Craigslist + PayPal, what are the risks?

Dato

I listed a set on Craigslist and was contacted by someone who was not a local. He said he'd pay the asking plus shipping through paypal. I haven't used paypal in years, and I know that Craigslist warns against dealing with non-locals. The buyer appeared to be a real person (no Nigerian scam here, I am pretty sure), and understood my reluctance. Could you comment on what the risks may be when doing this type of transaction using paypal? I guess I can insist on getting paid before shipping. Can paypal take the money out of my account at a later time due to buyer's complaints or for some other reasons (paid with stolen paypal account, etc.)? Thanks.

FatMatt

I would send the buyer an invoice for "Goods", then from there it would be handled as any ebay transaction would. Make sure you ship the item with a tracking #, best would be to print shipping from Paypal. I would recommend insuring the item if it is pricey. Paypal would not just take the money from from your account later without opening a case first per the buyer. Scamming is always a possibility, but I have sold many many items on ebay, which owns Paypal, and have never been scammed by a buyer, save maybe a few times a buyer complained in order to receive a partial refund. As far as a stolen Paypal account, I have no idea how they would handle that. I would reccomend calling Paypal. They have pretty good customer service and will be able to answer any questions you have.

Odindusk

Don't sell via Craigslist to someone non-local, unless they're picking it up.

Put it on eBay if you're going to sell to someone that way.

You've been warned.

PS - A friend of mine got burned badly that way, and while I don't know all the details without him refreshing my memory first, I've since taken the stance that you're simply looking to shoot yourself in the foot by dealing with non-locals on CL.

LegoFanTexas

^ This...

Do not, ever. ever. ever... sell to anyone non-local for anything other than cash on CL... Most common scam in the world...

There is a reason CL says not to do it. Really, just don't and save yourself the trouble.

jocappy

^ This...

Do not, ever. ever. ever... sell to anyone non-local for anything other than cash on CL... Most common scam in the world...

There is a reason CL says not to do it. Really, just don't and save yourself the trouble.

100% agree only do sale if they send you cash before you ship.

mrfootball

I've bought a few kits from sellers in other states using Paypal with no problems. I'd send the payment, then they'd ship the kit. I'm sure there's some degree of risk, but I usually do a 'poor man's' background check (linkedin, facebook, googling their email address, check to see if they're a homeowner, etc) to gauge whether or not they seem trustworthy.

The_Brick_Builder

Like others have said, if your dealing non-locally, it is better to sell it on eBay. I don't even think PayPal protects transactions outside of eBay.

FatMatt

I have never actually sold through Paypal outside of Ebay purchases either, so you should probably disregard what I posted since so many others are warning against it.

jadeirene

So besides the obvious scams (buyers sending fake emails from Paypal saying that they've paid, "overpaying" and asking the buyer to send money back, etc.) what really are the risks of taking payment by Paypal? I may be missing something really obvious, but it would seem to me that selling through Craigslist and Paypal would carry the same risks as selling through Bricklink to a zero feedback buyer.

Can someone explain to me the risks of taking payment through Paypal, both for Craigslist and Bricklink?

legoDad

Why not send him an invoice from Paypal...only when he pays in full, Paypal sends you a receipt saying you got the money, mail to him with tracking...easy peezy.

legoDad

If he doesn't pay in full...don't mail the item.

Dato

Thank you guys for the helpful comments.

One of the risks is that the buyer may be funding the purchase with a stolen credit card. In that case, PayPal will do a chargeback on your account.

jadeirene

^ If you make sure that you are sending it to a confirmed Paypal address, then Paypal should not be able to do a chargeback. (Or at least that's how I understand it.)