Could I have some eBay help please?

[GylesYronwood]

I've never sold anything on eBay before but listed something yesterday for £100, for the buyer to collect because it is quite a heavy and fragile item.

I have had a private message from someone offering to pay the £100 on eBay but with an additional bank transfer of £20 for me to arrange postage because they live several hours away.

I think £20 will cover it and am happy to do it, but how do I make sure I get the £20? Is it ok to give someone my bank details? Is that the usual way of doing it?

I've probably posted in the wrong place, and am sorry for stupid questions, but am notorious for stupid decisions and don't want to get fleeced!

No no no no no. Has scam written all over it.

Don’t accept PayPal for collection only items either.

DO NOT GIVE ANY BANK DETAILS. Seriously that’s massively scammy - eBay uses PayPal for your financial protection, anyone wanting you not to use that financial protection is more than likely not legit.

Don’t agree to send it. You say it’s fragile.

Leave the listing as is, collection only and only take cash on collection.

Oh thank you!

They have actually just paid the 'buy it now' price on eBay via PayPal.

So how do I get the £20 postage if not by bank transfer?

I knew I'd fuck it up somehow!

Get them to arrange the postage, not you. That way any problem with courier is their problem, just have to sort out pickup times to suit.

I would cancel the transaction now personally.

If you were to do the transaction again I would have added the postage cost to the buy it now price and THEN had them pay...although after eBay and Paypal fees taken away I don't know if it would be worth it.

Report the transaction to eBays help centre. Ask for advice.

If you just cancel the transaction you still have to pay final value fees and this will mean you are £10 out of pocket unless the buyer also agrees to cancel.

If eBay take over you'll not be charged the fee.

It doesn't sound too much like a scam but it's outside eBays recommendations for transactions.

If it is collection only, do not accept PayPal. Only cash. Because if you accept PayPal, they collect and change their minds, they can claim they have paid but not received the item!

eBay will the refund them and you will be left without item or payment as the onus is on you to prove they have received it.

Not exactly relating to your postage dilemma, but if you had added postage to the original Ebay listing you could have asked for more money as you have a bigger audience to sell to. So if you're happy to arrange a courier or post it then I would relist at a higher price.

Thank you everyone. I've got a couple more things to sell (after a big clear out!) so will take your collective advice before listing them.

I do seem to have received the Buy it Now price for this item, and have asked her to arrange collection by courier.

Saved by mn again

I do seem to have received the Buy it Now price for this item, and have asked her to arrange collection by courier.

Terrible idea. If you let the buyer organise collection, you most likely won't have proof of postage and the buyer could easily open and win a Paypal case for 'item not received'. You buyer may be perfectly legit, but it's also the oldest scam in the history of eBay.

Get the buyer to transfer you the money (for example via the Paypal friends feature if you don't want to give them your bank details) and organise postage with a tracking number yourself.

OP I've sold quite a lot of household stuff including furniture and always state in the description if it is collection in person that it is cash on collection only because you cannot list without giving PayPal as an option, which is confusing.

I once sold several matching items in auctions and the same bidder bought them all then immediately paid by PayPal. I refunded him straightaway and messaged him that I'd done so and could he pay cash on collection as stated. He was fine with that and even as an experienced eBay buyer he wasn't aware of the potential issue for sellers.

Most buyers want to see the condition of things like this in person before they pay anyway - I know I would. Sealing the deal with cash in person proves they accepted the item in its actual condition.

OK so on Taxi's advice I've told them I'll arrange delivery, and they've already transferred £20 by bank transfer.

If I've had the £100 purchase price by PayPal, £20 postage by bank transfer & can send the item by registered delivery myself, surely cannot be open to being scammed (crosses fingers!)

It felt wrong giving them my bank details but surely s/c and a/c no's are on cheques and whatnot anyway so not useful information to anyone by themselves.

Good move, OP, and I personally wouldn't be particularly worried about the buyer having your bank details. For example on eBay Germany, a lot of people offer both Paypal and bank transfer or bank transfer only as a payment method to avoid Paypal fees and be able to offer the buyer cheaper postage without tracking for low value items while not opening themselves up to the old 'not received' Paypal scam. Once an item has sold, eBay will then automatically display the seller's bank details to the buyer. I've sold and bought lots of stuff via bank transfer only (I have years of great feedback and only buy from sellers with good feedback) and have never been scammed either way.

Why can't they just PayPal the additional money? They obviously have your details to make the first payment.

There’s a way of adding postage to the price
I’ve just ordered flooring knowing the ‘free postage’ wouldn’t apply to me

I contacted the seller and he bumped the price up for delivery - so effectively I paid more for the item and ‘free delivery’ £32 instead of £27 -

I should've just added postage to the price, just stupid and didn't realise I could add it after the item had sold.

All the advice has helped though - I've listed a couple more items as 'collection only' and made it cash instead of PayPal.

I did check her out and she seemed legit, buys lots of similar items and has good feedback, a member for over ten years.

Hopefully I won't be back to say she's insisting the item hasn't arrived, wants a refund and has cleared out my bank account!