Posts
284
Joined
7/18/2011
Location
Conyers, GA
US
How does it work? I'm trying to sell my KTM 250 on Craigslist. Someone not local contacted me wanting to buy it. He wants to pay with PayPal and then send "movers" later to pick it up. I asked him if his PayPal was verified, and I haven't heard back. I'm sure it's a scam. I'm just not seeing how.
Not sure you really have anything to lose here - Just have to make sure you have access to the funds before you release the bike
I'm sure someone else will chime in if I'm missing anything here..
The last one was the end of paypal for me. I had a bmx company in norcal ask me to develop a mini instant engagement hub for their line of products. So i did, they paid a deposit of 1k, i made 10 sets as they requested, shipped them, they recieved them. One day later they file a dispute with paypal that they did not recieve the product they ordered. Paypal gave them an immediate refund of 2400. Then asked me to prove why that should be reversed. I sent emails, text messages, approved drawings signed by the owner, they would not teverse the refund. Sided with the buyer. Plus, he never shipped the hubs back. So not only did i lose 2400 bucks, he got 10 sets of hubs for free. Which he turned around and sold.
Moral of the story, screw paypal
I'm not saying this is a scam, but basically you can be paid by paypal, then someone picks up the bike, but the buyer submits a claim to paypal that he never received what he paid for, so you don't get the money, and the buyer get's a refund. And obviously you just lost the bike.
So to cover your ass, you need to have documentation proving that the bike was indeed handed over or you can easily get screwed.
The Shop
Eligibility
In order to qualify for PayPal Buyer Protection in addition to the conditions of Section 5 the following requirements must be met:
3.1 The Buyer has purchased an item and paid for it with PayPal.
3.2 Purchases of most goods and services are eligible (including travel tickets, intangible items such as rights of access to digital content and other licenses), except for purchases of the following:
Real estate (including, without limitation, residential property);
Businesses (including, without limitation, any items or services forming part of a business or corporate acquisition);
Vehicles (including, without limitation, motor vehicles, motorcycles, aircrafts, and boats);
Custom made items (unless they are claimed to be not received);
Goods and services prohibited by the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy;
Industrial machinery used in manufacturing;
Items equivalent to cash (including, without limitation, gift cards);
Any wager (whether by way of backing of laying against any outcome or otherwise) and any other opportunity to benefit from a gambling activity.
That one stung a little as well, we had helped Jiri about 5-6 years ago in the development of the Bombshell carbon wheels. So that stung a bit.
He sold the bike to the buyer. The buyer HAD to use paypal because he wanted the purchase on his personal credit card.
So, he is there with his truck, and a friend to pick up the bike. My friend gets the e mail saying "you have funds"
He helps the guy load the bike, and he drives away. A while later, my friend goes in to transfer his money to his bank account. Of course it says, "zero". Maybe there is a delay???
No delay. The e mail was fake.
It looked 100% legit.
If a person has the for a bike, theres no reason to use paypal.
Anything else will not work!
And as the privious post mentioned if they have the money they will never use paypal!
I sell about 5 bikes a year and i do it only this way.
Pickup only
Cash only
Sometimes people ask if you can bring the bike they pay for gas, what they do is paying for bullets and take your bike and your Car.
And above that:
No test ride with cash in Hand!
Either way I was out $400.00 and nice phone.
Pit Row
I listed CR125 for a buddy on Ebay, it sells for $800.00.
The buyer takes it out and says it seized. Never showed documentation of claimed seizure.
Paypay refunded them and put my Paypal at minus $800.00.
Thank goodness my Bro was a true bro and he gave me $800.00 and we gave the buyer the bike and a refund.
Lesson learned, sell that shit in person and get signatures and only take cash!
I always tell buyers: "If your check is good, take it down to the bank and cash it yourself. Bring me the cash and we'll do business right here, in person, face to face."
Find out if the person your dealing with has a bank institute in common with you. It's free and secure to transfer money from them to you via the bank. I've done this with Wells Fargo. Then you know they are a verified person on the other end. The only other real way to do a transaction that is safe is an escrow between you and the buyer. The third party in escrow verify the transaction before releasing the funds.Also the shipping part is key as well. You want to pay extra for the signature and verified recepient. I do quite few pay pal transactions above $2000, but never had a scam. Like someone mention, the person is going to be willing to speak to you via phone and verify where they live, who they work for so you can research them. I immediately search their cell phone, name and email addresses to see links between the information.
2 questions you have to ask yourself is
1 - can the product be used where the person is? In a lot of cases, the buyer claims they're working on an offshore rig or in some 3rd world country. Why would they need a dirt bike there?
2 - Is there not a comparable product for sale anywhere closer to them? So if they're in Florida, and you're in California, do you believe for one second that there isn't a deal closer that can get the buyer what they want for roughly the same price.
I work for a credit card processing company, and we had a client in Florida that was asking if they should sell 10 mattresses to a customer in California, and he was selling them for full retail. . . Some people get too desperate to sell their product that all caution goes through the wind.
What you posted though sounds like a super common scam.
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