level of trust and selling/buying from people with a good standing/reputation.

I have no problem buying/selling to members of forums who I've had discussions with in the past or regularly see commenting in threads. I've never had a problem in all my years of doing this here and elsewhere. If you're selling and take PayPal, the buyer pays first, then you ship, send them tracking info and if you want, take some pictures of the packaging and box as you're putting it together.

Hope this helps,
Matt

 

[six-point socket II]

Be aware that PayPal is buyer-friendly and seller-unfriendly. For PayPal the buyer always comes first. This can mean serious trouble if you encounter a fraudulent buyer.

Sadly PayPal is treated as an "institution" these days.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[krudawg]

I've sold 2 items on the FOG Classified.  Both buyers suggested PayPal and that is how we transacted the financial side of the deal.  From my perspective, PayPal works great.  There are scammers everywhere but I think it's not there is a good chance a transition between FOGgers is going to work out fine. 

 

[AlexMcgrath]

I see it's been a while since this was discussed, but I'm curious—has anyone noticed any new payment methods becoming more common for sales? Online payment options keep changing, and I’m wondering if there are any newer, safer ways to handle transactions. Also, for those who’ve sold recently, do you still prefer PayPal, or have other services worked better?

 

[luvmytoolz]

In Australia we tend to use direct bank transfers to a mob or account for anything sold in a forum or cash for an online marketplace like gumtree where you meet up in person. I wouldn't even consider selling anything of value to anyone that couldn't be vouched for using paypal for payment. Especially when you factor the fees in.

We have far too many examples here of a lack of protection for sellers, and numerous horrendous fraud/misuse cases by buyers that generally is supported by paypal at the sellers expense regardless of any proof provided. Note that in Australia not all paypal transactions are covered by a guarantee, even buying on ebay a lot aren't covered by anything.

 

[peter halle]

I will offer my thoughts:  Behind the scenes we get notifications from Members who have unfortunately had Classified transactions fail to meet their expectations.  And it is always the buyer who is the one on the short end of the transaction.  We do not get involved in the transaction - it truly is buyer beware.  For instance, just last week a Member here sent me a message about a listing that had popped up on the forum.  He offered a heads up that the new listing was showing images that had been used in a Craigslist ad.  He had actually purchased those items pictured just a day or so before the listing was made here.  I wrote to the person who listed it here and gave him a deadline to respond back to me about his listing.  Although he signed in prior to the deadline he didn't respond to me and at the deadline + 2 minutes he was banned and all of his posts were removed.  All of his posts other than an introductory post months prior had been in the classifieds.

I would urge everyone to do due diligence as many above have suggested and seriously consider only paying in a manner that offers the buyer protection.  If the deal is no longer good if you add in the few % points of fees then I would offer that the deal wasn't good at all.  Those few dollars spent might be the best dollars you spent.

Just a couple of days ago I read a post in a Facebook group I belong to which was the identical wording of one I fell for after a friend's account was hacked.  Of course that individual would only accept Paypal Friends and Family so I lost the game.

Please don't be like me in this regard.

Peter

 

[squall_line]

As a seller, I also worry about being taken for a ride.  Paypal only offers so much protection to a seller, and I have either cancelled transactions or put some very nice people through some very unfortunate hoops to protect myself from chargebacks and other complaints.  Some of my highest-dollar sales have only been to long-standing members because of this.

I appreciate the work that the moderators do to protect the members here from spam and hucksters (see Peter's post about confronting and removing scam sellers), but also am reminded that all transactions are independent of the forum and between those who make the transactions ( I also look forward to seeing those same mods eventually delete the bot posts that resurrected this dead thread in the middle of the night after they edit in their spam links.)

 

[onocoffee]

I've been buying quite a bit of used Festool but I tend to prefer dealing with sellers who are within driving distance from me so the transaction can happed in-person. Not to say that's foolproof but I think it mitigates some issues.

Though I did buy some SYS Rails from a guy on FB in Seattle. For some reason, I just felt like he was trustworthy and sent him the money with the faith he would deliver. He did and even sent me some extra swag because I didn't challenge his trustworthiness. BUT, I can't recommend going on feeling like that. Doing that is ripe with possibilities for issues.

I would be open to doing a deal with the people on this forum who we see regularly. I think then the chances for issues are lower.