Following the IWH scam and others before, I thought it would be useful to document some ideas to help keep ourselves safe when buying on the classifieds.
About the item
Ask for the exact specification, model, year and colour
Ask how long the current owner has owned it and how much they have used it
Ask to confirm condition and ask if there is any damage
Ask for photographs – specifically of any damage reported.
Postage
Agree how long the seller will take to post the item
Agree the postage method to be used
If the item is valued at more than £10 the item should be sent using a signed for service – NOTE Royal Mail standard parcels is not a signed for service.
Consider using one of the DHL and Parcelforce resellers such as payperparcel and parcel2go if the item is large or heavy.
Payment
Ask for the full name, address and phone number of the seller
If paying by PayPal, ask the seller to use the Request Money option. This will confirm the sellers name and address. You don't need to respond to this request, but you do then have the contact details.
If you pay by regular paypal, then you will have buyer protection, but the seller will incur fees. If you pay by gift then you will not have buyer protection.
Bank transfer – ask for name of account, account number & sort code. Ask for these to be emailed to help prevent transcription errors. If the amount is large, consider sending a small undisclosed amount to the recipient e.g. 37p and asking the seller to confirm the amount sent. Once you are sure the bank details are correct, proceed with full amount.
Communications – Buyer
Confirm that you have sent payment
Confirm that you have received the item and that you are happy with the sale
Communications – Seller
Confirm receipt of payment
Confirm postage date with tracking number
Obviously some/most of this may be overkill for some purchases. Whaddya think?