Seller Wants Cash Only for eBay Pick up Purchase

reszo on 26/10/2017 - 17:17
Last edited 26/10/2017 - 17:36 by 1 other user

Ok, so I purchased an exercise bike via ebay for my wife with the recent 10% off sale. I sent a message to the seller asking for pickup location (he is in Strathfield and I am in Chatswood)

The guy then calls me up and tells me that pickup purchases must be done in cash, as eBay/Paypal buyer/seller protection only works with proof of delivery like he gets when an item is couriered.

So he wants to refund me the money via paypal and I pay by cash on pickup. Then I find out he works from his home not a warehouse.

He can write me an invoice (and apparently has an ABN) but for warranty purposes I need to go through him. The company won't deal with me direct as he is not an authorised reseller. He buys of daid reseller.

Does that sound normallish? Or should i just get a refund and run away? Item is on for $599 with cheapest elsewhere that I can find is $699.

Thx

General Discussion

Comments

  • PissLUR on 26/10/2017 - 17:36

    yes it is normal. COD (cash on delivery) is fine.

  • chumlee on 26/10/2017 - 17:38
    +2

    Is the $100 saving worth it? If not then go elsewhere

  • armdrags on 26/10/2017 - 17:38

    Can you post the link to his listing here?

    It is not out of the ordinary that the seller want to receive cash for pick up. If he doesn't do this the buyer can potentially scam him by opening a paypal dispute and since the item was not sent via courier he wouldn't be able to provide a tracking number. In that case paypal will refund the buyer.

    I have sold a few items with pick up on ebay before using paypal but I always ask for proof of identity and have them sign the invoice which I keep as proof of delivery. $599 is a lot of money so I can see why he would choose cash for pick up.

    • reszo on 26/10/2017 - 18:15

      Hi. This is the listing
      https://m.ebay.com.au/itm/PROFORM-8-0EX-Home-Indoor-Exercise…

      I did tell him that i will only pay 540 for the item (599 -10%) and he hesitantly agreed

      • ronnknee on 26/10/2017 - 19:21
        +1

        So he's saying that pickup purchases must be cash only.

        The guy then calls me up and tells me that pickup purchases must be done in cash, as eBay/Paypal buyer/seller protection only works with proof of delivery like he gets when an item is couriered.

        Yet he's not offering other delivery methods besides pickup only.

        Posts to:
        Local pickup only

        So basically they're using eBay to list their products, cancels/refunds all purchases to get fees back and pushes for cash only (potentially extra 10% for them). If they don't pass the 10% saving to the buyer then that's pretty scummy. It's a reportable offence.

      • armdrags on 26/10/2017 - 20:24

        The listing does say pick up only due to the weight of the item. Also, he's willing to accept $540 to take into account the 10% ebay discount. That seem reasonable. There's no mention of any warranty whatsoever. Definitely don't buy if warranty is important to you.

  • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 17:41
    +4

    I can't see anything wrong with that. He's explained to you why he wants to refund you via paypal. He's protecting himself in case you go back and put in a paypal claim saying that he never sent the product or you never received it.

    The only bad thing is, he may be able to cancel the listing (by selecting the reason as you being a non-paying bidder) and not have to pay the final sale fee.

    When you pick it up, just double and triple check the product and all it's functions before handing over cash.

    • armdrags on 26/10/2017 - 17:49
      +3

      Why would it be a bad thing for him to cancel it? It doesn't affect the buyer regardless. It's a good thing for him to not have to pay ebay fee. Would be a very smart move to split the saving with the buyer!

      • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 17:53

        The seller would need to specify a reason to cancel an item that's been "sold". Otherwise anyone could just sell something and cancel the listing to avoid paying the final selling fees.

        I doubt the seller would be willing to go halvies on the fees haha

  • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2017 - 17:54
    +1

    Perfectly normal. If the seller accepts Paypal, they the buyer can pickup and say it was never sent.

  • moo on 26/10/2017 - 17:55
    +1

    If he refunds you, doesn't that mean that the 10% portion goes back to Ebay? So therefore, you're on the losing end as you'd have to pay the full price for the product?

    • dazweeja on 26/10/2017 - 18:00

      That's a good point. The refund only works if the seller is expecting the exact amount of the refund in cash. The seller would effectively lose 10% (or 7.4% because he'll avoid PayPal fees).

  • dazweeja on 26/10/2017 - 17:55
    +2

    It's normal and in fact completely necessary for him. Pay by PayPal for pickup is a common scam.

    He could accept bank deposit though as long as it comes through before pickup but that puts you at risk.

    Cash on pickup is the only method that works for both parties really.

  • MorriJ on 26/10/2017 - 18:00

    There is no buyer or seller protection for items picked up using Paypal.

    Explain this to him.

    I do this a lot with car wreckers - stack up the items, wait for a discount through paypal and pick up the items.

    Sellers should know there is no protection for paypal items picked up.

    Regarding warranties: Manufacturer warranty should be valid from the date of retail purchase. Is he buying these items retail? If so, your warranty for the item started when he purchased it. Ask for a copy of the original invoice and you can take directly to manufacturer for issues.

    • PissLUR on 26/10/2017 - 18:39

      the seller knows this. the buyer / op doesn't.

    • dizzle on 26/10/2017 - 19:06

      It sounds to me like he has gone through unofficial channels in getting the product and contacting the manufacturer directly would cancel any warranty he gets from the "reseller". Why would he be selling this way if he was paying retail prices and not getting a significant discount? My thoughts are he's an employee of either reseller or manufacturer getting it at staff price. If the purchaser goes direct to the manufacturer the seller gets in trouble for onselling/profiting off their goodwill.

    • whooah1979 on 26/10/2017 - 19:21
      +1

      There is no buyer or seller protection for items picked up using Paypal.

      no buyer or seller protection means little when the card holder can initiate a chargeback for an unauthorised transaction.

      Explain this to him.

      this is what he should be worried about.

  • spal on 26/10/2017 - 18:03

    See what moo said. You will have to pay the full listing price, no discount for eBay or PayPal coupon.

  • bbqwer on 26/10/2017 - 18:18
    +2

    Paypal and pick up is no no for seller.

    Buyer can easily open paypal item not receive, and the seller is done.

    Pick up pay cash!

    • MorriJ on 26/10/2017 - 18:49

      You cant dispute a Paypal or ebay transaction that was picked up for non-delivery purposes can you? I've got plenty of click n collect orders, cant dispute them for delivery reasons.

      • Quantumcat on 26/10/2017 - 20:47

        You can chargeback on your credit card though.

  • ninetyNineCents on 26/10/2017 - 18:20
    -2

    He forgot to tell you he would rather cash in hand to avoid paying ebay and paypal fees which are about 15% of the sale.

  • Ocker on 26/10/2017 - 19:07
    -2

    Sounds to me like he wants to cancel the sale via EBay (and save the 10% sellers commission).

    My recommendation is to insist the sale takes place as originally agreed.

  • supnigs super skids on 26/10/2017 - 19:27

    Of course cash only if pickup. I would too

  • whooah1979 on 26/10/2017 - 19:34

    the seller has the legal right request their preferred payment type when settling a transaction. in this case notes/cash. the buyer then have the choice to either settle using the requested payment or cancel the transaction.

  • whooah1979 on 26/10/2017 - 20:41

    here is the seller's gumtree listing.
    https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/strathfield/gym-fitness/prof…

  • tinx on 26/10/2017 - 21:00

    looks like most of seller items are from costco.

    maybe check if they sell it and buy it yourself?

    i also did quick check on amazon us, one of the seller sell it with free shipping (OJCommerce)
    comes up around $550 aud.

    :)

  • reszo on 27/10/2017 - 12:31

    Thanks all. I appreciate time taken to respond. Never purchased a new item with paypal using pickup, so never considered the implications.

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