distance buying

holty

holty

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hi guys
how do i pay for an item i want to buy on gumtree but the seller is 400 mile
away ? what is the safest way to do the deal so i dont get ripped off ??

cheers grahame
 
With Gumtree there is no safe way as far as I'm aware. There is no protection with cheque or bank transfer, and I don't believe that Paypal offers any cover for Gumtree.
 
Id say paypal if the accept it, if they dont then its always going to be a risk unless its a shop that take credit cards :thumbs:
 
Carefully! ;)
Are you sure it's legit? There's a million and one scammers on there, one tried it on with me recently.
Basically, no matter how you pay, if he/she screws you over you won't have a leg to stand on. You have zero protection. :(
 
markyboy1 said:
Id say paypal if the accept it, if they dont then its always going to be a risk unless its a shop that take credit cards :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Why Paypal? There's no protection if you pay by that either unless you're buying via Ebay.
 
With Gumtree (as their guidance states I believe) only pay face to face. A 400 mile trip might make this trickier but it is meant to be a local classified service. Do Not pay by any other means, it is too risky!

J
 
I always specify "Local pickup/collection only" on my Gumtree Ads. Its the only way to be sure i'm afraid.
 
Wozzaaah said:
Why Paypal? There's no protection if you pay by that either unless you're buying via Ebay.
Click to expand...

I wasnt speaking from experience as ive never used gumtree, I just thought paypals buyer protect policy covered all paypal payments
 
Unfortunately not Mark, only anything you buy via Ebay.
Gumtree is rapidly becoming a scammers paradise and the only way to stay safe is deal only in cash, face to face.
Sad that it has to be that way but it is and it'll never get any better.
Not everyone is aware that Ebay actually owns Gumtree. ;)
 
If the deal is so good that you want to transact over 400 miles then it's probably a scam anyway.

CASH in person is the only way. And take a friend...... A BIG friend!:|
 
Are you absolutely sure, I thought Paypal protection extended outside of eBay, e.g. many suppliers accept Paypal and from what I can see Paypal or Credit Card chargeback is available ... that having been said I too would be very wary about distance buying from a Gumtree advert.
 
^ If it's a private sale then the seller will probably want paying by Paypal gift so he/she doesn't get charged in which case it won't be covered but looking at the terms and conditions, if you pay for the item as a 'purchase' then it does seem that Paypal will cover it but they add charges on top of the purchase price.
 
Jimi-the-fish said:
With Gumtree (as their guidance states I believe) only pay face to face. A 400 mile trip might make this trickier but it is meant to be a local classified service. Do Not pay by any other means, it is too risky!

J
Click to expand...

Yup.

I used to use GT a lot years back, but it's flooded more and more each year with dirty scammers. Experienced used buyers can see through them right away, but many newcomers to the used market get scammed rotten.

The usual rule of thumb: if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Never send a penny without seeing and checking goods first.

I prefer to use adverts.ie nowadays. Similar idea, but it runs a star rating sceme similar to ebay. Be wary of first time sellers, meet in public places, bring a mate if you can ... never flash cash until you're sure the seller is ok and the goods are ... well, good.

If I were you OP, I'd search again for a similar item a bit more local.
 
Not everyone is aware that eBay actually owns Gumtree.
Click to expand...

And that ebay owns Paypal, or is it the other way round?
 
That is correct Keith, mind you, Ebay probably own the universe now, or at least they own the half that Google doesn't! :lol:
 
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