Completing outside of ebay - eek!

[SconeForAStroll]

Last night I was trying to get an item for ds for Christmas. I had bid just under the reserve but the finish price was substantially less - ie I bid £82.50 finished at £35.

I emailed the seller to find out the reserve, this was £90. So I offered to pay £90 plus carriage which was accepted.

This am I have had a text asking for a bank transfer and saying it will be posted as soon as money is received.

I am very twitchy! Would I have anymore protection if I paid through PayPal? Seller has over 120 positive feedback, mine close to 300, never done this before though!

no - you must not do it.

Paypal or nothing, and you need it set up as an ebay buy it now. you have no protection off ebay and even less with a bank transfer. Most dodgy - buy elsewhere is my advice.

Off ebay sale he is saving 10% in final value fees. If the auction only ended at £35 I would suggest it prob is not worth £90 at all.

No I wouldn't do this either.

£10 ? ...maybe although I do know its out of the rules... but hey !

£100 is a lot of money to feel twitchy about.

the completing outside ebay is one issue, the refusing paypal is another. But as a buyer if it doesn't arrive, or arrives damaged the only protection you have is taking the seller to small claims court for your money. The offering to sell outside of ebay is reportable if you wish.

You have paypal buyer protection as long as you mark it as commerce and not gift. Most people would say that if you pay by paypal that makes the transaction too risky for seller, in fact.

If you pay by Bank Transfer you've not got any form of protection, although there are some scams where seller can get stung after all (I can't remember how).

Ebay FB means nothing in this situation, you have to go with your gut feeling.

She can set up and by it now surely

Seller will probably want another £13+ for that, though, to cover fees. So it's up to OP if she wants the buyer protection that comes with paying more.

Thanks everyone. The seller called me and we had a good chat. I explained about the lack of protection, she was jolly nice and we sorted it all out over the phone. Actually four phone calls back and forth (testing out that her landline and mobile were as she had said, and a google of her name/address).

PayPal and a Hermes tracking number it will be fine it will be fine so all ok in the end.

the tracking is for her benefit not yours - if you pay by paypal you ARE protected, there really is no need to worry whatsoever.