Paying for an expensive item seller doesn't accept paypal

[LipstickLoves]

I've been looking for a specific bike in the right size for my child. Finally one has come up on Facebook marketplace, sold by a business hundreds of miles away and he offers delivery.

I asked to pay paypal but he says he doesn't accept it, only bank transfer.

Would there be any protection for my money if I bought it? Should I just leave it?

Leave it

PayPal gives you protection in case it’s faulty

Bank transfer offers no protection - if he won't take PayPal or a credit card payment then I wouldn't risk it tbh.

Leave it for sure....a friend of mine was caught out by this two weeks ago. It seems criminals unable to rob homes make money from county lines etc are branching out into this kind of thing. Stay safe!

Leave it. Credit cards or PayPal or protections. Bank transfers don't. Not accepting either is quite dodgy

Why won’t they take PayPal?

Don’t do it!! Pay pal or nothing

Definitely don’t buy it unless he can deliver & you pay cash once you’ve seen it. Too risky!

He won’t take paypal as some people scam it and say they never received the item. Paypal always take the buyer’s side.

Thanks all, he's given me the address and website of his business and all looks fine (good Facebook reviews).

He says he used to take paypal but he sent a £500 bike and lost the money and bike?

I think you are probably all right, I have always only used paypal.

Anyone can get good Facebook reviews if they have enough friends.

Don’t buy it.

*He says he used to take paypal but he sent a £500 bike and lost the money and bike?

So he doesn’t use a tracked courier service either? I wouldn’t.

Maybe ask if his payment system will allow him to take payment over the phone. That way you can pay by credit card and get the protection that way.

It's a business and he doesn't take payment by card? It doesn't sound legitimate and probably a scam. At best a tax dodger.

I'd leave it. It doesn't sound good for any business/seller to offer their customers no protection.
Even on baby buy and sell groups people say to use paypal.

No, don't do it!

I asked about credit card over the phone but he said bank transfer only. Looks like I'll have to give it a miss. It's a good point that it's maybe not tracked delivery so even if he sends it I'd have no come back if it goes missing.

Thanks very much

How annoying, I wouldn't risk it though.

What bike is it OP I spent ages looking in to bikes for dc so could perhaps recommend an alternative ie if it's an Isla bike then a frog could be a good option and there are far more on the market. Dc wanted more mountain bike types in the end and the 2 different ones we have are fab but I prefer one over the other

People running serious businesses take credit cards.

This has the hallmarks of a scam. It isn't hard to produce a convincing website, or alternatively, to impersonate the owner of a genuine website.

I wouldn’t. If he’s a legitimate seller then it’s his choice to limit his customer base by putting all the risk on their side.

I use The Bike Club for my kids’ bikes. It’s a small monthly fee for a very decent bike and I swap them as they get bigger.

A genuine bike shop will be confident about taking large payments by conventional means, and despatching bikes by reliable and insured couriers.

Since this seller appears not to do either, I’m not sure I’d trust them. Goodness, I can do that and I’m just a bike riding mum who buys and sells kids bikes on FB and eBay.

Really appreciate all the comments, I've replied to say I'll leave it.

It was an islabike but I've also been looking at Frog.

Thanks for the recommendation on the bike club, that looks very good.

This has the hallmarks of a scam.

This. In the unlikely event a legitimate business was genuinely trying to only take payment by BACS, they'd soon change their mind because of the amount of customers they'd lose.