Pros and cons of selling on Ebay vs Facebook ook

[Whoooootaminute]

I've sold a few household items recently on local Facebook pages. Easy to deal with - list price, haggle with cheeky beggars, buyer collects and hands over cash.

I have sold on Ebay but years ago.

I am selling an electrical item. It works, but we don't need it.

I listed it on ebay and Facebook. Have a few interested parties.

However the first person to contact me (via fb) wants to pay by PayPal and send a courier? I'm wary as have heard of folk claiming the item is defective and then PayPal refunds from the sellers account.

Based on this I prefer cash. I know the item works and can't be bothered getting into any financial wrangling.
Any advice from those who sell a lot please?

I don't buy/sell on Facebook as I don't use it.

On eBay as long as you have a tracking number and have asked someone to send back the "defective" item if they claim that, then you should be safe.

However the first person to contact me (via fb) wants to pay by PayPal and send a courier? I'm wary as have heard of folk claiming the item is defective and then PayPal refunds from the sellers account.

Right, but this happens quite a lot on Ebay too. I recommend spending some time hanging around the Ebay messageboards to get a better picture.

If you sell anything that needs to work, always insist on cash only, regardless of which website you've sold it on.

Biggest difference is the seller protection ebay offers. Provided you send an item tracked, the buyer can’t pretend it hasn’t arrived and get their money back leaving you out of pocket. If they claim it’s defective they can send it back and you can either resell it or claim against the courier.

Doubt Facebook offers much protection so I’d only personally use it if a buyer was going to collect and pay cash.

Thanks for all replies.

I think really I can't be bothered with the faff of boxing up a parcel to post. Also receiving payment by bank or PayPal.

The item is worth more than I listed it for, but I didn't buy it so have no reason to try for more. It's not worth a lot of hassle.

Will see how today pans out.

@Noitjustwontdo I've read endless stories of people who order electronic items, claim it doesn't work, then return their old one which actually doesn't work, thus having obtained a new one for free. Ebay takes the buyer's side most of the time, even if it's fraudulent.

wants to pay by PayPal and send a courier

No, if you choose to send it by courier YOU arrange it so YOU have the tracking details in the event that it doesn't arrive. Otherwise you stand a pretty good chance of losing both your item AND the money and to you.

money paid to you...

I hadn't considered that Fallon

I have now accepted an ebay offer - so I need to pack it up and mail tomorrow. I don't think the buyer sounds like a scammer - but if it all goes wrong I will just have wasted my time. The item has been sat in a cupboard for a couple of years anyway.

It is not worth all this stress for a few £££££