MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Hi - reassure / warn me please!
I'm buying a bike as a present. I want to know if this is all legit. Apologies it's long - trying to figure out in my own mind if there is any scope to be shafted.
This all occurred late last week.
Bike was advertised on eBay as Buy it Now or Best Offer.
I texted seller that I was going to make an offer of X amount, made the offer, offer was rejected. I texted seller to ask if they would consider an offer of Y amount. They said they would accept it, but I didn't make the 'Y' offer via eBay as was late at work.
Seller texted next day to say another person had made an offer of the Y amount, so they had ended auction, but had told that bidder that it was subject to my offer being withdrawn. This all seemed very nice of them (at least towards me) seeing as I hadn't actually got around to making the second 'Y' offer. I texted to say I still wanted it and all was gravy.
We agreed to pay via PayPal Goods and Services for buyer protection seeing as eBay wasn't being used. The seller said it could be delivered this coming Weds by their friend who is a courier. I paid for the item + postage via PayPal Goods and Services.
Then today I saw they had issued a refund which was 'Pending' for the full amount, with a note that their courier friend couldn't deliver on Wednesday so could they deliver in person themselves on Thursday. I texted to ask why the refund as this was only a day's delay, and they said they would prefer cash as they were having to pay buyer protection fees, which they were happy to do when it was being delivered (in case of it not being delivered or damaged in transit I presume) but would prefer not to if they were handing it to me in person.
The 'pending' refund has not finished 'pending' yet and I have told them I obviously won't pay them in cash until it has done. They said it was a straight bank payment on their part and Googling seems to back this up - refunds can be pending for several days.
This all [/i]seems[i] fine to me - I've never been shafted on an online purchase, but are there any potential problems?
Could they claim to PayPal that they gave me the item and that I hadn't paid?
Cheers for any advice!
Pending refunds can take about 10 days.
Hmmm. Hope it doesn't!
I still wouldn't pay cash untill the refund has been completed. It just feels wrong 🙁
Can you not ask them to bring some form of ID and get them to sign something covering your back?
[i] I've never been shafted on an online purchase[/i]
Nor had I... til I was.
Seems very odd to refund and then say they want cash without checking with you first.
As usual, I'd go with the rule "If it seems dodgy, then it probably is".
It sounds like I could ask PayPal maybe. I suppose one question is what would they have done if someone had just met the Buy it Now price?
Plan so far:
- don't pay until PayPal refund is complete, even if this means delaying delivery.
- ask for I.D and draw up a receipt.
Or, simply offer to cover the PayPal fees myself avd insist on PayPal.
I would only accept cash if I were personally delivering bike - too easy to be stiffed by buyer otherwise, but in your case wouldn't pay cash unless PayPal refund had gone through
Great thanks - but would the seller have any real scope to claim to PayPal that he handed the item over and I hadn't paid ?
If you pay with cash after the refund surely it is then nothing to do with PayPal?
It sounds like I could ask PayPal maybe. I suppose one question is what would they have done if someone had just met the Buy it Now price?
They would have got hit with a load of seller fees (used to be around 10%) plus the PayPal fees.
Probably not scammers, just sounds like they want to dodge all of the ridiculous fees you incur when you use eBay and PayPal. Who can blame them, if this is the case.
As above, don't pay with cash until the refund is processed, just in case...
I'd just tell them that I didn't have the cash kicking about spare and would have to wait for the refund to process.
Cheers guys!
As above - I simply wouldn't pay a penny in cash until I got my PayPal money back (and that means back in my own bank account, not just showing in my PayPal account).
End of.
johndoh has it. When it's in your bank pay them cash. Don't risk it until then.
Offer PayPal gift when refund clears.
Don't offer Paypal gift, you have zero protection.
Personally I would ditch the entire deal and look elsewhere
Only if he's delivered the bike first! And when he does deliver, get him to sign a delivery/payment reciept, copy for you and copy for him.Offer PayPal gift when refund clears.