question about seller protection (selling off ebay)

MrNearMint

So I'm in the middle of a deal, about to sell someone between $400-$500 (maybe more) worth of cards off ebay. I've heard about buyers doing something called a "charge back" and end up screwing over the seller. Are there any extra steps I can take to protect myself as a seller besides the obvious; insurance, tracking, signature confirmation etc..? Am I just being paranoid?

slum22

Ideally you could do the transaction via PP "Friends and Family", which would give you the minimum amount of risk as the seller. But understandably many buyers will not do this on a first transaction with a seller they don't know. That being said, your best bet is to vet the customer as best you can (go through their eBay feedback and see what their profile as a buyer looks like). As a seller, if you are going through PayPal, you are not carrying much more risk by selling directly through that channel vs. through an eBay listing. If the buyer is a scammer and wants to screw the seller, they can do pretty much the same thing on eBay vs. off eBay. Your protections via eBay and PP are very similar as well.

For maximum protection as a seller, follow all the rules required by PP to qualify for PP Seller Protection. One of the big things for this would be to ship to the verified address on PP. Don't let the customer talk you into shipping to anything other than what PP has in their system for the customer's address. I don't believe signature confirmation is necessary for a deal in the $400-500 range as delivery confirmation is all that is required for PP seller protection in this dollar range. Similarly, insurance is not required. There are varying opinions on the benefits of postal insurance. I have never had to file a claim for it, but I have heard many arguments against the need for it. I sell quite a bit and I generally don't get insurance on the items I ship. But if you feel more comfortable going with insurance and/or signature confirmation, go ahead and do this for your own peace of mind.

There are a lot more good people out there than bad, so I largely think you will be fine. This is the way I like to look at the world anyway. But it is still wise to protect yourself. So again, familiarize yourself with PayPal's seller protection requirements and meet those and then just hope for the best.

MrNearMint

Thanks Steve.

dictoresno

Always use PayPal goods and services, that way you are protected. I always send my money this way for off ebay transactions and indicate in the transaction details what its exactly for and to what address. basically leave a thorough paper trail on PayPal indicating what its for and where its supposed to go. as stated, always ship to the PayPal address, don't edit or change it. that way the seller is protected too. never use friends and family unless you know and trust the person.