BUYERS BEWARE!!!

Mark Chisholm

Mark Chisholm

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There have been a ton of scammers trying to steal money from people by offering goods for sale, taking the money and then disappearing. Please protect yourself as much as possible and read this:

www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org

How to Sell and Buy Secondhand Things Online Without Getting Scammed

When it comes to shopping online for secondhand stuff, even on sites that have buyer and seller protections, the onus largely falls on you to protect yourself.
www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org
 
Njdelaney said:
A lot of people join forums only to sell things and end up staying. My personal feeling is that as long as they accept payment thru PayPal or another form that has protections let them sell. I have been burned before but have also had lots of good experiences too.
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That's true as I've bought items off many new guys, and I've bought from guys who haven't made a single post until placing an ad and have been on for yrs, and I've bought from guys who have been around for yrs and have never made a post who send me a PM asking if I'm interested in xyz.
Many times guys scamming will only take PayPal friends and family which has no recourse if there is a problem.
If they won't take PayPal service and merchandise, there's always a chance their the real deal ;).
 
Depending upon the value of the item, there are online escrow services available who, for a nominal fee will arrange a safe transaction. I used one once before when buying a piece of expensive jewelry. I sent a cashier's check to the escrow company. They then notified the seller that they were in receipt of funds and instructed them to send the item. Once I'd received the item, I had 3 days to get it appraised and satisfy myself that it was indeed what it was represented to be. I then contacted the escrow service and notified them to release funds to the seller. It's a few more moving parts and a few more coins, but everybody in the transaction is safe.
 
NashvilleTN said:
(234) 000-0000:
Hi I Steve. Do you still have item for sell? Will you accept credit cards payment?
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Yes, please send said "credit cards" for payment and I'll send the item :).
Obviously English is not the person's native tongue.
As Tom said its not a bad idea to talk to people in person, although I've had those conversations with people who have ripped me off and with those who tried, we should be diligent and wise to the scams.
In the case with the gear and the spikes on here I was texting with the guy and all was good until I started asking for the shipping info and told him he should mark them sold, which is when I posted that I was glad to be getting them so others would know that they were sold. I also contacted the other guy who said he'd take them(many guys say that but lowball, not that I'm saying he did) to see if he bought them and sure enough he did, I knew then we had problems brewing.
 
cerviarborist said:
Depending upon the value of the item, there are online escrow services available who, for a nominal fee will arrange a safe transaction. I used one once before when buying a piece of expensive jewelry. I sent a cashier's check to the escrow company. They then notified the seller that they were in receipt of funds and instructed them to send the item. Once I'd received the item, I had 3 days to get it appraised and satisfy myself that it was indeed what it was represented to be. I then contacted the escrow service and notified them to release funds to the seller. It's a few more moving parts and a few more coins, but everybody in the transaction is safe.
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Wife used Mercari and PoshMark which worked well for used bougie baby clothes etc. Same setup
 
If you use paypal, not for "friends and family" unless they are, you are double protected also with the credit card chargeback option if and only if there is fraud. Most issues can be resolved over the phone.

Another issue is stolen goods, the seller becomes critical on that. Pawn shops, etc. can be a problem. Don't buy fenced goods, not every dollar saved is a good dollar.
 
tomstrees said:
If you use paypal, not for "friends and family" unless they are, you are double protected also with the credit card chargeback option if and only if there is fraud. Most issues can be resolved over the phone.

Another issue is stolen goods, the seller becomes critical on that. Pawn shops, etc. can be a problem. Don't buy fenced goods, not every dollar saved is a good dollar.
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That doesn't work if you're using a PayPal balance though which is what I do most times.
I did finally get the refund on the spikes I bought, they even gave me back the 3% service and merchandise cost. It's too bad the guy wouldn't just credit me on his own, sad that people would steal from others like that.
 
Motorcyclists/bikers are supposed to be a brotherhood too.
But if someone steals your scoot, they most probably can ride..
.
If chain/lock up in front of some outlaw clubhouse, it is like daring them they can't get past lock!
 
I wonder how a post with feedback about buyers and sellers would work. I see things on here that I would buy if I knew just a little about the seller. Like if someone I knew or respected had good dealings with them. I think that could help weed out the one post scammers. I won't buy anything from someone with only one post and or a brand new account. I'm sure I've missed out on a few things that way. But if someone says they're a reputable seller I'm more likely to buy from them. Maybe a list of names and feedback?
 
Benjo75 said:
But if someone says they're a reputable seller I'm more likely to buy from them.
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I'm a reputable seller, wanna buy something LOL.
Most of this is above, but it's worth reposting as there really are no promises with internet deals regardless of the system.
It's hard to make any system that works well. I've had great experiences with guys having one post, and poor ones too. Then I've done multiple deals with guys and figure I can do PayPal F&F, then got taken.
Crap happens, I won't let it jade me, but I try to be wiser.
 
Start a thread if you like, I’ll post up the folks who have done well by me, and the one person who didn’t.
It does suck though, I’ve bought from new members with zero posts and only registered to sell something, and I got what I payed for. Hard to ever know for sure though, so I offer to pay the extra 3% or 5% or whatever the difference is to make it goods and services instead of friends and family. Insurance I guess.
 
It seems to me like a post listing various members would be cluttered and you'd have to read every post to find the member you want and to be sure that it is consistent. Post #1 of the thread may say that I'm a great seller then post #2053 says that I scammed someone.

If the effort was put in to create a system and IF the Moderators wanted this feature on their site, a feedback system on each member's profile like on Ebay is likely the best solution. A simple 1-5 of how good each transaction went, allowing future buyers to see how many times a certain member has sold and how satisfied the buyers were.
 
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Jehinten said:
It seems to me like a post listing various members would be cluttered and you'd have to read every post to find the member you want and to be sure that it is consistent. Post #1 of the thread may say that I'm a great seller then post #2053 says that I scammed someone.

If the effort was put in to create a system and IF the Moderators wanted this feature on their site, a feedback system on each member's profile like on Ebay is likely the best solution. A simple 1-5 of how good each transaction went, allowing future buyers to see how many times a certain member has sold and how satisfied the buyers were.
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you could sort by username using ctrl + F, then type in the name of the seller
 
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