[Closed] Another "Am I being scammed?"

Run, run away.

Where are you selling, got any details for the guy your selling to? Can you track him to Pinkbike/Facebook/Results Sites?

Cash on collection, his mate can bring it

Ive sold 2 bikes to mainland europe (Germany and Lithuania). For both I insisted on paypal "friends & family", so no right of reclaim, and the buyer using their own courier to collect from me. I explained the reasons why and the risk of being scammed too great to do any other way. I also pointed the sellers to my history on here and on ebay to re-assure them. Both transactions went really smoothly and the buyers were really pleased.

It's on pinkbike and he's sold 38 items. Been on there since 2012 but has been quiet for the last year until recently.

I always use the postage I feel safest with. If that happens to be RM and expensive then so be it. If the buyer doesn't want to pay that much for postage then they won't buy the item from me.

Have sold over 1,000 items on eBay with that approach so doesn't seem to cause a problem.

I've sold a bunch of stuff to Europe including Portugal recently, albeit via ebay and their global shipping program that takes a lot of the faff away.

£/Euro exchange rate makes buying things from the UK much cheaper now, even if you have more expensive shipping to deal with.

Andy - How does them arranging a courier protect you from them saying that goods weren't received and claiming via a credit card which was used to fund the paypal transaction?

Activity on an old account can sometimes suggest it’s been hacked.

cash on collection if mate is organising a courier.

Yeah, I have sold quite a few things to Europe. As you say the weak pound means UK stuff is quite cheap. Think the issue with wheels/frames/bikes is the size and cost of postage out all adds to the overall risk.

EDIT
Paypal Friends and family has no right of reclaim I believe. Any refund is entirely based on your goodwill.

By them using their own courier it means that 1. They can probably do it cheaper as for some reason it seems there are more options for mainland europeans (the Lithuanian had access to a guy who tours the country in a van collecting stuff) and 2. It means they have responsibility for the item as it leaves your front door as it their courier so damage/loss in transport is their responsibility to insure/avoid. This is as opposed to you having responsibuility for the goods arriving safely if you send it.

I'm interested in this.

I recently sold an Islabike on Gumtree. Within minutes of putting it up I have a message form a Slovakian mobile number wanting to buy it, offering to arrange couriers etc.

It felt dodgy and I had loads of other interest but I am interested to know, f it was a scam, how it would have played out. How would he scam me over a relatively cheap kids bike?

It felt dodgy and I had loads of other interest but I am interested to know, f it was a scam, how it would have played out.

The classic 'courier' or 'PayPal' scam needs two things: The buyer to pay with PayPal and also arrange for someone they know to pick it up. This way the seller has no proof of delivery, so the dodgy buyer can then lodge a 'did not receive item' complaint with PayPal and get the money back from the seller.

I have also been selling a lot to Europe, I'm guessing due to the Brexitty pound, not finding it any better or worse than selling in the UK

Classic mate collected, goods not received potential.

If the mate wants to collect, he / she brings cash on the day. Maybe its overkill as well but Id not be sharing the address for a cash deal and agree to meet in daylight at a Tesco car park or similar.

This

Ive sold 2 bikes to mainland europe (Germany and Lithuania). For both I insisted on paypal "friends & family", so no right of reclaim, and the buyer using their own courier to collect from me. I explained the reasons why and the risk of being scammed too great to do any other way.

Seems completely reasonable.

I had something similar on gumtree, I offered to drop the item to his ‘mates’ house and take cash. Last I heard from him

Any PayPal payment can be reversed if the cardholder reports it as fraud/stolen and the card company side with them and do a charge back.

For both I insisted on paypal "friends & family", so no right of reclaim,

Unless the buyer claims the transaction was unauthorised and tries to chargeback via credit card co.

Cash is king here. OP should insist on it, which will probably get rid of the persistent emailer anyway.

Also, it's possible the buyer will pay with a hijacked card or account so even if the OP gets to keep the cash *someone's* been robbed to buy the bike.

I just sold something unintentionally internationally via the Global Shipping Program. No idea how it works, but I just ship it to GSP building wherever that is and I assume it gets shipped on to the buyer from there.

For both I insisted on paypal "friends & family", so no right of reclaim,

Unless the buyer claims the transaction was unauthorised and tries to chargeback via credit card co.

Cash is king here. OP should insist on it, which will probably get rid of the persistent emailer anyway.

As above if you use friends and family the 'buyer' can just claim their card was used without their permission. The seller has no protection.
If you use paypal with fees then you're protected, take pics of the wheels packaged up etc. My son sells a lot of stuff and never uses paypal friends and family and he often calls paypal to check what he's doing offers him protection.

Give them a call to discuss, they are pretty good with advice.

Interesting comments about Paypal, will note for the future. thanks!

I need new wheels- how much?
Edit- road ones

In the end I've sold him the wheels, he's arranged for them to be insured & signed for couriered with DPD and has paid by paypal gift.

Figured that was OK before I saw the paypal comments above.