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Original poster

Item won by Nigerian buyer wanting to pay cash on collection

92 replies

crazycrazy · 26/01/2010 22:55

I've just sold a highchair on ebay (listing offered only Paypal as payment method). The same buyer has just also won a steriliser

The winner emailed me saying he would pick up the item and pay me cash on collection. As he had no feedback and had only registered last week on ebay, I looked up his email address on google and found he was nigerian (don't want to generalise, but alarm bells started to ring).

I emailed him back saying paypal only and he has now replied asking me to ring him on his mobile. I'm really reluctant to call him so I emailed back saying I wasn't able to call, but is he able to pay on paypal

The invoice details on ebay state his registered address is in Staffordshire, yet on his email to me he says he lives in the city I live in (not in or near Staffordshire!). I'm pretty convinced there's something dodgy going on here so I don't want to sell my things to him (not only do I stand to lose about £50 worth, but I really don't now want to sell my baby's stuff to him)

WWYD?

OP posts:
LadyBiscuit · 26/01/2010 23:04

I would say very firmly that it states Paypal only on your item and that Paypal is the only form of payment you will accept. If he isn't able to pay by Paypal then you will have to decline his bid.

Don't call him on his mobile, don't engage. You were clear about your T&Cs and he's messing you around.

phatcat · 26/01/2010 23:06

Don't call him, insist on Paypal and tell him he has three days (or some such) to pay or you will relist. That's time enough for him to set up a Paypal account if he hasn't got one. He shouldn't have bid on a Paypal auction if he can't pay by that method.

btw - I'm curious to know how you knew he had won a steriliser if he had no feedback.

EssenceOfJack · 26/01/2010 23:07

Did your sale say cash was acceptable?
If it did then you are just being a racist tit.

If not then you are still being a racists tit.

EssenceOfJack · 26/01/2010 23:08

Sorry, just spotted that.

Do you know how hard it is to change details on paypal? I took a year and 7 faxes to change my surname.
If you don't want to sell someone something then fine, but the fact he is nigerian is neither here nor there.

zippy539 · 26/01/2010 23:17

I don't get what the problem is unless you are alone in the house (in which case I would be wary about any bloke coming around - call me a woose).

If you ARE alone then insist on paypal otherwise arrange a time for him to come when someone else is in the house -as you would do for anyone buying something.

nickschick · 26/01/2010 23:17

I dont know why you now dont want to sell to him?

If he collects and pays cash unless you stood to make ££££s from postage theres not much lost.

I think your being a racist tit a bit unreasonable.

ilove · 26/01/2010 23:19

You shouldn't take paypal on a connection only item, there is no proof then that you have sent the item and they will simply do a chargeback and you will have to refund as you'll have no proof that you have posted it.

Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 07:57

phatcat - unfortunately the sterliser was mine as well as the highchair, he won both items

I am not being racist - I have previously been the victim of ebay fraud and have also been been contacted my many nigerian fraudsters by email when selling stuff on the internet, as have many others

essence - change what details on paypal? he only registered last week on ebay as living in Staffs, but yesterday says he lives somewhere completely different

To those who say cash is fine - Ebay's own documentation advises against cash due to the strong likelihood of false notes

OP posts:
chopstheduck · 27/01/2010 08:11

I'd be very wary. How do you know he is Nigerian from his email address?

It's not being racist, there is so much Nigerian scamming going on, the OP has every right to be suspicious, especially when there is then a disrepancy of addresses. I used to get them a LOT until I stopped offering worldwide shipping.

Did you state collection as an option on the listing? If not, I'd stand my ground and say payment by paypal, no collection. If he does collect there is the risk he could say he never received the item.

Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 08:15

chops - I googled his emailed address and it came up on a nigerian forum

After I'd emailed him twice asking for payment by paypal instead of cash, he still emailed me back asking for my name and address so he could pay on collection, so really he's ignoring what I'm saying. I've now told him I'm cancelling the sale as he' unable/unwilling to pay by paypal

OP posts:
mummyofexcitedprincesses · 27/01/2010 08:58

Did you only offer courier delivery as an option? If you said the items could be collected in person then you should let him pay by paypal (minus delivery costs) and collect in person. If you are worried about strangers coming to your home, have someone there with you.

Nigerians do have babies too, they are not all scammers, he really might just need a highchair and steriliser.

EleanoraBuntingCupcake · 27/01/2010 09:02

i really doubt there is an international ring of money launderers 'cleaning' their money through buying highchairs and sterilisers on ebay. you are being a tad xenaphobic assuming all nigerians are fraudsters.

Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 09:16

mummyofexcitedprincesses - I am letting him pay by paypal. He is refusing

OP posts:
crumpet · 27/01/2010 09:19

What is the problem with you and your dp meeting him somewhere neutral/convenient and handing the items over for cash? You get your money, he gets the stuff, job done.

EleanoraBuntingCupcake · 27/01/2010 09:21

he probably thinks you are up to something! i would always offer to pay cash on collection and i would always accept it. less paypal fees for a start

PfftTheMagicDragon · 27/01/2010 09:23

Cash is fine, if you are collecting. You should never use paypal for collection as there is no proof that the item has been collected/not been collected - someone could get ripped off.

You don't say whether your items were collection?

If they were collection, then YABU - you should offer cash payments for collection and I'm not sure how a Nigerian scammer could wangle you when doing cash on collection, these scams usually involve paypal or WU don't they?

If you haven't offered collection, only postage, then YANBU - it is perfectly fair to not want people to come to your house, you don't have to offer than option. But whether he is Nigerian or not wouldn't have anything to do with it, you would just say that you don't feel comfortable meeting ebayers face to face.

PfftTheMagicDragon · 27/01/2010 09:25

crazy - if you have offered collection and are demanding paypal, as a buyer I would be wary. You could take the paypal payment then claim he had already collected, there would be no proof.

Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 09:26

For those of you happy to accept cash, and the risk of false notes, I'm happy for you.

I am not however, which is why my listing stated paypal only. Surely a buyer shouldn't bid if they are unwilling/unable to accept the payment method stated

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 27/01/2010 09:28

i have done the cash on collection in the past,both buting and selling! never had a problem.

also been scammed,attempted anyway by nigerians....BUT ,my nigerian neighbours have just had a baby. and feel bad on their behalf that their race is in doubt because of a few scammers!

mummyofexcitedprincesses · 27/01/2010 09:32

You still haven't said if you offered collection, if you didn't, you can cancel the whole transaction and relist, if you did, you don't really have much of a leg to stand on really.

Have you considered the possibility of a language barrier, or the fact he thinks you might be a scammer?

Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 09:33

it's not just that though tiffany, there's the discrepancy between the addresses also

OP posts:
Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 09:34

mummy - he is refusing to abide by the payment means requested on the listing, therefore he doesn't have a leg to stand on, not me

OP posts:
Original poster
crazycrazy · 27/01/2010 09:35

and if he thinks I'm a scammer then presumably he'll be happy to accept the sale cancellation

OP posts:
StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 27/01/2010 09:39

It's possible that he lives in the UK, but is on a Nigerian forum because that's how he keeps in contact with his country of origin. And it's possible that his registered address is what he says it is, but he's staying in your town (with a friend or on business perhaps), but I can understand why these discrepancies, taken together, would set alarm bells ringing, especially as he is also refusing to honour the terms and conditions of the auction.

Even if you take away his nationality from the equation, the fact that he's registered on a forum on a whole different continent, plus states he's located near the OP but his registered address is somewhere totally different, and he's refusing to pay by paypal as per the auction T&Cs, it still looks very dodgy to me.

I think the OP is being perfectly reasonable to say that he must pay by paypal or she will cancel his bid. In the same circumstances I would probably do the same.

crumpet · 27/01/2010 09:41

It's a high chair. No big deal. Either meet somewhere where you feel comfortable (and with someone with you) and accept cash or relist.