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Not Sure If This Is OK Here, But Here Goes

I'm selling a pair of Magnepans on Audiogon and as usual, have had no response. Yesterday, a guy from Argentina (allegedly) contacts me and says he'd like the speakers and gave me an address and phone number of a guy in Miami to ship them to and he'll forward them on to the end buyer.

At first glance, this doesn't pass the smell test. However, he did give me a phone number, which I may call later today. The other issue I have is that I have little to no experience with PayPal. How hard is it to defraud PayPal and leave me without my  money and the lose of my speakers?

jasonduke2
jl1ny's avatar
jl1ny
418 posts
 

In your situation I’d use ZELLE and have the buyer agree that you’ll accept no responsibility for non-delivery or damages. PayPal will hold your money hostage until the speakers are delivered. Great for the buyer but for the seller it’s a great way to get screwed and PayPal ABSOLUTELY will put the screws to you. I can’t stand them.

geof3
1,129 posts
 

3rd party transactions are always suspect. And with something big like Maggies, I wouldn’t take the chance. The problem with Friends and Family mode, which seems fool proof as MC mentioned, is it really isn’t. If the buyer pays F&F with a credit card, they can’t dispute via PayPal but they can dispute on the credit card, which is even more of a nut roll. You could use an escrow service of some sort, but that is just another layer. Run, don’t walk. Just not worth the hassle.

happyship
11 posts
 

Paypal will make you pay more for services to mediate the complaint if you have problems with the sale. They were sued for not protecting sellers before ebay bought them.

 

rbstehno
1,431 posts
 

As a seller, you are not in a favorable position with PayPal. As a buyer you have more control and easier to get your money back. 
I have sold many items internationally and almost all of them, if you go thru customs, you lose any ability to track your shipment so your ability to prove that your shipment actually made it to the buyer diminishes as well as leaving yours of open for the buyer to get their money back and you lose the item you sold. EVERY international transaction, and EVERY transaction here in the states over a certain amount, the buyer has to use PayPal friends and family

pennpencil
117 posts
 

Run from this bogus offer. Run! You already know the offer is no good. These offers only work on desperate sellers or people who trust in the kindness remote strangers, which you shouldn’t. bogus offers work on a very small percentage of targets but it’s called getting something for nothing. There’s always someone looking to part a person with his money. But if you go forward, I have a bridge in the Everglades for sale. 😀

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