buying and selling


Let's say you're negotiating a bigger ticket item (eg >$5k) with a private individual you don't know. Is it appropriate for the buyer to offer (or the seller to accept) 50% up front and the balance on receipt of the item or is complete payment upfront the usual way to go?

Thanks for any input!
kleech

Showing 1 response by tok20000

It depends.

First one must take feedback into consideration.

If the seller has no feedback, I would be hesitant to send him anything but shipping, and pay COD.

If the seller has lots of positive feedback, then I have no problem sending certified funds to him. Just be sure you spell the deal out in email and save all the emails.

If both parties have lots of feedback or no feedback, well... anything goes. It may not be unreasonable to ask for 50% in advance. 100% COD might also be a viable alternative.

I try to buy items from people that have a lot of good feedback, especially the big ticket items.

I tend to try to let the party who has the highest feedback dictate terms. If someone that has little feedback does not like my terms, I pass on the deal.

KF