Potential buyer's question ... as received

[cumos55]

The following was a question by a potential buyer

Can you tell me how much it would be total after purchase and shipping to Ontario, thanks very much.

As well, is electronic transfer of funds okay, or even dealing outside of eBay is fine, thanks.

My response....

Price of the book is $27.99 US plus shipping of $10.50 US for a total of $38.49 US

Once listed on eBay, the book will be sold off eBay. Paypal is the only acceptable option for payment.

Last comment by this person... 

Don't do Paypal...

------------------------------------

----------------------------------

My thoughts.

(1) Was this a setup?..... Message came through eBay messages.

(2) Electronic transfer of funds is not recommended by eBay... and never , ever, used by me

(3) A sale outside of eBay.... My response.... anything listed on eBay sells off eBay

---------------------------------------

First time for such a request...

My thoughts speak for themselves...

I did have a local potential buyer, get mad  at me because I would not sell off eBay.  No sale....

I have too much invested in eBay.

As the years pass I have been more and more careful in letting people know who I am through communications....

You ask a question   and I respond without putting my name on the answer ....just my eBay ID.

A local person  can track me down if I give them my name....

and with communication through eBay... they do not get my email address..

I do not need the wrong kind of question   and then give my name  for them to track me

-----------------------------------

People are getting more sophisticated on the internet....Identity theft  and more....

Hackers have become more capable of doing IT

[ricarmic]

I totally agree, especially with "I have too much invested in eBay."

People don't understand they're asking you to risk your "job" for $1.45 in savings....doesn't make sense...

My response to these queries and I do get them all the time is "I am sorry but the only payment options I can accept at this time are PAYPAL (or credit cards through paypal) or Cheques or MOs"

Sometimes they buy, sometimes they don't.

Regarding off eBay, I always just say that it is against my policies to cancel lots and sell direct off eBay. Sometimes they still buy, sometimes they don't.

[toff3]

Speaking personally, I'm happy to be paid any way that's lawful. Why anybody should insist on PayPal only is beyond me.

Tom

[cumos55]

In the context of payment methods.

As a seller  I cannot say I will accept money orders, Personal cheques  ... or even cash.... and I did get paid cash   very recently.....  although I did suggest a money order to the potential buyer... who did buy and pay with cash.

A buyer must ask me the question with respect to payments other than Paypal.

I do not offer a credit card option.

Paypal is a "recommended" option on eBay.

--------------------------------------

If they ask a question  they do not get my name or my email address...  Only a buyer gets all of that information.

I am careful .....definitely.... and would like to remain so

I keep my business life separate from my personal life  and my past history....

and based on my past history I can be found everywhere on the internet... but that is very much separate from my selling on eBay.

You just have to know how to find me...

[pjcdn2005]

As a seller  I cannot say I will accept money orders, Personal cheques  ... or even cash.... and I did get paid cash   very recently.....  although I did suggest a money order to the potential buyer... who did buy and pay with cash.

A buyer must ask me the question with respect to payments other than Paypal.

That is what happened in this case but you still insist on Paypal?

I remember the original discussion about this and that ebay said a buyer could ask for other payments but I am curious to see if they would still stand by that so I just asked the question on the weekly board.

(I considered that it might be better not to ask and assume it was still that way but I asked it anyway) 🙂

I can't remember for sure how bank transfers are set up now but I think just the buyer's email is required. But I wouldn't have a problem giving out my email in a situation like this.

[pjcdn2005]

For those who might not see it, here is my question to Raphael and his reply.....

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

This comes up every once in a while.  When ebay first said that sellers (in most categories) could not ask for cash, money orders or bank transfers, they also said that if a buyer requested it, that was allowed. Of course that was quite a while ago so I am wondering what ebay's stance is on that now. If a buyer requests to make payment  one of those ways and has not been solicited by the seller to do so, is that a problem?

---

Hi pjcdn2005,

All eBay can regulate on is what sellers say in their listings. What happens beyond the confines of the eBay site is usually out of our control. With that said, a good way to look at this particular policy is that eBay may not be able to protect a buyer or a seller if the payment method employed was not one that is approved.

The reason we discourage people from sending cash, money orders or bank transfers is that these are rarely reversible or even traceable, so it's hard to recoup a sent payment if anything goes wrong.

---

[cumos55]

Paypal is my  option in all listings.

I have never accepted an electronic transfer...   but I have accepted money orders... and many years ago personal cheques as well.... No recent personal cheques as a payment method...

A buyer did pay with cash... something I did not recommend  once I was asked.... I recommended he use a money order...

The critical things here is that the potential buyer must ask..

In the first instance  the potential buyer  asked if I would accept an electronic transfer  or a sales off eBay.....and my response  was I accept Paypal.

If they asked about money orders or electronic transfer... I would have accepted the money order.

I did not feel comfortable with an electronic transfer  or with an outside of eBay sale.....

[pjcdn2005]

I can understand refusing the selling outside of ebay request and I understand not being comfortable with a method that you don't normally use. I do have to say though that the couple of times I've used electronic bank transfer ( I was the one paying, not the one being paid) I was amazed at how fast and easy it was.

[recped]

I would take an Interac transfer anytime. No fees, no possibility of a charge back, receipt of money is instantaneous and all you need to provide is an email address.