Wire transfer is the safest...for you. Might not give the buyer the warm fuzzies though.

I've taken PayPal for probably 15 pin sales with no issues. I have done this for pins up to 8k. Others will say avoid Paypal, slightly more risk if your dealing with a shady buyer.

Yep. That's why I've used paypal. There is fees for the seller though 3%. I have split these fees in the past with buyer. Gifting through PayPal gives no protection to either party.

I would opt for wire transfer as the seller hapily. I was stressing my ass off when I wired 4k to someone for a pin and they didn't respond for over 24 hours afterwards. Swore I would never do it again personally, unless they had lots of people vouch for their integrity.

if NOT in person (cash):

check (wait to clear b4 shipping), postal money order (confirm legit before shipping) , paypal as gift (so no fees) or paypal (buyer pays fees).
wire transfer (buts its more complicated) and i personally dont want to give a buyer all of my banking info.

look, most of us know each other on here one way or the other or a friend of a friend.
you can easily check pinsiders credentials and read posts current or in the past , unless its a new person no one has heard of or dealt with.

i have had zero probs with anyone on pinside buying or selling, that goes for machines or parts.

Sorry but no way gifting is safe and watching for a check to "clear" can screw you too.

Might say cleared to you but shit can still go down from what I have heard in the past.

I think I'd take toasterdogs advice on this one

Yeah yeah check can be bad....you can get counterfeit cash too.....just know who your dealing with.

I would do wire or personal check (wait to clear), bounce a check that big they are going to get a felony. County attorney will help as well, if it doesn't clear.

huell-money-breaking-bad.jpeg

What I have done before is if the person is not available to look at the machine and bring cash I had done a video chat to go over the ins and outs of the machine then had them arrange shipping and I video chatted with them again when the shipper arrived so they could see the packing process and it being loaded on the truck while it was being loaded on the truck I had them send a PayPal gift (so no fees) as soon as I got an email or a notification on my phone that the PayPal gift went through I let the driver leave with the machine seems to work out for both ends pretty well

I've done wire transfer and check in the past. I had no problems, as I was dealing with good people. I would probably shy away from Paypal. It's convenient, but as others have mentioned there are some risks when you are the seller.

Make sure you do some research on them. Check for posts from people calling them out for being a bad buyer / seller. If you're really paranoid, maybe ask for some references with pinheads they've dealt with in the past.

Bank Wire transfer is very safe and easy, and once the money is in it can't be pulled back. I worked in banks years ago and the process is more complex and secure than PayPal, hence the $10 fee to receive one. I've done this for pins and cars that cost much more than pins with no problems. Don't want your buyer to have your bank info? That stuff probably gets stolen and passed around all the time by theives online you don't even know during data breaches, so what's the difference really? Although I have also taken PayPal once or twice for pin sales, I prefer bank wire.

Q: What is the best way to accept payment when selling a pin?

A: Left hand out, palm up, to receive cash - this leaves right hand free for handshake and goodbye wave.

The first time I approached my bank about a wire transfer, they recommended that I open a temporary account and cancel it after a month. It worked out perfect. They did end up sending me a debit card for the account, but I simply cut it up, processed the transfer and closed the account afterwards.

Do not - under any circumstances - take PayPus - you might have a good experience 10 times and then the 11th time BANG!!! You will be screwed. PayPus can - %$#* &*($##

The sooner this shady company is run out of town the better IMO. They ALLOW shifty people to screw honest ones and right there is the problem.

Cash.

I have sold three pinball machines in the past couple of years. The buyer has to come to my house, play the machine, and if they want it (all have) then pay cash before it is moved. It belongs to the buyer at that time. If he wants my help in moving it out of the house then I will help (none have). I have read a couple of stories on Penside where machines have been damaged during the loading process and since the buyer had not paid yet told the owner he was no longer interested and left.

How to Not get Ripped Off in Pinball - Vid's Guide:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/how-to-not-get-ripped-off-in-pinball-vids-guide

Paypal and wire transfers are not scam-proof.

Paypal will probably get you screwed out of both your game and payment more than any other transaction.

Anyone who says that Paypal Gift is a safe solution instantly proves that they know absolutely nothing about the subject.

Cash + counterfeit pen gives me piece of mind within 10 seconds. Waiting for a check to clear or to see if a Paypal dispute will be opened or to see if a charge will be reversed means no piece of mind for days or weeks. Trust... but verify.

Cash, cert. check, bank transfer.

Cash!

hundred-dollar bills

Cash on the glass. Buyer hauls the machine away. Transaction complete.

I'd wait for a local buyer, even if that means it is for sale longer than you want. Sure, there are fairly safe ways to transfer money if the two parties know each other, but why risk getting ripped off or scammed by someone you don't know? It is just so easy to handle correctly. They look at the machine, and if they are happy with it, they buy it with cash. If they are not happy, they don't buy the machine. It just prevents so many issues.

This.

So...from my experience...
Cash is most prominent. But dealing with remote buyers makes that extremely difficult. I did have someone actually mail me an envelope of cash once, but I do NOT recommend that. I was expecting a certified check in the mail and, needless to say, that was a shock...

Anyway...nothing is foolproof. I assume you are more concerned about getting payment than they are about recourse if the sale goes bad.

My recommendation is a check. Bank check preferably, personal check...doesn't matter. But the game does NOT get picked up until the check has cleared.

I've also done money orders. But the #1 thing is that it doesn't matter how they get the payment to you...you just need to make sure it's yours free and clear before releasing the pin.

Cash in hand is ideal. If you have to unload the machine quick and need a remote buyer, then wire transfer.

I prefer local deals and will even be more flexible on price on a local deal as a seller. There are just too many issues aside from the cash transaction of a remote deal. Damage during shipping, a misunderstanding of the exact condition, ect. When some one shows up for a local purchase, they see it, feel it, play it, hand you the agreed upon cash, and then they pack it up and take it home. Everyone feels better about the transaction and there are fewer risks.

th.jpeg

Wait a bit longer for someone local and take CASH in hand.It will sell if it's priced right,it's just a matter of time.

I prefer to be paid in gold, just in case the currency collapses.

gold-bars.jpg

or_maybe_bitcoin.jpg

True, I don't think cash is an option in his case, the point I was trying to make is you can get screwed with any payment style, hell someone can just take your damn cash too

That's putting it mildly.

Gifting IS safe for the seller. a buyer cant do a charge back when its a gift.

if the seller is well known with a good track record , and the buyer and seller have been communicating, its fine for the buyer as well.
not everyone is the same, pends if you know who you are dealing with.
private pms, more pix between buyer and seller, videos, etc. its not that hard.

obviously im not taking a check from an unknown person no one knows and it seems shady.
same thing when bidding on a big bang bar on ebay and the seller has one stock photo and zero feedback.
you have to use common sense.

as far as a check, uf you deposit a persons check in your bank, and you wait for your bank to say its 100% cleared, meaning your bank and their bank have communicated and confirmed the funds are in the buyers bank, and those funds are not in the sellers bank..its a done secured deal.
its faster when seller and buyer using same bank.
if not, can take up to 10 business days.

dont see how that can backfire at that point.

False.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/how-to-not-get-ripped-off-in-pinball-vids-guide#post-1813448

Not true at all.

Paypal is the fastest and most convenient for long distance transactions. Luckily i did my research and learned "how not to get ripped off in pinball" or i would have been boned a number of times. Now I find a simple phone call from the buyer where I can ask some questions including referrences is a good way to go.

Cash in person.

Wire transfer is good for me. The information shared in a wire transfer is the same information printed on every check you write. No secrets there.

I usually defer to sellers choice For payment, within reason.

PayPal gifting is not safe unless you wait approximately two weeks. I once gifted an amount that over drew the bank account. By coincidence, my backup credit card was recently stolen and thus canceled, meaning that there was no way for Paypal to get any money from me. Meanwhile the receiver indicated no problem on his end. It took five business days before I was able to fix the problem (I had no intention of defrauding anyone), but the payment receiver never had any indication of a problem and it was clear to me how someone intent on fraud could leverage this.

Transact with someone that has a good reputation and none of this matters.