Ebay "collect in person"

[shockthemonkey]

Hello, I am trying to furnish a London flat while living abroad. When you buy from ebay, and it says "collect in person only", does that mean you can send a man with a van to collect the item, or do they mean the buyer herself must come collect the item? I mean, the man driving the van is also a person...

I'm new to ebay, in case that's not immediately obvious! So, while we're at it, are there any newbie tips I might need to bear in mind?

Thank you!😉

Nah that's fine, they don't care who collects as long as it's paid for and collected.

When you collect in person, you need to give the seller a code to confirm collection. This is either a QR code or a 6 digit code that the seller either scans or types in to their ebay app. As long as your man with a van has this code, he will be able to collect.

I sold a collection only thing. Their courier had to give me a pass code before I gave it to him, then ebay paid me immediately.

It used to be problematic but ebay obviously put this in place to make sure it works.

Thanks! That's cool. I was wondering if some sellers might prefer that buyers inspect the item against description and photos before carting it off.

That's reassuring, thanks everyone!

It used to be problematic but ebay obviously put this in place to make sure it works.

Yes - I remember selling years ago and there was a problem with some 'buyers' paying by paypal, collecting in person, and then requesting a refund because the item hadn't been delivered. The only proof ebay would accept was a tracking number, so they would refund the buyer who ended up with the item for free. Sellers had to insist on cash on collection or risk not getting paid. Now ebay require all payments to be made through it's website, they needed to put something in place to stop this scam. The code system seems to work well. I like it.

That's my only reservation about your approach. You are not going to be inspecting it, so if there is a problem but you have collected it anyway, I'm not sure how that would affect your protection.

Yes, pencilcase... I will have to take the risk - usually defects are highlighted in the listings and this item looks to be in good shape, no visible defects and nothing mentioned other than fair wear and tear.

The price is so good that I'm going to take the risk - we'll see how far I get with that approach!

If you want to use a man with a van for collection, I would definitely message the seller first.

I’ve had some sellers say they won’t accept man in van / couriers, and I’ve had some bad experiences myself so would only do a man in van now if it was something high value or without much demand

You need to ask first. Most will be fine with it but not everyone. Van collectors can be less flexible time wise and the seller won’t be able to liaise with them as easily.

From (bitter) personal experience you need to check first. Couriers and Man with Van services are often office hours only and cannot give a definite time they'll collect, and some sellers just can't accommodate that. Whereas like PPs have said, self collection is much easier to liaise and arrange. As a seller I'd say no, and as a buyer I'd expect the answer to be no.