Local CL buyers using Paypal?

[thesjkexperienc]

I keep getting people who want to buy an amp I am selling through Craig's List want to pay with Paypal. Why is this and is it just a rip off? It seems if they have paypal balance they can send it to their bank account and bring cash.

[Jiffy_Jeff]

They want to use a credit card because they have no liquid cash.

But then again, they could put money into their paypal account with a credit card then transfer it the bank account, I think.......

Cash only on CL!!!

[straightblues]

I have over $1,000 in my paypal account right now. I guess I could transfer it to cash, I have never tried. It is my gear fund. If I bring it home, my wife always takes it and uses it for other things. So I try to leave it in paypal until I make my next gear purchase. When I try to buy stuff on Craigslist, some seller do get wierded out so you aren't alone.

[thesjkexperienc]

It seems strange that if the person wants to come out and try the amp and likes it he either has to go home and pay me, pay me first or use MY computer to pay me on the spot.

I had thought that they may want to use a CC, but between the CC and Paypal that is like 6% cut?

I also use my paypal as my gear fund, so I do understand that. It just comes down to using my computer to pay me, or battling to see who picks up the CC/PP charges.

[Guitar Josh]

Considering you can't prove shipment on a local pickup, you'd have to be certifiable to take PP from some random CL buyer.

[puckhead]

Considering you can't prove shipment on a local pickup, you'd have to be certifiable to take PP from some random CL buyer.


+1000

if you are meeting face-to-face, there is no excuse for not having cash.


/just double checking my negatives... what i'm trying to say is... cash only.

[Big Boss Man]

Even ebay allows sellers to require cash for local pickup. No way would I accept paypal.

[mbargav]

Considering you can't prove shipment on a local pickup, you'd have to be certifiable to take PP from some random CL buyer.

another +1000 for this. Look at Craglist's how to guide to avoid scams:

DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.
NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.

I don't see PP for a Craigslist deal as any different than a wire service. You have zero protection if things go south.

[Jazzydave]

I've used PP to pay someone via CL but that's mainly bc I didn't want to carry that much cash with me on a 4 hr drive (one way) into a rather large city. I was actually more concerned about signing into PP on his computer than he was about me using it. I verified that he cleared his cookies, etc before leaving.

I'd think that with the new "Personal" option, you're cutting out any chance of them coming back and claiming you didn't give them the goods they paid for - there's no option for that.

So, would I accept PP? If I knew the person, sure. If not, I'd shy away from it and request cash.

[Timinator]

99% of the time it's fine. Like the first person said, it's because they want to pay with a credit card. Take extra precautions, write down his DL number and write the plate of his car down. Ask for his address and home phone number and do a quick search online. I do this before we meet.

If he stops payment somehow, he's committed a crime and you'll have all the info the cops need to find him.

I get paid and pay with PayPal all the time and I've never had a deal go south from someone using it on Craigs List if I ask for all the info up front. If they are phony they'll never show up. Just use your head.

[JamminJoe]

I don't understand why Paypal would take something like a UPS or Fedex shipping invoice as solid evidence of delivery and not take a personal signature or pictures as evidence in a local exchange. Doesn't make sense to me. In a local exchange, why would anyone send a paypal payment or provide a signature if an exchange was not made?

I do usually offer paypal as an option on CL just because some potential buyers don't have cash. I try to take precautions with this, but I do realize that I am taking a risk because according to some stories here, dealing with Paypal can be hell.

[Luke]

99% of the time it's fine. Like the first person said, it's because they want to pay with a credit card. Take extra precautions, write down his DL number and write the plate of his car down. Ask for his address and home phone number and do a quick search online. I do this before we meet.

If he stops payment somehow, he's committed a crime and you'll have all the info the cops need to find him.

I get paid and pay with PayPal all the time and I've never had a deal go south from someone using it on Craigs List if I ask for all the info up front. If they are phony they'll never show up. Just use your head.

What crime? All he has to say is the amp was modified or stopped working when he got home and so he filed a Paypal chargeback. That is CIVIL not criminal, then you have to institute suit, he probably doesn't show, you get a default judgment and have no idea how to follow it through via writ of execution (if you are able to locate assets to begin with).

[furry]

how silly. the whole point of CL deals is cash and no shipping. if you're going to get PayPal involved, might as well use eBay. you'll get more for it too.

[pickaguitar]

I have paid by paypal on craigslist items...mostly because I use a cc and don't have the cash

Do you want to get paid or not?

[enocaster]

I've used it before. Showed up to buy a few things from a guy and he ended up having a ton of stuff for sale that he hadn't listed yet - all at great prices. I'd only brought enough cash for the stuff I had planned on buying, so I just PP'd him at his house for the difference, logged out, no biggie.

[Jon C]

cash and carry, COD only on CL!

[Luke]

I have paid by paypal on craigslist items...mostly because I use a cc and don't have the cash

Do you want to get paid or not?

Paypal policy is slanted to the buyer. The ONLY shipping confirmation they accept is from an independent shipper like UPS. I sold a pool table via ebay, they paid via Paypal in advance of pickup. When they arrived I xeroxed their DL on a note I had made up that stated they had picked the item up, they signed it. Later they charged back the money & Paypal said my receipt was insufficient. Bye bye $1100. At the end of the day Paypal knows that you can always chargeback via your credit card and they would be the loser, so they defer that risk to the seller 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999% of the time.

[BigPapiFan]

My Craigslist safety rules:

1.) Set up a dedicated email used only for Craigslist transactions. Never give them your personal email.
2.) Always use cell phone for the initial personal contact - never give out your home phone and address before verifing that potential buyers or sellers as being locals.
3.) Buy and sell locally - seller and buyer meet face-to-face. No shipping!
4.) Cash only! No checks, no MOs. ATMs are all over the place, they should have no trouble withdrawing money from their account.
5.) Shake hands and say goodbye.

IMO, any deviation from the above is asking for trouble.