I advertised my bike, agreed fee. Payment is pending. From a different person. Apparently a girlfriend.
The address I have to post to is a business. A shop not a house.
should alarm bells be ringing?

Is the payment coming via paypal? Could you phone/e-mail the girlfriend at the paypal address to check it’s above board (ditto the business)?

One or the other I’d maybe look past, but payment from one person and delivery to another address looks suspicious even if it’s not.

How are they paying? If it’s bank transfer, then send it once you have the cash. If it’s Paypal then make sure it’s a ‘proper’ payment (i.e. not gift) and send it with recorded delivery. That way you should be safe(r)

If it’s Paypal then make sure it’s a ‘proper’ payment (i.e. not gift)

The op is selling, not buying!

I’d be wary unless the buyer is paying PayPal gift or bank transfer. Payment from a different paypal account and sent to a different address sounds dodgy.

Paypal seller protection does not cover you if the delivery address differs from the address on the paypal account.

Also the payment must be declared as a payment for goods which you will be charged for. You won’t have a leg to stand on if you receive the payment as a gift.
If you are unsure ask the buyer to pay by bank transfer.

You won’t have a leg to stand on if you receive the payment as a gift.

Why, you can’t reverse a gift transaction.

The op is selling, not buying!

Yeah, I get that. ‘Proper’ (chargeable) Paypal payments cover buyer and seller.

Paypal seller protection does not cover you if the delivery address differs from the address on the paypal account.

Ah, I didn’t realise that.

Yes I am the vendor. 3rd party money’s pending in my paypal.
Also receiveing address is a butchers.
just weary. £1000 worth of bike. PayPal fees have been removed. Yet the total cannot be withdrawn yet.

I would have taken payment via PayPal gift or bank transfer nothing else. I would cancel the transaction from your PayPal if it were me tbh tho I’m very untrusting of people lol

The facts that, payment is from another. Recipient address is not an abode.
Just screams non trustworthy to me. Gut instinct.

pending in my paypal

the fact that payment is pending would raise another alarm bell too, if you can’t afford to loose the cash don’t do the deal

From what you’ve said, id be nervous so best advice is talk to the buyer: ask questions, detail concerns etc You’ll soon get a good idea whether theyre legit or not. If you just cancel now without enquiring you may have lost a perfectly legit buyer

Ring the bloke at the butchers?

Delivery to a shop isn’t dodgy. Anything I order that might need a signature goes to a mates shop. Nowt to do with my PP account.
Is there a flaw in accepting gift? If worried, take the money and close the account or block the card attached to it.

Sorry to say that even my scam-senses would be tingling by now. Even if you have a seemingly reassuring chat with the guy, there is no way you can protect yourself with the transaction currently arranged as it is.

Why, you can’t reverse a gift transaction

It can be done. The purchaser funds the paypal gift transaction via a credit card (they get charge a small % for doing this) and then claims illegitimate use of the card.

Card company then does a chargeback against paypal who then reverse the paypal transaction and take the money from the sellers paypal account.

I had to set up a new paypal account, as it is new. The funds remain pending. Until I send my item.
or I have the account issue free for 60 days, or 10 issue free transactions.
I will ring the butchers, at dinnertime. Unless the money hits my bank today. The deal is off.
I have had issues, in the past. Dealing with this geographical location. Thanks all of you for input.

On a new PayPal account you will have sending and receiving limits.
Your money will remain pending until you link a current account to the account. If you want your money earlier you have to confirm the delivery address and add a tracking number to the transaction. So if you send it to a different address you wont be able to do this and as I said earlier you won’t be covered by the seller protection.
i.e You send it to the butchers. The buyer claims it hasn’t arrived. Your tracking shows it has. PayPal will look at the case see it was sent to a different address to the one registered to that account. Case closed and you are out of pocket and they won’t budge. Always understand the T&C’s

Yes I agree thank you mikedabear. In my experience. There are too many variables. Thus indicating a scam.
The none corresponding delivery address coupled with a random payment address. Two non concrete aspects.
deal off. Advert will be getting edited.
Many many thanks everyone. Happy new year.

If the money is pending because of you not linking your PP to a bank account, then I don’t see why you think it’s a scam.

So long as you send the bike to the address stated on the PP account, you should be fine.

I wouldn’t back out of the deal straight away. Buyers are just as unaware of the rules. let the buyer know you would prefer to send the bike to the registered PayPal Name and address for you own peace of mind. If they are genuine( which a lot of people are) they will understand and be obliging. If they say no one will be home to collect it let them know it will arrive by parcel force( about your only option with a parcel of that size) and they leave it at the local post office.

People are forgetting something – the registered address of the paypal account IS the butchers, surely? Send it to the butchers, Paypal cant argue when it arrives (signed for, natch) at the butchers.

People are forgetting something – the registered address of the paypal account IS the butchers, surely?

Yes, this is what I was getting at.

Paypal instructed me not to send bike to non payment address as I wasn’t protected.

I feel, the alleged buyer was well aware of this.
Their payment is refunded.
They are not out off pocket, nor me.
bike still on PB for sale, amended payment details.
Cheers everyone.

Missed opportunity as a stealth ad.

What bike, how much?