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I just sold a $3,000 watch to an eBay buyer with 0 feedback. Please give me some advice.

  1. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    Hi all,

    I listed a WatchCo SM300 on eBay and it just sold for over $3,000 to a buyer with 0 feedback. His account was established in 2014, but he appears to have never bought or sold anything on eBay. His PayPal account is verified and eBay is telling me it’s time to ship the item.

    I’ve messaged the buyer politely explaining my hesitations and asked him to provide any form of online feedback that he can to verify his good buying history.

    Other than that, what can I do? If he has zero feedback to show anywhere, I’d prefer to avoid mailing the watch to him. PayPal chargebacks are a very real and scary thing.

    Thanks for the advice, all. I appreciate it.
     
    Millenary Watches likes this.
  2. superfly Nov 15, 2018

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    If he ignored your message, you should probably cancel and avoid shipping to him.

    If he responds and you decide to ship, just make sure you photograph the watch being packed (perhaps even message the photos to the buyer in ebay), make sure you ship only to the address provided by ebay, and require an adult signature for delivery.

    You'll still have some risk, though.
     
    watch3s likes this.
  3. FREDMAYCOIN Nov 15, 2018

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    Did he pay you?
     
  4. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    Yep, I would definitely do all of this if I end up shipping it out and he responds to my message.

    Yes. Which complicates things more and makes me more uneasy. If he didn't pay, I would cancel the sale. Easy out. :confused:
     
    watch3s likes this.
  5. kkt Nov 15, 2018

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    I thought Ebay sellers who didn't want to sell to zero feedback buyers had to cancel the bids as they were placed.
     
    Foo2rama likes this.
  6. Larry S Color Commentator for the Hyperbole. Nov 15, 2018

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    So you made an offer , he accepted your offer and he paid you... seems to me you owe him a watch. You knew full well he had no references. Honor must be satisfied.
     
  7. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    No, that is not at all what I said. This grossly misrepresents what I originally posted. It was a buy-it-now listing. I had no control over who purchased it and who didn't. And I did not extend an offer directly to him, he bought the watch as-listed.

    Edit: I've had experiences (with watches and other expensive items) where a zero-feedback buyer purchased it, but did not pay. The sale is always cancelled within 48 hours.

    Unfortunately, no. As a seller, you don't have the right to deny sale to someone unless they don't pay. You can cancel bids, but this was not a bidding listing.
     
    Edited Nov 16, 2018
    superfly likes this.
  8. FREDMAYCOIN Nov 15, 2018

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    If he paid I don’t see the problem.
     
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  9. Sublime_1 Nov 15, 2018

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    I've never bought anything from e-bay. Is this a problem I would run up against if I decided to?
     
  10. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    How? Anyone can issue a chargeback with PayPal. Many times, it's very difficult to defend yourself against when you're the seller. That's why many sellers on the forums ask for feedback of some sort before proceeding with an expensive sale.

    Have you ever purchased anything on the forums? You can certainly find people who would sell expensive items to brand new users but providing some sort of reassuring feedback would certainly help you.
     
    Millenary Watches likes this.
  11. Sublime_1 Nov 15, 2018

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    Nope. Just AD, Grey Market and Chrono24. I guess I'm not too worried about it, my money is the same color as everyone else's and if someone decides not to sell to me, oh well their loss I'll just move on to the next one.
     
  12. Gordon Heavyfoot Nov 15, 2018

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    I've been selling on eBay occassionally since its inception. Everyone has to start with a zero rating. If they paid for the item you're obligated to follow through. However, use some common sense. Never send to an unverified PayPal address if asked. Use a packaging service, take photos or video of you turning the watch over to them, purchase insurance, and use signature required.
     
    Jwit, Khamenman and Speedmasterfan88 like this.
  13. superfly Nov 15, 2018

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    The potential problem the seller is anticipating is the zero-feedback buyer filing a chargeback, and winning that chargeback once the buyer has the watch in hand. Buyer gets a free watch if that happens.

    Selling on ebay comes with risks. This seller is trying to mitigate those risks.

    With that said, everyone starts out on ebay with zero feedback. Gotta start somewhere. But I personally think it's a bit odd that a zero feedback buyer is starting out with a $3K purchase. I would guess that's not typical if you were to delve into ebay stats.
     
    FREDMAYCOIN likes this.
  14. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    I understand the 0 feedback and getting started argument - it makes perfect sense. But this is exactly my hesitation. Why a 3k purchase for your very first eBay buy?

    The scariest part is that the chargeback can be based on "fraud." The buyer claims that their card was stolen/there was unauthorized activity, and the bank reverses the charge. PayPal has zero recourse for this when you're the seller. At that point, your item has essentially been stolen. There is no way to get it or the money back. This is more common than you would expect, hence why I would (and many eBay sellers, I feel) prefer at least some form of verification.
     
    akshayluc420 and Foo2rama like this.
  15. redpcar Nov 15, 2018

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    Communicate with the buyer. If you don't hear back and get a warm fuzzy, don't ship.
     
  16. Gordon Heavyfoot Nov 15, 2018

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    It sounds like you're simply attempting to convince yourself and justify cancelling the order. When you sell on eBay you are accepting the inherent risk involved as a seller. You don't have to sell on eBay.
     
    Lucasssssss, Kmart, Archer and 3 others like this.
  17. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    You are absolutely correct, and this event makes me shy away from listing pricy things again, at least for a while.

    If this was a $500 item, I would honor it without much hesitation. It's just the scale of this that freaks me out.
     
  18. ffej4 Survey Man Nov 15, 2018

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    Alright, I'm gonna hit they hay. I'll stew on this tonight.

    I'm honestly torn, because the outcomes are basically:

    1. This guy is a dick trying to scam me and I saved myself.
    2. This guy is legit and I just screwed him out of something he wanted to buy.

    Thanks for your input tonight.
     
    watch3s likes this.
  19. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Nov 15, 2018

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    Contact PayPal and ask them to verify the account.
     
    watch3s, albertob and Joe_A like this.
  20. Gordon Heavyfoot Nov 15, 2018

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    By the way, under PayPal's Seller Protection you're protected from chargeback fraud provided that you adhere to the eligibility requirements.
    https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/ua/useragreement-full#s3-seller-protection