wire transfers safe?

For the most part, Yes.

If you are heads up about it, it is completely safe.
Merely open a checking account with $1.00 in it, and use the routing number of that account. Once the money has been transferred to said account, transfer all the money, except for the original $1, out of said account.

My two cents worth.

Sounds like a scam to me. Just my 2cents. If he has an agent in Texas, he should wire the money to the agent, then have the agent send you a postal money order. Tell the seller, shipment of the item will take place once the money order has been cashed by the post office (in case they try to counterfeit a money order.)

A_L

I've had 3 overseas wire transfers -- and all were without a glitch. I opened an "audiophile" account per se with a few $$ in it. In two instances, one was a buyer in Peru & he wanted me to send the item to a shipping company in Miami (which I did, registered) & the second from a buyer in Portugal to a shipping company in NY (again, registered). Both items were not heavy -- cables. In both these instances, the buyers sent me a .pdf of their request -- it took 4 or 5 work days for the money to make it thru the international/US banking system.

Having worked in the wire transfer department of a bank, I know that there are a wide variety of checks that a transfer has to go through in order to be verified, so it is less likely for a wire transfer to turn out bad than any other form of payment (credit cards have chargebacks, checks bounce, etc.).
However, any time you give out a routing and account number, you become susceptible to fraud. Setting up a "dummy" account is the best way to go. Most banks will offer you a free secondary account, and can even note it to stay open at a zero balance. I have two accounts for my audiophile dealings, one to serve as a hub for wire transfer activities, and the other as either the destination or source of wired funds.