Newbie ebay seller... what to do now?

[Grandad Gaz]

I have only ever sold two things previously on ebay, with no problems, so not sure what my options on this one are.

We moved house a few months ago and started on some renovation works. One of them is to revamp the bathroom. There was a Fortec hot water cylinder (combined cylinder and feed tank) which was only a couple of years old so put it on ebay, collection only, and it sold for £40 which is probably only it's scrap value, TBH.

Turns out buyer lives in North Wales which is 300+ miles from me. They want our address so they can get a quote for a courier to collect. I send them our postcode. They reply saying they need the full address as the postcode does not come up. That's bullst, no one has had a problem with it before. I reply saying when they pay via paypal I will send them the full address. This has been going on for about 3 weeks now and still no sign of any money. Also, how on earth do you wrap a cylinder ready for a courier?!

Am I being paranoid about giving out our full address beforehand? I sense a scam brewing somewhere.

Can I just tell them to forget it and I'll take it down the scrap yard?

Thanks

[Spare tyre]

Either way it's too much bother

List it again or on gumtree, it'll sell eventually

I suspect if you post it, it'll cause no end of bother

[anothernameitist]

As above

[Busterbulldog]

The old Fortic cylinders tend to be quite heavy esp if its a primatic combination. Go weigh it in its probably worth more than £40

[andy-xr]

If you really dont want to give them your address, you should have theirs from the winning bidder email. Get a quote for them

The chances of them actually doing something with your address from 300 miles away over a £40 lump of metal is pretty slim really though

[grimmac]

You definitely listed it as collection only??

How is anyone to collect it if you don't tell them where it is??

A postcode is generally not enough to find a specific property. You will also need a house number or name as postcodes can cover a number of properties.

I certainly wouldn't go to the effort of packaging it for the courier.

[Grandad Gaz]

grimmac said:

You definitely listed it as collection only??

How is anyone to collect it if you don't tell them where it is??

A postcode is generally not enough to find a specific property. You will also need a house number or name as postcodes can cover a number of properties.

I certainly wouldn't go to the effort of packaging it for the courier.

Yes, definitely collection only in person from Hitchin, Herts.

A post code should be more than enough to get a quote from a courier

Thanks for the replies guys

[devnull]

Yes, you're being paranoid. Just give them your address (or as said, weigh it in...)

[backwoodsman]

DO NOT accept Paypal, for a collection only item.

The buyer collects, or has a courier collect.

Then they claim they haven't received the item.

You have no proof of a signed for parcel, Paypal give them the money back.

[SistersofPercy]

backwoodsman said:

DO NOT accept Paypal, for a collection only item.

The buyer collects, or has a courier collect.

Then they claim they haven't received the item.

You have no proof of a signed for parcel, Paypal give them the money back.

THIS.

If you notice the ebay wording is 'Collection IN PERSON'. It's a scam. Buyer pays with Paypal, send their own courier and as backwoodsman says you have no proof of delivery, they bang in a claim and you lose.

You need to message them, remind them it is collection IN PERSON and that you won't be accepting a courier. Cash on collection only.

[addsvrs]

If its collection only then its cash only. Easy.
But if the buyer wants to arrange a courier then i dont know of any that wont provide receipt on pickup and tracking info. The fact that its a boiler / tank i wouldnt bother as it will cost a fortune in packaging.

[R2T2]

The cynic in me will also consider that it might not arrive at all, and the buyer may try to claim his money back, free boiler. -postage.

Collection only. Won't take Courier of any sort and cash in hand.

Otherwise, stick on Gumtree or get it to a scrappy and get it weighed for scrap.

[bstb3]

Also just to add, don't go feeling bad for the donk that is 300 miles away - none of this "but they bid and won" and feeling somehow obliged to go through with it. Unless they specifically discussed couriers and such before bidding (and you said it would be ok) I'd be telling them to do one and relisting it.

Wife and I sell quite a lot on eBay, often collection only, but at least usually people enquire if postage is an option if they pay extra - if they're nice enough and talk about it before bidding will usually try to help them out somehow, providing it's no cost and not too much hassle.

[SistersofPercy]

addsvrs said:

if the buyer wants to arrange a courier then i dont know of any that wont provide receipt on pickup and tracking info.

Unless its one not recognised by Paypal, such as 'Bob' the 'Man with a van' from the village who will give you a scrawled barely legible scrap of paper saying he's collected it. That's not going to win a claim.

All round safer to say no. If I sell something collection only I put in big bold letters for the hard of reading:
NO COURIERS - NO EXCEPTION!
CASH ON COLLECTION

[soad]

Unpaid item process?
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/unpaid-items.htm...

[SistersofPercy]

soad said:

Unpaid item process?
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/unpaid-items.htm...

Probably not the way forward in this case, it will prompt the buyer to pay, via Paypal and we're back to square one.

Best case scenario here is buyer apologises and either agrees to collect in person and pay cash or agrees to a mutual cancellation. If he does leave negative feedback OP can appeal to eBays better nature (cough cough) and ask for it to be removed on the basis he didn't comply with the auction terms i.e - collection in person.

[Grandad Gaz]

Thanks all

If we don't get a reply from our last email to them in the next couple of weeks, I'll take it to the scrap yard.

Not too bothered about negative feedback, as it could be years before we put anything else on ebay!

[Martin_M]

Yup, sounds like the relationship has soured anyway....realist as collection only or on the likes of Gumtree.