Everything I've heard is that it's best to deal locally when using Craigslist. Well, I'm selling some stuff (computer parts...mobo, ram, cpu) I've had someone contact me from Lindale, TX asking if I'll accept paypal and ship. Using Paypal should be secured right? Is there anyway for me to get ripped off via paypal? I've used it with Ebay in the past with out any issues. I'm just very cautious when it comes to shipping stuff out. But ya, I guess I just want to hear any recommendations from any of you who have used Craigslist. Thanks.
I've sold and bought a few things off Craigslist, but never sent or receive money via PayPal. I assume that if this person is willing to pay you, the money goes through PayPal, and then you can verify it's there and ship it, I guess . Sorry to piggyback on your post, Up3k, but... I am selling a BREAKFAST TABLE with 4 chairs, in case anyone is interested. On that item, someone named "Mr. Johnson" said "I don't need to see the item [it sounded fishy that he said item] but I would like to pay you in a money order if you ship it to me." It sounded like a scam, so I just ignored it. If it sounds fishy, ignore it.
Yes, you can lose money taking paypal as payment. what you can do is, email the buyer and say you only will ship to their verified address on their paypal account. This way, you are protected, if you have delivery confirmation. Otherwise, the buyer can say, they never received it, etc... With paypal payment, you will take a hit on the fees also along w/ fees on the shipping.
If you do decide to use PayPal and ship to the seller be sure to use a credit card so you can do a chargeback in case something goes wrong. Signature confirmation couldn't hurt either to prove that a package was delivered and signed for. I've read stories from some people who've claimed that Paypal seller protections don't apply to transactions that occur outside of ebay, so you should take extra steps to cover yourself just in case.
Thanks for the input. Ya, I'm worried about still getting burned even with Paypal, and was curious on how I might be burned. If I used paypal with them, I'm would make sure the address was verified and I would use delivery confirmation. DonnyMost....why do you say never use paypal? Just because of the fees etc? I don't trust things like Moneyorder or checks etc. Heard too many cases of fake ones, and Craigslist doesn't stop warning against accepting them. Like they would appear in your account and then be removed when proved fake or something like that. I've used Ebay with Paypal quite a lot, but they have greater protection when used together. I've had a ton of spam inquiries too for my current craigslist items, but most are obvious. Right now one person wants all of it, another just wants the motherboard and ram. So they seem they might be legit.
And when you meet up, make sure you tell someone else about it and preferably have a friend with you in case you get robbed. sometimes people meet up acting like they are going to buy your TV or sofa or whatever you are selling and then they pull out a gun and rob you or worse. similarly, people put fake ads up and rob people who show up to come inspect the goods. basically, don't do craigslist transactions alone if possible (esp. if you are female), always deal in cash, and try to meet up during the day (not late at night).
Never had an issue with people either selling or buying but I always tell them to meet me in downtown Houston and cash only. Overall, nothing to complain about but i'd agree with most who say meet in a public place or with other people because you never know.
I frequently buy tickets to basketball/football games and sell old furniture/electronics through craigslist, and the best advice I can give you is to never use paypal. If they only accept paypal, 9 out of 10 times it's a scam.
hmmm. Okay thanks. I guess I'm going to just deal locally then. This potential buyer seemed to be too forward too. Giving me their full name, and address in the first email. Seemed sort of strange, I actually expected more questions first. I've never used Craigslist before. Just ebay. So I'm skeptic.
Nope, not this. A money order is 100x more likely to be fraudulent than a PayPal transaction. Google 'money order scam' and see how often they are used to swindle eBay and craigslist sellers.
The guy seems to be legit. He lives in a small town, too far to any larger cities to get computer parts, and is close enough to be looking at Houston or Dallas craigslist.
Do not ever NEVER ever deal in paypal on craigslist. Unless you are a Nigerian and want to buy a $50 MP3 player for your son for $50,000. Happy rippage.
