I've got some items I'd like to sell. I couldn't find a thread on payment options. I know both the buyer and seller want to be protected. What have any of you used? What is recommended? Thanks.
I've got some items I'd like to sell. I couldn't find a thread on payment options. I know both the buyer and seller want to be protected. What have any of you used? What is recommended? Thanks.
Paypal Goods and Services is probably the most common one that provides a bit of protection on both ends. Don't use friends and family unless it's someone you absolutely trust - it eliminates the fees involved, but there's no protection either. Venmo is similar - no fees/no protection.
Postal Money order
I like to look up a persons track record or time/posts on these boards. If they buy and sell things often there is a good chance they are reputable enough for friends and family. IMO
I’m also always happy to offer/take half the payment before I mail something and the rest upon receipt. Trust goes both ways.
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Paypal pretty much only protects the buyer. Crooked buyers can rip you off, say product was never recieved,, Paypal will snatch seller's money.
Postal money orders are a joke.. They give a rip if the sender gets ripped off. Will do nothing.
Zelle and othe rinstant services offer no buyer protection..
I am not aware of ANY decent pay service that protects both sides other than face to face.
all you can do is use feed back and go from there.
personally I only accept cash if it's in person or Paypal friends and family. If it's someone I have never seen post on a forum (yes, I belong to ones other than this one) I usually will be a little cautious and I never buy from someone who only posts to sell items. I use mewe.com and have sold several times to people I have never met and I ship to them. But that's after they pay me via friends and family. I have never had a problem. I usually end up texting so that once I get shipping costs they can send me exact amount. Then I ship it out and send them a tracking number. I also ask them to let me know when they receive it. I have never had a problem.
https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults
A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White
I use paypal and have on here for several transactions over the years. I also use that on my Etsy woodworking and ebay. I always include to my sellers the tracking number for the item it gives me a little sense of security.
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Those can be faked. No protection for the seller if it's a fake. Same with a personal check. Even if the check is real the buyer can always issue a stop payment and the seller is SOL.
While it doesn't protect the buyer, I only take cash when transacting in person. I suppose PayPal "friends and family" would be acceptable as well. (though it's not called that anymore) I accept it all the time for things I have to mail out. I don't use the "goods and services option." Not only is there a transaction fee, which the buyer can pay, you don't really have protection as a seller as a buyer can dispute it and you are SOL.
Also, if you sell more than $600 on that platform in a year, they have to send you a 1099 and that info is reportable to the IRS. I'm not a professional sales person. I am selling used gear or maybe even new gear I decided I didn't want but couldn't return for some reason. I have yet to sell something for more than I actually paid for it originally. So no profit was made. Darned if I am going to pay taxes on my sales!
I have sold repeatedly on another forum and never had a problem. I would not hesitate to buy, using the same payment method, as long as it was someone who was a regular on this or that other forum. That forum has seller/buyer feedback so I check that before buying or selling but even if it's a person with no feedback I just check their posting history. I also give them my cell and ask them to communicate that way as it's easiest for me. Once I have their address I pack it up and once I am paid I mail asap. Say I make a deal late on a Saturday, I will wait until Monday for payment. As soon as they pay me I head to the PO (or as soon as possible) and as soon as it's shipped, I text them the receipt so they can track it and see that it's actually going out. Sometimes shipping can't be done using flat rate so I will go to UPS/USPS and get a price, text the buyer, and they add that into their payment. Once payment is made then I get back in line and pay for shipping and send it out. I also ask that they text me when they receive the package. If I don't hear from them I check to see if it has been delivered on line and then send them a text to confirm they received it. I don't think I have ever had someone NOT respond to confirm the delivery. That's how I roll.
https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults
A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White
Also, if you sell more than $600 on that platform in a year, they have to send you a 1099 and that info is reportable to the IRS.
there are certain criteria to get a 1099 from paypal.........
PayPal will track the payment volume of your account to check whether your payment volume exceeds both of these levels in a calendar year:
- $20,000 USD in gross payment volume from sales of goods or services in a single calendar year
- 200 payments for goods or services in the same year
Some US States require merchant reporting at a lower threshold:
- Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland: $600 USD in gross payment volume from sales of goods or services in a single calendar year regardless of the number of transactions;
- Illinois: $1,000 USD in gross payment volume from sales of goods or services in a single calendar year with at least 3 payment processed
You could consider putting the item up on eBay for a high price, but then let your preferred buyer(s) know through other channels that you would accept his offer.
Downside is the eBay/PayPal cut. Also, as with all eBay sales the buyer is the one who is most protected but might be worth considering if you have a bunch of stuff.
I might do this with a Svea stove.
Some people don't realize you can cash one at the PO. I wonder if the local clerk would spot a fake. A person can be charged for trying to CASH a fake money order.
I would guess many people just deposit the money order to a bank and then lose out on the money when it's revealed it's a fake.
Similar to fake money orders are fake cashier checks. I was closing one account and opening another with a different bank. I wanted access to my money immediately but an electronic transfer would have taken 3 days for the funds to be available! A cashier's check was going to take 7 so they could be sure it was legit! I did a cashier's check but to get access immediately the new bank called the branch and actually spoke to the man who issued the check for me. Seriously! And this wasn't a small amount!
So yeah, I would still be wary of a money order.
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https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults
A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White
Some people don't realize you can cash one at the PO.
one thing to keep in mind about trying to cash a money order at the PO------if
they dont have the cash on hand, they won't cash it....
I had this happen a few times getting my money back from getting denied on some grateful dead tickets (their
mail order only took PO money orders)......
not sure since they take debit cards that the funds could be transferred that way...
i doubt it......
The Post Office should spot a counterfeit straight off. It's pretty hard to counterfeit the paper, security strip, and watermark, etc. (and make a profit doing so). Altered money orders where the dollar value has been changed are probably more a concern to sellers. But, beyond that, when a money order is issued the serial number and other info goes into a database. If it's not in the database, #1 USPS won't cash it, and #2 it will get likely get the Postal Inspectors involved for possible theft and/or counterfeiting - and they are then more looking at who purchased it and where it was issued - not necessarily just the recipient who tried to cash it. Yes, you may get questioned as to how and why you got it. As always, the truth tends to clear up any problems such as these ("Hey, I sold a stove to this guy and he paid with this MO - here's his name, address, and the shipping receipt"). Senders should always keep their receipts when they purchase one for this reason as well.
Buyers can check if the USPS money order they received is legit at https://tools.usps.com/money-orders.htm
More FAQ's https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Money-Orders-The-Basics
Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 02-07-2021 at 10:02.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
I've been using PayPal for years with no real problems. Twice I got ripped and PayPal returned my money with no problem.
Dan McHale who's been doing custom pack orders for 40 years requires personal checks. Once the check clears he mails out the pack.
Of course he's got a reputation to uphold and won't just cash a check and run.