Collect in Person (Money Laundering?)

[AddToBasket]

Hi, perhaps someone with more Ebay experience than me can advise me. Be aware that I am crime-paranoid and capable of over-reaction at the mere sight of a crowbar and sports bag.

I sold an easy-sell item yesterday for £70ish, this morning the local buyer asked if she could collect in person. I said of course, happy to arrange if payment made through Ebay, and sent an invoice without any P&P.

She didn't pay and asked me for my address so her partner who she says works locally could collect it. I said OK, gave a bit of the address, asked for exact time of collection and for payment. She didn't pay and asked for the postcode. I basically ignored the postcode request and said 'yeah, we're difficult to find. Please can you arrange payment?' She still hasn't paid.

It felt teeny bit dodgy from the start TBH. If I had hot cash that I wanted to turn into easy-sell non-suspicious stuff, I'd look for easy-sell items that were local, go and pick them up and try to pay in cash. Then sell non-dodge legit items in my Ebay shop, pay fees/tax/whevs and - hey presto - clean cash in an account.

Am I being OTT? You can tell me straight.

[Bowlersarm]

I've sold things where the buyer pays cash on collection. Haven't given it a second thought tbh.

[AnythingNotEverything]

I think it's actually safer from a buyer's perspective to have cash on collection, as if they pay through paypal they can pretend they didn't collect it, open a case, and because you have no proof they can reclaim their money, keeping your item too.

[RoganJosh]

For collect in person item it's generally recognised that the person pays cash to protect the seller. Otherwise they can reverse the paypal payment by claiming the item was never received. So that part of isn't odd.
What counts as hot cash? Counterfeit? I'm not quite sure why it matters otherwise.

[peggyundercrackers]

i think you've been watching too many Films. hot cash? It's £70... at least we know you have a good imagination.

[BaronessEllaSaturday]

Never accept paypal for a collection item as you have no protection since the item isn't sent tracked.

[MadameJulienBaptiste]

They want your postcode so they can find you easily via sat nav instead of faffing around with directions and maps.
I always list irems saying local pickup welcome, cash on collection preferred.
They may not have £70 in their paypal account or any other reason, but cash on collection is perfectly normal and if I were the buyer I'd be getting a bit pissed off trying to collect the thing and you being so evasive about the address and postcode.

[DoTheDuckFace]

I thought it was all sunbed shops and ice-cream vans but op you must be a criminal mastermind cos I never would have thought of that!

[TheWhiteRoad]

You are way overthinking this.

Money laundering? With 70 quid?

Cash is standard if item is collected. It protects you the seller. Otherwise the buyer could pay by PayPal, collect the item and then open an 'item not recieved' case against you. You would obviously have no proof of postage and so PayPal would require you to refund the cost of the item. Well known scam.

Money laundering? No so much.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

PMSL at £70 triggering money laundering concerns Unless you're posting from 1950 when £70 was a lot of money

Cash on collection only. Never paypal because they can put a chargeback on and get to keep your item too.

[Merrylegs]

You are quite bonkers. In fact I don't even understand your OP. Hot cash? Non dodge legit items? Easy sell? What are you on about? You sold to someone local who wants to collect and pay you in cash. That is entirely normal. Come on Cagney and Lacey -give the poor woman your postcode,

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Just as a word to the wise, if you have "hot cash" to hide it's probably eaiser to do so via mortgages or loans then buying up several items on eBay.

[AddToBasket]

Hahaha, actually the reason I was all over money laundering is because someone did try to buy a property from me last week, in cash (Dodge on a much bigger scale).

I am a criminal mastermind, without the crime. 15 x £70 items an works out as nearly a grand clean a week. That's worth paying someone to do 'local collection' Ebaying if you are in the crime game. Seriously, I'm all over this. And burger vans.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Merrylegs

[iklboo]

Yes. £70 is hardly Walter White territory. And it'd way too much a pain in the arse in such small sums.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

The amount of time and effort to clean that £70 (from God knows what - illegal tuck shop?) it would be easier to just, I dunno, earn it legally?

Op you have made dh and I roar tonight, thank you

[AddToBasket]

But that's the beauty of it! Small sums move easier. Picture: guy, moped, cash, a few items collected in the morning, list and post in the afternoon. Not much to it but for Mr Big that's getting rid of dirty money fast. All about volume.

As a professional requirement, I had to do a 'Spot Money Laundering Schemes' course. The net result was I now spend a disproportionate amount of my time thinking up Money Laundering Schemes.

[glammanana]

Best laugh all day thanks so much for that,think I'm thinking of opening my own laundrette,any one got any dresses for sale or in need of laundering.

[iklboo]

But there's the outlay of guy, moped, fuel, probably guy's lunch.....that'd well eat into your £70

[peggyundercrackers]

Your absolutely bonkers.

[MadameJulienBaptiste]

Ah I get it now OP.
your criminally masterminded money laundering plot has been foiled because the buyer wants to pay you cash instead of through the paypal laundry
no wonder you don't want to give your address in case they are undercover hmrc.

[missedmebythatmuch]

Assuming you were using ebay to launder your money, why would you even need physical possession of the items? just copy the photos, copy or write description, "sell" the item to another one of your accounts, and there you have explicable money. no driving around on a fucking moped necessary

eBay do cooperate with tax authorities, though, so you couldn't really launder more than a couple of grand.

[SistersofPercy]

I thought you needed to own a car wash to launder money?

Meanwhile NEVER take PayPal for collection items unless you are willing to wave good-bye to item and cash. And no, getting buyer to sign something/taking a photo/taking fingerprints/signing a contract for their first born still won't win a papal charge back.

[nauticant]

Beware of the Pope!

[sanfairyanne]

miss marple in the making

[AddToBasket]

Well, my crime fear meant I got the heebies about the Collect in Person thing so much that I rang Ebay. They told me that, yeah, there were scams (as you all said) re collecting and Paypal.

So DH has now rushed to the post office and is Track Posting the item now (at my expense not buyer's). I'll message her with the tracking number. Her partner is meant to be picking them up at lunchtime but she gave me both their phone numbers (bit weird) so I guess I can just put him off.

I am on a steep Ebay learning curve.