(Topic ID: 259465)

Protection on sale when shipping

By PinballRusch

4 years ago


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    #1 4 years ago

    Question on shipping machines and how to not get screwed from a buyer.

    Sorry... tough topic for me to swallow.

    So I’m in the Midwest and it seems all four times I’ve posted a machine for sale, I get questions on shipping it to a prospective buyer. I’ve only sold as pick-up only this far.

    I think I can handle the logistics of packing and getting the unit moved. The question I have is how to protect myself while still offering protection for the buyer.

    For instance: PayPal offers buyer protection. That’s fantastic for the buyer, but if there is any contesting of the sale from the buyers side, PayPal sides with the buyer 100% of the time and it’s an uphill battle for the seller. Which could come down to several issues including a game damaged during shipping (if shipper Is being difficult), the game has an issue during transit and does t work when it arrives (because 30 year old games don’t travel well all the time) not delivered at all, or the buyer just being a scammer that never intended on paying and now he’s got a nice machine I shipped to them and I’m out the game, money is charged back to the “buyer”, and shipping charges... well you get the point.

    I used Square for my businesses and my wife currently uses Square. That service has a 50/50 investigation process on claims. So I can still get screwed, and if a buyer doesn’t know me, they might think I’m also trying to run a scam.

    So of all the payments and with thousands of dollars being exchanged... what’s the best way to handle a sale that is going to get shipped?

    Not that I’m in a hurry to eliminate even more pins from the Midwest to the coasts (because you guys have the lion share already), but a sale needs to be a sale in the end.

    Thanks for your thoughts.

    #3 4 years ago

    I’m in the Midwest and have sold all my games cash on glass with only Paypal as a deposit method. I personally would only ship to a well known Pinsider with lots of history.

    #4 4 years ago

    Escrow.com

    #5 4 years ago

    Cash on the glass. Done.

    I’ve never shipped a game, and I never will. However, I’ve seen enough deals to bad, or someone unhappy to know... cash on the glass, and I’ll help you load the game. Cash on the glass, and I’ll put it in my car myself. No need to get into crap with anything else. Does it limit my market both ways? Yup. Have I driven 14 hours for a game I really wanted? Yup. But any buying mistakes were mine, because I saw the game first. Games that were described poorly, I didn’t buy when I saw them. Cash on the glass.

    #6 4 years ago

    Genuinely curious why Venmo/Apple Pay/Google Pay aren’t mentioned more often in these threads. As far as I am aware they are just as good as cash on the glass for a seller. What am I missing?

    #7 4 years ago

    Money transfer is the way to go if cash isn't an option. I've been on both sides of this proverbial coin.

    I have shipped to a company in the Midwest after they paid by wire transfer. They paid r&l to come pick it up and I put it on a pallet for them. They wanted to pay by PayPal and I was pretty hesitant about that, as you are.

    I had a pin shipped to me where the buyer accepted PayPal friends and family. Yes, I technically could have funded that with a debit card that offered me protection. It really tore me up with the possibility of getting screwed, especially because they had no feedback. Ultimately I went ahead and the seller shipped it via fastenal to me.

    Cash is definitely the way to go, but you accepting payment by wire transfer is pretty foolproof too. I had a great experience with Fastenal if you're looking for a shipper

    #8 4 years ago

    Please read vid’s guide before trusting a wire transfer.

    -1
    #9 4 years ago
    Quoted from jfesler:

    Please read vid’s guide before trusting a wire transfer.

    The only way to get screwed with a wire transfer is if you don't read. I like to hope that anyone worried about getting screwed on a $5000 toy is going to see the money didn't come from a wire transfer but instead a check.

    OP, if you get paid by wire transfer then you are golden

    #10 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinballTilt:

    The only way to get screwed with a wire transfer is if you don't read.

    You clearly are not a good scammer. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/how-to-not-get-ripped-off-in-pinball-vids-guide#post-1813449

    #11 4 years ago

    Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I also read “Vids” long post which I wasn’t able to locate in a search before posting this; thanks for that!!
    I’ve already been able to smell some scammers messaging me on my Facebook marketplace posts; they are pretty pushy and I just blocked them.
    Based on all this information, I think I’m going to stick to my original plan with “buyer responsible for loading cash only transaction”.
    It honestly saddens me that everyone needs to be so guarded, but seems like the good honest people are the ones that always pay the price. Much respect to those that have trusted in the past and we’re screwed over.

    #12 4 years ago

    There is no perfect answer but I have shipped many games as a buyer and seller.

    1. Look at their history and ratings on Pinside. Get a feel for them if it helps you.

    2. Seller determines method of payment, period. It’s up to the buyer to decide if they are comfortable with it or pass. I personally prefer back transfer aka wire. It’s fast and reliable. I offer an email receipt of transaction.

    3. As a seller, I offer demo pics of how I have prepped games in the past and offer a choice of pallet or legs on. I always wrap and prep myself. Regardless of how a shipper advertises, it’s what the local guys actually do to the game. Many times for me, “white glove” was a driver and some local guys they gave $20 to help the driver load it on the truck. If a seller tells me they the shipper wrap it, I pass.

    4. Lastly, the buyer is actually shipping a game to themselves. Once it leaves your house, it’s their game. As a buyer, I ensure for all I need and get pictures. As a sell I provide many pictures and recommend good insurance.

    It sounds like a bit of work, but it’s really no trouble and has been reliable for me.

    #13 4 years ago

    Yeah, I wouldn't know anything about scamming. I would know about how to determine if the money I just got came from a check or not though. Why don't you take a minute and actually comprehend what vid is saying. I'll summarize it for you again, if you actually read your account, you can determine if the money that just showed up was a check or a wire transfer. If truly a wire transfer, it can't be taken back

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