Is this buyer genuine or a scam?

[Worriedaboutleaving]

I’m selling something for £100, collection only.

A buyer with no feedback, who opened their eBay account in 2020 has offered the asking price.

They live 90 mins drive away.

Do you think this is a genuine buyer or a possible scammer?

If they turn up at your house with cash probably not, if they start on about courier nonsense then probably yes but no way to know just from their location.

There could be many genuine reasons for buying something a way away

What did they say when you asked about arranging the collection?

I haven’t accepted their offer yet - should I do cash on collection rather than eBay’s paypal etc?

Yes because if you do PayPal and they collect it you have no proof that they collected it.

I can’t seem to remove the paypal etc and only have cash on collection. It won’t let me deselect it.

I would treat them as genuine unless proved otherwise. The long drive is a bit of a concern, but I can think of a few reasons it wouldn't be a problem for some. As a previous poster has said, unless they start trying to involve other parties I would not worry too much. Personally I would accept the offer and request payment via PayPal. If you already have the money they are less likely to mess you around, plus both parties can enjoy the benefits of PayPal's protections. GL and keep us updated!

I was going to get them to sign they’ve got the goods and take a photo of them with the goods in case they say item not received.

Can you explain why involving couriers / 3rd parties is an issue?

There's a thing on eBay where the buyer gets a thing (QR code?) on their phone and you scan it when they've collected, so you can prove they've got it. I'm not sure if the details, but their help section should explain it better than me!

@maximist - good to know! I guess Shiply / other couriers wouldn’t have that for me to scan if they sent someone else to collect? Or can I say collection in person only and once it’s left the building, no returns or refunds - except I can’t seem to edit my listing.

Update: I’ve accepted the offer. Will keep you posted!

Ebay will give them a code that they must give to you. Please remind them to bring the code and that the item will not be handed over without it. When they are there enter the code into your account to confirm it is correct before handing over the item.