Escrow service for Gumtree

Lillogicalerror on 25/05/2021 - 10:54

I live in quite an isolated area so buying second hand stuff from Gumtree with face to face isn't likely to happen unless I'm buying cows or old farm equipment. Having had some decent trades trusting sending money to people I've recently lost some money to a scammer ( I know) and am trying to think of some way I can protect myself buying via post.

Has anyone used escrow services like escrow.com with Gumtree? How did this work out for you? Or do I need to forget about this sort of thing?

Any other suggestions?

General Discussion

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Comments

  • Cheaplikethebird on 25/05/2021 - 10:56
    +1

    There's one called eBay.

    • Kelly666 on 29/05/2021 - 19:16

      I have found that eBay hardly have any second hand items for sale anymore.
      1 listing on eBay AU vs 49 unique listings for the same item on Gumtree Aust wide and about 30 on Facebook marketplace.
      The item is normally used by older people, maybe this demographic don't know/or want to sell on eBay?

      • Cheaplikethebird on 30/05/2021 - 08:44

        Filter by used goods. Still plenty on there.

  • Mechz on 25/05/2021 - 10:56
    +9

    I imagine the biggest challenge is having the other party agree to use that service.

    • [Deactivated] on 25/05/2021 - 11:06
      +8

      I sure as shit would not.

  • illogicalerror on 25/05/2021 - 11:00

    The sort of things I'm after (mostly musical instruments) have high competition on eBay and I'd just be better off buying that stuff new rather than saving 10% on a second hand one and then not having the warranty.

  • ryurazu on 25/05/2021 - 11:15

    depends on the item and the amount your asking, some times makes sense to pay a deposit? especially if they are a new user or if you have way higher rep. Yeah Gumtree support is horrible tho and don't give to flips about the scammers.

  • wallet72 on 25/05/2021 - 11:45
    +1

    An independent third party that could assess the goods to make sure they match the ad, and handle escrow would go a long way to restoring my confidence in Ebay and Gumtree. I gave up on them after too many one sided disputes and horror stories.

    Honestly, if someone wouldn't use the service then I'd question buying or selling to them at all. This does assume the service is reputable and independent.

  • thatonethere on 25/05/2021 - 12:49

    You could do something through Airtasker. I doubt the average gummie will want to use escrow.com for their cash in hand deal however.

  • Quantumcat on 25/05/2021 - 12:56

    You can do cash on delivery but there's a risk the seller sends a brick. I don't think that you can inspect inside the package before handing over the money.

  • msmhw on 25/05/2021 - 13:41
    +2

    if something around Sydney I am happy to help you out :)
    depends on the location and the time

    • illogicalerror on 25/05/2021 - 13:47

      But instantly we fall back to trust issues again. I have no more reason to trust you than I do any old Joe on Gumtree. :P
      We should create a trusted Gumtree purchasers association.

      • msmhw on 25/05/2021 - 13:58
        +2

        I am long member here and you can check my history from my profile, also I helped some members before to get their orders from one of eBay's deals

        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/181365#comment-3022247

        no pressure, just an offer on the table.

        • illogicalerror on 25/05/2021 - 15:10

          Thank you I appreciate it. Sometimes this sort of thing does come up in Sydney, you guys seem to get all the good stuff. :)

  • WarrpLocal on 25/05/2021 - 16:54

    Hey! Just saw this post and thought we offer some help. This is the very reason why we made our marketplace app called Warrp (just launched this month). If you have iOS, please go ahead and download it from the app store. Each transaction is fully vetted and is escrowed by us. Hope this helps.

    • randomusername2017 on 25/05/2021 - 22:06

      lol.. extremely safe
      Nothing worth buying

      • WarrpLocal on 26/05/2021 - 09:48

        Yes, we are new and we are growing daily with more items being added on. Thank you for your patience.

    • illogicalerror on 26/05/2021 - 09:01

      %5 isn't too steep for an escrow and listing service.

      Half the country including me doesn't use iOS though. Better sort that out. Would be good if I didn't have to "have an app for that" and could just log into the website. Great idea but the implementation isn't complete by any means and will drive away loads of business.

      • WarrpLocal on 26/05/2021 - 09:47

        Thanks for that feedback and yes we found that out ourselves after launching this month (we are only technically 26 days old), we will have web and android ready in the next 2 weeks, prototype is done and we are testing before launch.

  • Kelly666 on 29/05/2021 - 19:00

    Would Airtasker be the best place to find a escrow agent?
    I want to buy a unique 2nd hand medical machine for $600 from a private seller on Gumtree (member since 2014, no other ads on their account)
    I am in Melbourne, the item for pick up is in Sydney (Petersham).

    This is what I'm thinking:
    Tell the seller someone will be collecting it on my behalf and that I will pay them (the seller) instantly via bank transfer at the moment of sale… and hope that they have no issue with this & understand that it's the same as cash in that it cannot be reversed.
    Suggest to seller I will give them a $50 deposit via bank tranfer so they know I'm legit.
    Get pick up address. Agent goes to address at agreed time. Agent see that the item exists and works when plugged into power. Agent calls me on speakerphone and states 'all good, transfer away'. I transfer the rest of the money ($550) to the seller via the same details as I did previously which makes this step happen in less than 1 minute.
    Agent packages item in cardboard (around 30 x 40 x 20cm & 3kg) & prints out the Sendle label that I emailed them. Attaches label to package and leaves item in a safe spot for Sendle driver to collect (normally the same day).

    How much should I pay the agent for this service? I was thinking $30 going by what other similar Airtasker jobs go for.
    If the seller still insists on cash, I will have to transfer $600 to the agent (which increases my risk) who will then need to withdraw $600 from ATM (which increases the effort the agent has to go to, thus increasing the fee)

    NOTE: I am currently waiting on the sellers reply message in which I asked for their phone number. I stated I'm in Melbourne but will get somebody else to collect it on my behalf.
    If I feel comfortable trusting the seller after a quick phone call (maybe do video call) they might be happy to package the item themselves. If so, I will transfer them the full asking price upfront via bank transfer and they will leave the packaged item out for Sendle collection.

    Tips, thoughts?

    • randomusername2017 on 30/05/2021 - 09:03

      Payment via PayPal on gumtree authorise it when item is being picked up
      Done this a few times using sendle.

      PM me if you want some help picking it up and sending it

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