Purchasing Items off Forums

[Mike Goetzke]

On another forum I worked out a price on an item that is around $1300. After struggling with the decision I got the OK from my wife to go ahead with the purchase. I ask the seller if he has PayPal and he said he had a bad experience with PayPal and will never use it again. He wants me to wire him the money. He seems legit from the electronic conversations I've had with him but what is also worrisome to me is that he only has 11 posts on this other forum. Is there any way I can pay with credit card or something else to protect me?

Thanks

[glenn bradley]

I would be very uncomfortable with a transaction that places all the risk on me. In transactions of this sort we are trusting each other. Offering a wire as the only option displays a zero trust factor that I would not be comfortable with. I was burned on a wet sharpener sale when I sent a check to a person I had been conversing with for some time. I had no reason to suspect that he would just plain NOT send the item and then fall off the radar. Tell him it's Pay Pal or a credit card or keep looking; once bitten . . . . JMHO.

[Mike Goetzke]

I would be very uncomfortable with a transaction that places all the risk on me. In transactions of this sort we are trusting each other. Offering a wire as the only option displays a zero trust factor that I would not be comfortable with. I was burned on a wet sharpener sale when I sent a check to a person I had been conversing with for some time. I had no reason to suspect that he would just plain NOT send the item and then fall off the radar. Tell him it's Pay Pal or a credit card or keep looking; once bitten . . . . JMHO.

Thanks for the reply. Ha - I got him to say would I send an item of this value to someone before getting paid and I told him no and that is exactly the way I look at it from my end, no protection no deal.

[Bernie Kopfer]

The fact that he admits to having had a bad experience with PayPal is a red flag. PayPal works to protect both the buyer and seller. 1300 is not pocket change and if he disappears your options are virtually nil. A individual who has been posting on a forum for a long time would be a big plus, but I agree with Glenn. PayPal was invented for transactions such as yours.

[Nathan Johnson]

Don't send a wire.
Wire transfers are irrevocable and you're at the mercy of the beneficiary returning funds should something go wrong.

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks guys. I'll resist and wait for another deal :D

[Peter Kelly]

This the guy with the Domino XL over on FOG?

[Alan Rutherford]

It sounded bad to me.

And remember when you do use PayPal that payments called "Friends and Family" give you no protection. Many private sellers on forums specify payment that way because there are no fees but there is also no recourse. You would also be helping them cheat PayPal. Something to think about if that bothers you or can be taken as an indication of their character.

[Lee DeRaud]

And remember when you do use PayPal that payments called "Friends and Family" give you no protection. Many private sellers on forums specify payment that way because there are no fees but there is also no recourse.That may very well be why the guy is sour on PayPal: he tried to cheap out on the fees and got burned.
(Serves him right, IMHO.)

[John Terefenko]

It sounded bad to me.

And remember when you do use PayPal that payments called "Friends and Family" give you no protection. Many private sellers on forums specify payment that way because there are no fees but there is also no recourse. You would also be helping them cheat PayPal. Something to think about if that bothers you or can be taken as an indication of their character.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Never again. PayPal or nothing. I would not even do credit card.

[Wade Lippman]

I also would never sell anything using Paypal. Twice I sold perfectly good items and Paypal took my money away when the buyer lied about it. I'd rather throw stuff out than accept Paypal; at least I don't have to pay the shipping if I throw it out.

[Mike Goetzke]

Guess the seller was trolling for $ - all of his posts are now gone. Guess some grumpy old guy turned him in;).

I would never wire money but I was excited to get the tool and I pushed off a few warning signs:



The pictures posted did not show all the items he said were in the sale. He did email me additional photos showing everything. He must have had a tool to scrub the data for the photos because there is none.
His classified post had a 240V Euro plug on it. He said it was for higher amperage tools.
He only had 11 posts on the forum and they were within a couple week time frame. Just trying to build a reputation.

His first post was about an intro about all the things he liked to work on and a thank you to the community for the help from the group.
In this first thread couple posts later he mentioned he was going to sell some of his tools due to health reasons.


My first note to him was to inquire where he was located because for a tool sale I like to try it out before purchasing. I told him my approximate location and later found in one of his 11 posts he was visiting a town about 30 minutes from me but he never mentioned that (we possibly could has made a transaction face-face).

[Peter Kelly]

If you Google his email address you'll see him trying to pull the same thing on wristwatch forums for much larger sums. He also notes his location as just North of Austin TX...

My guess is that scammers are scraping old posts from other forums and re-upping to try and make themselves look legit. It's worth doing a reverse image search on TinEye or Google if you're looking at buying something through a classified ad, never know what you'll turn up.

[Mike Goetzke]

If you Google his email address you'll see him trying to pull the same thing on wristwatch forums for much larger sums. He also notes his location as just North of Austin TX...

My guess is that scammers are scraping old posts from other forums and re-upping to try and make themselves look legit. It's worth doing a reverse image search on TinEye or Google if you're looking at buying something through a classified ad, never know what you'll turn up.

Thanks for making me aware of these image tools. I tried it on the extra pics he sent me and they were from an older xbay listing.

I blocking his emails now but this guy won't give up. I received a mail from him this morning wanting references from me to show my trustworthiness with internet transactions. :D

[Ole Anderson]

I'm selling a projector we removed from church. Listed on Marketplace. Mohammed from Miami claims he paid via PayPal with a credit card two days ago. Keeps asking me if I checked my spam folder for notification from PayPal about his payment. I log into PayPal, only activity is from Northwind for my Creek monthly contribution. Googled it, one link says credit card payments go through immediately, another says they may take up to 3 days. Can't tell if he is just pulling my chain. Can't see how he can benefit unless he thinks I will ship it without verifying payment.

[Peter Kelly]

I blocking his emails now but this guy won't give up. I received a mail from him this morning wanting references from me to show my trustworthiness with internet transactions. :DOnce they get your contact info entered into a database at the call centre they tend to keep hammering you for some time. Transnational organised crime doesn't sleep.

[Kev Williams]

... Mohammed from Miami claims he paid via PayPal with a credit card two days ago. Keeps asking me if I checked my spam folder for notification from PayPal about his payment. I log into PayPal, only activity is from Northwind for my Creek monthly contribution. Googled it, one link says credit card payments go through immediately, another says they may take up to 3 days. Can't tell if he is just pulling my chain. Can't see how he can benefit unless he thinks I will ship it without verifying payment.
ANY action to your Paypal account results in an immediate reaction; your account is updated to reflect the action and you get an email (text too I guess but I don't do text). While you may not get a text or email, your account WILL be updated...