Selling an item to a foreigner with PayPal

NickInMesa · #1 08-11-2009, 04:10 PM

I just got an answer for the Crate Power Block I am selling and some guy would like me to ship it to Indonesia.

I said ok but I have to charge extra plus shipping.

Since there are so many scams out there I said I would only accept cash, PayPal or US money order (which is as good as money).

The guy said yes for PayPal. I suppose this would be safe for both parties, what do you think?

Stumbo · #2 08-11-2009, 05:02 PM

Paypal eCheck. If it's credit card based, the buyer can dispute the charge anytime.

NickInMesa · #3 08-11-2009, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Paypal eCheck. If it's credit card based, the buyer can dispute the charge anytime.

Yes but if he disputes it, I don't think PayPal will take substract the fund from my account.

rcarraher · #4 08-11-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

I just got an answer for the Crate Power Block I am selling and some guy would like me to ship it to Indonesia.

I said ok but I have to charge extra plus shipping.

Since there are so many scams out there I said I would only accept cash, PayPal or US money order (which is as good as money).

The guy said yes for PayPal. I suppose this would be safe for both parties, what do you think?

Just make sure that the PayPal email is actually from PayPal saying the funds are available. There was a scam going around where you'd get fake notices from PayPal, the they'd threaten you in more fake e-mails if you didn't supply a tracking number immediately. If in doubt, forward it ot PayPal and they'll confirm scam or legit. With those cautions in mind, I don't hesitate to do business over seas. I've been bit more by sweet ladies in Arizona than anyone from Asia.

Stinsok · #5 08-11-2009, 05:43 PM

I've done it a few times with no problems. The conditions of the sale are:

Will not ship until funds are verified.

I only ship to verified addresses.

An adult signature will be required for delivery.

Buyer is responsible for any duties, etc.

I am not responsible for delays or losses by the carrier once the package has been shipped.

burk48237 · #6 08-11-2009, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinsok

I've done it a few times with no problems. The conditions of the sale are:

Will not ship until funds are verified.

I only ship to verified addresses.

An adult signature will be required for delivery.

Buyer is responsible for any duties, etc.

I am not responsible for delays or losses by the carrier once the package has been shipped.

Great post. One other thing I would add. Do not do any fraudulent Customs transactions. You must ship for the final auction value, and declare that value on the customs form. If they want you to ship it as a "gift" for a reduced value, RUN!

bongomania · #7 08-11-2009, 08:27 PM

That last bit there... debatable. It's "wrong" and "naughty" and you "shouldn't do bad things", so those are valid reasons not to mark it as a gift with low value. But when a buyer asks for that, they are not trying to scam you, they are just trying to avoid paying exorbitant import duties. I shipped a $150 pedal to Spain one time, where his local customs tariff was about $80.

I may be missing something, but AFAIK there's no way a buyer can scam you by asking for a low declared value. The only way I can see that biting you in the butt is if the package gets lost (stolen or actually lost) and you want to recoup the loss from the carrier. Naturally if you declared $45, that's the maximum you could recoup.

bongomania · #8 08-11-2009, 08:33 PM

Oh, and as far as selling to people outside your own country, here's my rule of thumb: they must have plenty of good feedback on Ebay or on a forum like TB. There are some countries where scams are less common, and only a few good feedbacks are needed for me to feel comfortable; but there are other countries, like Indonesia, Nigeria, and all the former Soviet states, where scams are more common than honest transactions--a buyer in those countries must bend over backwards to prove their honesty to me. And they can, too: I have done several positive transactions with people in Africa and Russia who had excellent feedback from previous deals.

The idea is that no payment method is safe, really. You can get screwed through Paypal, money orders, cashier's checks, and even counterfeit cash. So the best thing you can do is try to only do business with people who are proven unlikely to screw you.

rcarraher · #9 08-11-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Oh, and as far as selling to people outside your own country, here's my rule of thumb: they must have plenty of good feedback on Ebay or on a forum like TB. There are some countries where scams are less common, and only a few good feedbacks are needed for me to feel comfortable; but there are other countries, like Indonesia, Nigeria, and all the former Soviet states, where scams are more common than honest transactions--a buyer in those countries must bend over backwards to prove their honesty to me. And they can, too: I have done several positive transactions with people in Africa and Russia who had excellent feedback from previous deals.

The idea is that no payment method is safe, really. You can get screwed through Paypal, money orders, cashier's checks, and even counterfeit cash. So the best thing you can do is try to only do business with people who are proven unlikely to screw you.

I sell and ship Persian Cats to people in Russia all the time, and the Ukraine. never a problem. Course, there's probably not as much of an upside to scamming cats as there would be in scamming gear....

Jimmy Bones · #10 08-11-2009, 09:32 PM

I agree. No feedback, no sale.

burk48237 · #11 08-11-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

That last bit there... debatable. It's "wrong" and "naughty" and you "shouldn't do bad things", so those are valid reasons not to mark it as a gift with low value. But when a buyer asks for that, they are not trying to scam you, they are just trying to avoid paying exorbitant import duties. I shipped a $150 pedal to Spain one time, where his local customs tariff was about $80.

I may be missing something, but AFAIK there's no way a buyer can scam you by asking for a low declared value. The only way I can see that biting you in the butt is if the package gets lost (stolen or actually lost) and you want to recoup the loss from the carrier. Naturally if you declared $45, that's the maximum you could recoup.

And that's the problem, if you ship undervalued and the item gets damaged or lost your SOL.