for 17K, I would travel with cash. I do that for anything over 2K. Both as seller and buyer, if my travel plans support it.
I don't buy anything via paypal FF unless I am willing to/ok to lose the money.
Seller Would Not Sell Because I had Zero Feedback. Why?
I tried to purchase equipment on CAM priced at $17K. The Seller first wanted me to send a wire. I said no, that I'd pay using paypal. He said ok, but would only accept sent using the "Friends and Family" option. Again, I said no explaining that I needed PayPal's Buyer Protection and that I would not send such a large sum across an international border with no recourse. I explained to the Buyer Protection requires that payment be categorized as "Goods and Services" and that I would pay the 2.99% fee. The seller would not take a credit card. Ultimately, he said that he didn't want to move forward because I had zero feedback. Further, I believe that PayPal offers Seller Protection to shield against nefarious buyers. What am i missing that would make the Seller not want to do the deal based on my lack of feedback if the product wouldn't ship until the cash was in his account?
The Seller did have an excellent feedback rating, but I wasn't about to send such a large sum across the border to a stranger. Thoughts?
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I side with the seller as well. A compliant about the goods freezes the sellers money and forces them to prove they are correct. Absolutely PP sides with the buyer. The entire point of feedback is to allow us to trade amongst each other without paying lots of fees. If I am buying or selling I almost always get a dialogue going on line or on the phone and can tell in three sentences if the person knows audio and if they have done their research. That said, I wired a $6800 deposit to a seller in CA wo was going to get me a demo VAC preamp. He had positive feedback of 120+ on AG and about 20 on USAM. He fell on hard times and cheated me out of the entire amount. My lawyer felt I needed local CA representation and law enforcement was not interested. 6800 gone. My view of this loss is that I have saved so much over buying retail and have been able to own and try so much gear that I otherwise would not have been able to afford that I calked it up to my overall positive experience. |
Makes sense. The seller has a 100% positive feedback on USAM. So, I don't think it was "scammy," but, given @wokeuptobose's experience, you never know. @parkergetdean's suggestion to travel actulaly would've made financial sense given the paypal fees relative to the price of a plane and assuming I could pay for a hotel with credit card points. Alternatively, given my feedback and the seller's concern, seems like an Escrow approach combined, perhaps, with a deposit would make the seller feel more secure, correct?
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Escrow does not work well in our kind of transactions. An escrow business will open the box think yeah, that’s a brand ____ something, send it along. Who knows if it works? It takes someone with hIgh-end experience to judge whether gear is working properly, is the correct item, and what condition it is in. You just have to pass on or be passed on for some deals. It’s just the way selling online goes. Again, don’t take it personally. |
@patrickalston it's not a given that travelling makes sense, I certainly would not travel to e.g., Florida for anything. But if it's a desirable location, I would try to figure it out, you can travel anywhere off season for under $500. Not so much for the payment issue but to check out the item in person. The issue for me is that I could get something in impeccable shape or with questionable aesthetics and functionality. I feel I would need to see it in person. 17K is astronomical to me. |
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