A Paypal Offer - Is This Secure?

Secure for whom? I've had buyers with suspended paypal accounts (suspension would be over within 30 days) asking if they could send me a postal M.O. for an item. Fine with me as long as if it's off of ebay or agon to avoid fees. The check has to clear first thru the post office, not my bank. I also let them know to send the check registered mail, so they'd at least have something showing that they sent me money. Without paypal there is no guarantee that the seller will ship the actual item, so paypal is good for buyers and so so for sellers. Buyers have to have some type of recource if the seller is not on the up and up.

This really isn't that difficult. Bank wire is totally secure. Buyer cannot use your bank account # to get $ out of your account. Only the account holder can initiate an outgoing wire transfer. Once the $ hit your account, they cannot be pulled back (although I imagine that criminal fraud might allow the funds to be seized by the government). Why do you think that they always use this method in the Grisham and Ludlum novels to rip off the bad guys??

Not sure what USPS would do if a counter agent cashed a counterfeit M.O. but a bank would definitely try to pull the $ back if the issuing bank refused a cashiers check or m.o. for any reason.

I am still thinking about selling this guy my $5000 amplifier via paypal. It would be shipped to his paypal certified address. I would do all the necessary documentation. Paypal says that they process disputes within 10 days of registering a dispute. I would document with paperwork and pictures.

Muzicat - did you fight back against the claim? Did you have any opportunity to? If a buyer were trying to scam me, paypal would do no good, as he would have to send the item back, and it is a very big and heavy item. Not worth his time and effort for absolutely no profit. The only time I would get burned is via buyers remorse - and how would the buyer prove their false claim that the amplifier isn't working?

Thanks, Peter

The only time I would get burned is via buyers remorse - and how would the buyer prove their false claim that the amplifier isn't working?

Peter, while I'm not suggesting that it is likely to be a significant possibility in this particular situation, you should be aware that if you Google "paypal empty box scam" (without the quotes), you will find many reports of scams, generally involving eBay sales transacted via Paypal, in which either the buyer claims to have received an empty or weighted box, or claims that the item is significantly not as described and then returns an empty or weighted box.

See for instance the post dated Jan. 2, 2011 at 2:53 p.m. in this thread, in which a seller on eBay lost his case with Paypal against such a scammer, despite having been able to present extraordinarily good documentation and photographic evidence in support of his case.

Just something to keep in mind.

Regards,
-- Al

Photograph everything. Ship the item to be signed for by the buyer only. Ship to the verified paypal address only. Send the buyer the tracking #'s and fully insure the item. Only ship after the funds have posted into your bank account, then withdraw the funds. Always use selling as is in your heading. If for some reason the buyer ships the item back, refuse to sign for it then go to the local post office to open it in front of witnesses, take pics too, to make sure nothing was stripped off of the unit. Best of luck.