There's a seller on kijiji with a watch for sale. He's not interested in meeting me half way and he's not interested in using Canada Post COD. He suggested me sending a PayPal payment and he would ship the watch.

Now clearly he's ok about shipping the watch which makes me wonder why he won't use COD.

So if I send him a PP payment and he never sends the watch are there any protections for me to get my money back?

 

I would run away right now. Ask him if he'll send you the watch, and then when you get it, you'll send him payment...

 

Should be OK if the payment is for goods and services and use a credit card to fund the payment, just don't use friends and family.

 

Have him send you a PP invoice listing the watch and the amount. Then pay through PP goods and services, with a credit card and you should be more than protected. One time, with this method I had an issue, and PP stepped in to help me.

 

If you send the payment using PayPal Goods and Services, then you have buyer protection. Don't gift the payment (i.e. don't send it Friends and Family) and you will be fine.

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/paypal-safety-and-security

 

Maybe because it's 2018...and in this time I would probably look on a COD request as being fishy as all get out...and I would not want to wait for Canada Post to send me a cheque...

 

Why?

 

Thanks for this tip rkman11, I'll contact him and ask for an invoice.

And thank you ewand, 350 XJR and dwboston for your thoughts on this, very much appreciated.

 

This is a sales contract. You need to make sure the invoice identifies very clearly the brand, the serial numbers etc so that it’s clear exactly what you’re paying for.

I’m assuming your seller is located in Canada because I can’t imagine who else would know about Canada Post COD ...

 

My pleasure, good luck!

 

Also need to consider import duties/taxes.

 

Correct, we're both in Canada.

 

Do you know if it's a private seller or a business?

 

like others have said, non gift is the way to go for paypal.

actually if you use paypal (non gift), he takes a bigger risk than you.

as long as you are doing it non gift, you're covered. I'd actually shy away from COD by this point as a buyer, and as a seller I'm surprised he insists on paypal as the deck is literally stacked against him.

 

Call you elaborate on this: why the seller takes a bigger risk than the buyer with the PP goods option? Good to hear, just curious. Thanks!

 

He's referring to the oft-cited example here on OF where the buyer is a scammer and claims it was never delivered or keeps the watch and does a chargeback, and somehow PayPal sides with the buyer and the seller is left with no watch and no money. It seems unlikely that it could happen given PayPal's terms and conditions, but there are sellers here that say it has happened to them, hence the standard requests for wire transfers or PayPal gifting in watch sale postings here.

I do sympathize with sellers who have been scammed out of their items, that's an awful thing to happen. But it appears at least some sellers don't want to take PayPal because it gives the buyer some recourse and the opportunity to use PayPal to force a resolution. PayPal gifting removes any buyer protection, so of course many sellers would prefer that.

 

Thanks for the clarity. Wow, people suck sometimes! I always use PP, and as a seller make sure I pay extra for signature upon delivery. Because people suck sometime!

 

I agree - shipping with tracking, full insurance and direct signature requirement goes a long way to thwarting shenanigans on the part of a buyer who would claim a shipment didn't arrive.

 

Which of course costs the seller more... if only people would suck less!

 

It does, but most sellers build shipping into their price or charge the buyer for actual shipping costs.