Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again • Hacker News Board

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#331

Post by kahawe » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:11 AM UTC

I think this problem goes a bit deeper and it is something I have been wondering about.

When I send a letter or a package and want to be sure it was received, I can rely on tracking or I can go the extra mile and request a signed return-receipt. Now all I have is confirmation the letter or package was handed over and someone confirmed they got it. They can still claim when they opened it, it was nothing but empty pages or a couple of stones - and there is no proof I actually put an iphone or important documents in there. There is nothing that guarantees both the seller AND the buyer that the actual item was very well in there and it was just as advertised in the auction and there is no easy way to prove it either.

From a legal point of view, how could you solve this? Let a third, independent and reliable party handle the transaction for you? Or do you pay a notary to certify that you actually packaged the iphone and that it's condition is as advertised?

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#332

Post by dexen » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:24 AM UTC

kahawe wrote: post #331

I think this problem goes a bit deeper and it is something I have been wondering about. When I send a letter or a package and want to be sure it was received, I can rely on tracking or I can go the extra mile and request a signed return-receipt. Now all I have is confirmation the letter or package was handed over and someone confirmed they got it. They can still claim when they opened it, it was nothing but empty pag…

Polish Post Office provides a service solving this very problem: the sender can marked the parcel with ``recipient opens the parcel in presence of mailman before payment and can return it right away without payment if she so wishes'' option. This optional service is quite cheap, at about 10% of general shipment fee methinks. The other downside is that recipient have to pick the parcel, either at doorstep or at the post office; it cannot be left in the mailbox.

On polish market, `allegro.pl' -- rather than eBay -- is the dominant auction/garage sale platform, and it is somewhat common to request such option when ordering from sellers without reputation. There is some abuse of this system, but it seems low enough.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#333

Post by himlion » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:27 AM UTC

psionski wrote: post #326

discountgenius wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bitcoin enables decentralized digital wealth transfers.

No chargebacks, escrow services for dispute handling, deflationary currency. Need I say more :)

all features, not bugs :)

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#334

Post by RyanMcGreal » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:30 AM UTC

kahawe wrote: post #331

I think this problem goes a bit deeper and it is something I have been wondering about. When I send a letter or a package and want to be sure it was received, I can rely on tracking or I can go the extra mile and request a signed return-receipt. Now all I have is confirmation the letter or package was handed over and someone confirmed they got it. They can still claim when they opened it, it was nothing but empty pag…

> Let a third, independent and reliable party handle the transaction for you?

I thought that party was eBay.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#335

Post by peteretep » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:34 AM UTC

haberman wrote: post #49

Don't know if they're any good but the Economist just wrote up EcoATM ( http://www.ecoatm.com/ ) which lets you sell used phones at kiosks. You show up with your used phone and put it into the machine, which can apparently verify its make/model and condition, and lets a network of buyers instantly bid on it. If you choose to sell, the kiosk keeps your phone and you leave with cash.

In the UK, I'd recommend:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/mobile-recycling

Which will link you to a whole bunch of reputable bricks and mortar companies who'll buy your old phone.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#336

Post by lmm » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:44 AM UTC

lwat wrote: post #189

ZoFreX wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you ever tried to get your money back after getting scammed as a buyer?

I have, eBay ignored all my complaints and requests. Never got anything but the odd automated 'we have received your report' emails. I'll never use eBay again for any reason.

Make a credit card chargeback

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#337

Post by chib » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:51 AM UTC

I remember when eBay changed their policy so that sellers could no longer leave feedback, absolutely ridiculous. And I wouldn't trust PayPal as far as I could throw them.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#338

Post by lmm » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:59 AM UTC

Karunamon wrote: post #171

gnosis wrote: post #136

The OP says he "Only sells to people with significant positive feedback", "Only ships to CONFIRMED Paypal addresses", and "Requires Signature Confirmation for items over $250" Does ebay policy allow this? I thought the seller had to sell to the winning bidder, regardless of buyer's feedback, etc.

Those are flags you can set in your sale, regarding feedback at least. If someone has negative feedback, or lives outside of a list of countries, or has unpaid item strikes, the user won't even see your sale. Confirmed address is a paypal policy you can also turn on, which forces the seller to use their paypal confirmed address when checking out or none at all. If someone wins and they ask you to ship elsewhere, you…

>(Whoever decided that buyers should be exempt from negative feedback needs their fucking head examined)

It's the best decision ebay ever made. The seller is in a much better position to rip you off than the buyer is (as others pointed out, this scam is only possible for goods that you can convert back to cash). It used to be impossible to leave negative feedback for bad sellers, because the hit to your own reputation cost more than just eating the loss.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#339

Post by kahawe » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 11:59 AM UTC

RyanMcGreal wrote: post #334

kahawe wrote: post #331

I think this problem goes a bit deeper and it is something I have been wondering about. When I send a letter or a package and want to be sure it was received, I can rely on tracking or I can go the extra mile and request a signed return-receipt. Now all I have is confirmation the letter or package was handed over and someone confirmed they got it. They can still claim when they opened it, it was nothing but empty pag…

> Let a third, independent and reliable party handle the transaction for you? I thought that party was eBay.

> I thought that party was eBay.

Initially you would think so, yes; but they never receive and check the package neither do they actually receive the money, per se, since paypal is a "different" company and seller or buyer might choose a different form of payment.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#340

Post by kahawe » Tue, Dec 04, 2012, 12:02 PM UTC

dexen wrote: post #332

kahawe wrote: post #331

I think this problem goes a bit deeper and it is something I have been wondering about. When I send a letter or a package and want to be sure it was received, I can rely on tracking or I can go the extra mile and request a signed return-receipt. Now all I have is confirmation the letter or package was handed over and someone confirmed they got it. They can still claim when they opened it, it was nothing but empty pag…

Polish Post Office provides a service solving this very problem: the sender can marked the parcel with ``recipient opens the parcel in presence of mailman before payment and can return it right away without payment if she so wishes'' option. This optional service is quite cheap, at about 10% of general shipment fee methinks. The other downside is that recipient have to pick the parcel, either at doorstep or at the po…

This sounds fantastic, both the option and allegro.

I had a good experience selling someone a quite pricey item with cash-on-delivery and I don't think the buyer would have had much chance to rip me off there; of course as a fraudulent seller you could just send them the above mentioned stones or a cardboard box labeled "macbook pro" (which was prominently done to get back at a scammer).