Not Sure If This Is OK Here, But Here Goes


I'm selling a pair of Magnepans on Audiogon and as usual, have had no response. Yesterday, a guy from Argentina (allegedly) contacts me and says he'd like the speakers and gave me an address and phone number of a guy in Miami to ship them to and he'll forward them on to the end buyer.

At first glance, this doesn't pass the smell test. However, he did give me a phone number, which I may call later today. The other issue I have is that I have little to no experience with PayPal. How hard is it to defraud PayPal and leave me without my  money and the lose of my speakers?

jasonduke2

You never give any stranger your personal info 

@mijostyn 

I often provide my personal info in a transaction.  So that we may talk by phone.  A chat on the phone can easily assist in establishing whether this is a person with whom you wish to do business with.

Or, to put it another way, it easily weeds out obvious scammers, and then you are left with remaining genuine people.  Or, person.

@noske , I repeat. You never give a stranger your personal info. It is another dynamic when you shop with an established storefront. Even then your info is at some risk due to hackers. 

I have had many phone conversations with scammers and they are usually quite charming until you force them into a corner. 

OP, the situation would give me pause.  And if you want there's likely a way to conduct the transaction.  I would only consider doing the transaction payment in advance and the buyer pays and provides shipping labels.

The buyer can insure the product and they take ownership prior to shippiing.

@nonoise Thank you for your humor!  I didn't think Shaq ever said 'no'

Normally a foreign buyer would have an intermediary in the U.S. buy the item for them and then ship it to them. The intermediary in Miami is the one who should be buying your item with their PayPal account and address.

Flip the tables. Ask the buyer to pay using Friends and Family. That way you have the money he has no recourse and the only burden is on you to ship to wherever he wants.