would it be safe to accept a bank transfer as payment?

[gemmiegoatlegs]

for an ebay item sold to a belgian buyer? I'm presuming a bank transfer would be ok but there are so many ways of scamming people these days...any advice?

I wouldn't accept it only because they have to have all your bank details so it's a bit of a risk. A cheque would be safer IMO.

They would have the same details if YOU sent them a cheque? Dont know tho, never have. Do they have good feedback?

I would accept it personally as the only details they are getting are whats on your cheque anyway so if you bought something off someone they could get those details anyway

Hmm, that's a good point! I am obviously waaaaay to paranoid!

i can't check feedback as the guy is not registered on uk ebay, only belgian. I have a very little used bank account, since i went "joint" with dh. I may give him the details of this one and he definately won't be able to run off with all our wages!

Surely you can see his feedback on Belgian ebay? I'd want to check it, to be sure.

But as others have said, I don't see the danger in a bank transfer ...

i'm just paranoid these days with the sheer number of people who try to scam me every day, with false bloody barclaycard screens, and paypal login screens and millions of letters addressing me as "Dear Friend"!

Hmm, just had a chat with DH about whether people could do phishing money this way. I'd probably be slightly worried if:

a) the item was an expensive thing, and
b) they were going to pick it up, or otherwise have it sent to a non-standard address.

For me, no.

Friend of mine, two years ago accepted a banker's draft for a car sale...£8,000 ish.
It bounced, but was part of a Russian car theiving gang. (not..Russian cars..)

Bankers drafts are forgeable. Bank transfers aren't. They're really not the same.

I would still have some concern about phishing, though ...

Hmmm, googled a bit, and it doesn't seem there are bank transfer ebay scams. And this ebay forum discussion says that, in Germany at least, bank transfers are the normal way to pay on ebay, nobody uses paypal there - so it is probably just normal in Belgium, too.

i have used and taken bank transfers lots with no problems.

thanks all, i have given the buyer the okay