How do you close a sales / buying deal?!

Wail

Wail

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Wail
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I ask this since a few days ago I was selling my 70-200VR and I couldn't figure a "trusty" way to get the lens & money exchanged. Not that the buyer was dodgy, by far he is a really good gentleman once I got to meet him; but he sending me over £1,000 when not knowing me would have been foolish on his part. The same would have been said had I sent him the lens first!

So, how does a deal like this close .. other than meeting face-to-face and doing a cash exchange on delivery?
 
Usually cash upfront....just the way its done really!! It can be a bit nerving, but I've thankfully never had any deals go wrong! Touch wood!
 
Well.... I've sent a bank transfer for over £1.5k and got the stuff the next day.

I sold my 14-24 to Leif over on Nikon Cafe, and he sent me a cheque.

I bought my 14-24 via BT on an Ebay Shop, as the chap gave me a discount if I used BT rather than Paypal.

Krazy_Horse bought a lens from me and he collected with cash. I'd always rather face to face, but sometimes its not possible. I've had a couple of face-to-face with Chris over on Nikon Cafe (he posts here too (Tulipone over here).

Ideally I'd rather cash and collection, but I genuinely believe most people are honest?
 
Either face-to-face cash, bank transfer or Paypal, never get talked into doing escrow, 99% of the sites are clones of escrow.com and only exist long enough to part you (and as many others as possible in a week/month) from your camera/lens/watch/guitar/laptop.....
 
It seems that trust is a big issue with non-face-to-face sales. Though I am willing to think most here are mature and trustworthy enough, but I guess I am not able to send my gear before I get the money in my hands.

Call me paranoid, but that's just me ... no offence to anyone please.
 
I've sent stuff before payment here and on NC.

I wouldn't do it on Ebay (actually I have twice.. took a calculated risk, and both times it went fine), but it would depend on the buyer.
 
Wail said:
It seems that trust is a big issue with non-face-to-face sales. Though I am willing to think most here are mature and trustworthy enough, but I guess I am not able to send my gear before I get the money in my hands.

Call me paranoid, but that's just me ... no offence to anyone please.
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Have you checked the feedback thread for the buyer's feedback that can usually give you a good idea:)
 
Now there's something, no I never checked that as it never crossed my mind. Thanks for the head's up on this.
 
If I'm selling then I send the gear and ask the buyer to pay when he's got it and happy with it. There's a risk but it's only gone wrong once on here and it was sorted in the end....an unfortunate and sudden change in the buyers circumstances (beyond his/her control).

Bob
 
Hi Wail,

You have most answers to this difficult of questions/circumstances.

On a forum you can reasonably judge an individual by looking at their contribution. Not an absolutely certain method but you will normally get a feeling if something is wrong.

I think when the value gets to a certain point then face to face will normally be the way.

Like most gambles, because at the end of the day that is exactly what the first party to part with the goods or money is doing, then you must be in a position to loose the bet. What I mean is, if you send £1,000 to someone for an item and they do not send the goods, then you must be capable of losing the money. If not then don't place the bet or in this case don't send the money.


Best regards

Chris
 
Hi,

I pay cash on delivery, bring a couple of mates,flash the cash grab the goods, dunno what happens next my mates deal with it, I'm too busy legging it to the car :D:lol:


Kidding of course but I know it has happened so beware. I usually deal with cash paid by Bank Transfer whether buying or selling, I tend to ask for full address and telephone number in case anything goes wrong, touch wood it's been ok so far with over 900 deals on ebay (various items) and plenty on photo forums for photo gear.


Paypal is ok too ( if the buyer/seller is honest) but take note that unlike a deal done via eBay you are NOT protected when using Paypal out-with eBay and plenty would argue that even then the protection is sh**e :bang:

If buying/selling via these or any forum then it's a good idea to search previous posts made by them as that can give you a feel about them, I suggested a while back a ratings system for buyers/sellers but it was unable to be implemented in the way I had suggested, there is however a trading feedback thread on the for sale forum, although clumsy it can help.

Mike.
 
i must admit the first ime i bought from a TP member i paid cash over the counter (over £500) which left me feeling a little nervous for a couple of days until the postie kindly brought my 24-70L...
I think face to face is the best option but obviously isn't always possible... i'm with 'Raythefab' you can usually tell genuine folk by checking their posts, i also believe that were pretty lucky on this site as it seems to attract only good genuine and keen togs....
 
horizon said:
i also believe that were pretty lucky on this site as it seems to attract only good genuine and keen togs....
Click to expand...

So far.......

I hope it stays that way too :clap:

Mike.
 
mikeyb said:
Paypal is ok too ( if the buyer/seller is honest) but take note that unlike a deal done via eBay you are NOT protected when using Paypal out-with eBay and plenty would argue that even then the protection is sh**e :bang:
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Not true, you still have far more protection than say, bank transfer. If worried you can pay by Paypal using a credit card and then the cc company are jointly liable with the seller should things go wrong.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Not true, you still have far more protection than say, bank transfer. If worried you can pay by Paypal using a credit card and then the cc company are jointly liable with the seller should things go wrong.
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Picky, picky, picky :D, Tis true, all I said was that Paypal was ok too as long as the buyer/seller was honest, if they used their debit card or bank account via Paypal then same protection as direct Bank Transfer ie: none, right? So we are both right, I just didn't break it down to the nitty gritty covering every method of payment via Paypal, not everyone has a Credit Card and plenty of buyers/sellers assume they are protected just because they are using Paypal, and even more never read the small print.

Credit Card is always the safest way to go ( although this too can depend on the CC Company rules ) either directly or via Paypal, but bear in mind that it is NOT Paypal that offers the protection it is the Credit card company, Paypal will only offer as far as I know protection on items bought via eBay plus perhaps the many shops that now use Paypal as a method of payment :shrug:, Paypal protection on eBay depends on the sellers feedback rating, and you are limited as to the amount AND the number of times you can claim within a set time as well, they also have it well sown up as to how long they hang onto the money too, I've seen some people saying they had to wait 90 - 180 days and so on :eek:

God help you if you sell something on eBay and the buyer claims a cashback because they say ( dishonestly) that the item never arrived, they immediately get their money back AND they have the item, and there is b****r all that you can do about it, except of course claim off Royal Mail if it was insured.

Buying used online via forums CAN be a minefield, but with the right attitude and a bit of care it can reap many bargains :thumbs:

Mike.
 
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So I guess it's back to the old school of doing business face to face and cash on delivery. Of course, that's not the end of the fear .. what if the cash recieving was dodgy .. or the goods being handed over not in the condition as advertised?

It's a nightmare, if you ask me.
 
Hi Wail,

I once received £20k in cash for a sale. I arranged with the bank that the transfer would take place there and they would check the money.

Solved the problem of worrying about dodgy notes!

Regards

Chris
 
I would prefer to deal face to face - inspect the goods, take a test shot or 3 then exchange cash for lens or whatever. Sometimes that just ain't an option - like if the seller's several hundred miles away.

I'll happily admit that I was a little wary about sending off a cheque to someone I'd never met, in the hope that a lens would be on its way back to me as soon as the cheque had cleared. All I could do (and I did!) was to check the 'phone book and make sure that the person I was sending the cheque to did actually live at the address I'd been given. When I got an e-mail the next day to tell me the cheque had arrived, I was able to relax a bit - after all, a scammer would probably wait a few days and possibly try to get another one sent.

As it was, I needn't have worried - I came home one afternoon to find a card from a courier and an e-mail from the seller that I hadn't seen the day before and the next day I picked up a box from the depot. The lens was exactly as described and was a very good price too - not to mention being one of very few available on the 2nd hand market!
 
Hi,

things are just about to start going full circle as the ONLY way to prevent card fraud is.... to deal in cash, companies keep banging on about the £m's lost every year with card fraud, simple solution? go back to cash ;)

Mike.
 
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