How do I complete a sale safely?

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The Big Ben
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Re: How do I complete a sale safely?

Post by The Big Ben »

Perhaps I am too trusting of a soul but. for my last transaction here on TubeNet, I shipped it off just as soon as I got a personal check from the buyer.

There is a certain amount of protection for the buyer if PayPal is used. The seller sometimes has to wait a few days to get their funds from PayPal and there might be a fee involved.

Buying and selling sight unseen takes quite a bit of trust and full knowledge that something might go wrong and someone gets screwed. To me, it appears that PayPal has the same risks and rewards for each side.
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Dan Schultz
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Re: How do I complete a sale safely?

Post by Dan Schultz »

The Big Ben wrote:Perhaps I am too trusting of a soul but. for my last transaction here on TubeNet, I shipped it off just as soon as I got a personal check from the buyer.

There is a certain amount of protection for the buyer if PayPal is used. The seller sometimes has to wait a few days to get their funds from PayPal and there might be a fee involved.

Buying and selling sight unseen takes quite a bit of trust and full knowledge that something might go wrong and someone gets screwed. To me, it appears that PayPal has the same risks and rewards for each side.
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WakinAZ
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Re: How do I complete a sale safely?

Post by WakinAZ »

...and a third. I've done a dozen or so horn sales as both buyer and seller over the last several years; most have been through PayPal. No problems with PayPal, and mediation service if something does happen. I personally would avoid dealing with anyone who does not have a PayPal account, no matter how bad your tuba lust is. It really is the Western Union of our era, about as safe as it gets.

The only nerve-wracking transactions I've had were those that involved cashier's checks. I have also been paid large amounts of small bills on local cash sales - I wouldn't take a C note from Ben Franklin himself, too much funny money floating around down here near the border war zone.

Eric "who just sent over a grand to a fellow TubeNetter through PayPal a few minutes ago" L.
pgym
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Re: How do I complete a sale safely?

Post by pgym »

Easiest thing is to find a trusted third party:

1) buyer sends payment to third party;

2) third party informs seller the payment has been received;

3) seller ships tuba, delivery confirmed, to buyer (delivery confirmation to be sent by shipper to third party);

4) third party releases money to seller upon receipt of delivery confirmation.

Lawyers handle these types of transactions all the time. (This is NOT a solicitation.) So do escrow services. Both are bonded and have fiduciary responsibilities to both parties in the transaction. Both will charge for their services. (This is NOT a solicitation.) Typically, they will draw up a contract for both parties to sign, stipulating the transaction process, the buyer's trial period (if any), who pays what and how much to whom (shipping, insurance, lawyer/escrow fees, etc.), any contingencies, and mediate any disputes that arise, to protect both parties to the transaction. A mutual friend/acquaintence/TubeNetter known to both parties could serve as the third party, though one would necessarily waive much of the legal protections provided by a lawyer/escrow service if one chose that route.

Alternatively, the seller could provide a character witness whose bona fides are easily verifiable and acceptable to the buyer to vouch for the seller, as a sign of good faith. As an example, a potential buyer would likely be more favorably disposed to trust a seller if TubaTinker were to vouch for the seller's trustworthiness since TT's professional and business interests depend on preserving his or her good name; conversely, most buyers would likely be less favorably disposed toward the seller if Rod Blagoiovich (former gov. of IL) were the seller's character witness.

Pgym
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TexTuba
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Re: How do I complete a sale safely?

Post by TexTuba »

When I bought my tuba, here is what I did:

I got a cashier's check from a bank that was nation-wide...Bank of America, I believe.

I then had it sent overnight via FedEx with delivery confirmation...that way they can't say it was never received since it was signed.

From there, no matter what happened, I knew that even if it went bad I had several emails and confirmation of payment as evidence in case something had to be disputed.
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