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Caution When Buying Large / Heavy Items and paying with PayPal

Heads-up to fellow Audiogon members

If you’re buying large or heavy gear — speakers, amps, racks, turntables, etc. — and paying with PayPal, make sure you understand how Buyer Protection works in practice.

If an item arrives damaged or significantly not as described and you open a claim, PayPal will typically require you to physically return the item at your expense in order to receive a refund.

For small items, that’s manageable.

For large or heavy gear, return shipping — domestic or international — can be extremely expensive, sometimes approaching the value of the item itself.

PayPal generally does not reimburse repair costs.
If you don’t return the item within the required timeframe, the case may be closed without refund — even if there is documented damage.

Before committing to a large purchase, calculate your real downside risk, including potential return shipping costs.

taviran
ibmjunkman's avatar
ibmjunkman
294 posts
 

I believe eBay (maybe PayPal) requires signature if amount is $500 or over. But based on what I see on the sub-Reddits for USPS, FedEx and UPS requiring a signature is no guarantee.

love2fly59's avatar
love2fly59
8 posts
 

@richardbrand I wonder why PayPal caused so many problems with international vendors. I live in Europe (Germany) and paid for many packages coming from countries Japan, USA, China, Israel and Turkey lately, PayPal always worked fine. Os your PayPal tied to a credit card or directly debited from a bank account.

Good luck, Martin

snapsc
722 posts
 

It doesn't really matter if the item being shipped is large or small...small items can be damaged through mistreatment and well as large items.  Packing should always be done as though the item will face a worst case scenario.

I think it is also critical to remember that shipping companies and their insurers often demand a LOT of information and documentation.  Photos and sometimes videos of the item being packed, the item actually working, all surfaces, etc.  Some even insist on new boxes, usually double boxing and often with 2" or more of specific cushioning between boxes.

If you read the fine print, it is daunting.  When there is shipping involved, there is usually risk and most of the risk goes to the buyer....and if you aren't willing to take the risk, even though the problem may not be your fault, then you should not get involved in transactions that involve shipping.

builder3
796 posts
 

I guess it matters what "paying with Paypal" really means. I pay through Paypal for every online purchase whenever that’s an option, but the actual payment is made with a credit card. Anytime that I’ve ever had an issue, I have filed a dispute directly with the actual credit card, not Paypal, who is only a middle man.

Paypal does have their own credit card at this point. It's inconvenient to use if you aren't interested in them debiting your bank account directly for payment.

tazzodazzo
1 posts
 

For shipping in the USA, use pirateship.com which offers FedEx or UPS at 40 to 60 percent discounts. Insurance is only $1 per $100 insured.

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