What is safest way to buy or sell on the internet?

Wilbur Eddings

Wilbur Eddings

Well-known member
I have just run into an issue trying to by a cam from a user on DVX where our deal cannot go through because of seller insecurity (perfectly understandable).

Originally I thought that I (as the buyer) was the one at risk, but it appears that scams can affect sellers too. (I thought that once money was in an account, that was that).

After some quick Googling, it appears that paypal is the safest route but this appears to not be so.

Thoughts that spring to mind are:

1) Seller waits for funds to clear before shipping goods.
Here the risk is on the buyer - in a massive way.

2) Buyer uses PayPal in case of seller scam.
It seems this is unsafe for the seller as the payment can be faked or reversed (I was very shocked to read that!)

Anyone have strategies/ideas/ links to safe private transaction resources?
 
1) doesnt sound like much of a risk to the buyer, it is just a matter of waiting a few more days, however I have heard of paypal funds that cleared and then later got reversed by the bank, so in that case it is still the seller. The simple fact is that when you deal between two different countries there is going to be hesitation, if you deal out of certain areas such as countries in Africa, that hesitation gets quadrupled as that is the hub for most scams.
 
Internet condoms.

I just avoid ever dealing with sales overseas. If you want assurance though, setup a "buy it now" on eBay with Paypal. Then you both can go to eBay with a fraud case if the deal falls through (eBays pretty good about that).
 
I have soooo much gear I need to get rid of, there's almost NO market here, I'm in lebanon, it isn't paypal approved, amazon never takes a lebanese card, shipping is a nightmare (I ALWAYS have to DHL which is backbreaking) and I have no idea how to conduct transactions. I have to buy everything and pay (not exaggerating) twice or three times as much as the list price just because I live here, and there's always just ONE dealer for every brand in town.

A roll of super8 costs 18 dollars. 12 from Kodak if you order a minimum of 200. Here, in Lebanon, he charges 40 dollars at a 200 unit minimum. 40. That's the dealer's wholesale price. A 5dII is 4500 dollars. A 7D is 2750 now. It used to break 3k.

I'm cut off. I tried to buy some things, I couldn't manage ever to find anything online that would help, my bank account is a plague for the rest of the world. I am so cut off.

You know how bad I want a baseplate? Just a baseplate. :)

I have to do the goose chase and find a friend in the states to buy it, wire him the cash (which costs from here) and takes time, find someone that friend knows who's flying back in, or pay DHL a fortune.

It's nuts. I wish there was a way to safely conduct transactions irrespective of what country you live in. Paypal (which I've never had the chance to use) is not safe you say? I thought that would be the end all. I haven't been in NY for ten years now, hoping to go back, it was the first thing I was gonna do.

Light some candles, burn some incense, hire some tibetan monks, wear three peacocks, some flash photographers, a didgeridoo or two, and create a paypal account. And continue to take that same day off every year till I die.

I don't like living here. Sorry this was a rant, but not being able to play in this whole internet thing just feels awful. And it costs. Did I mention we're still 56k?

T
 
I am new here, but I have been trading on internet since 90's. newsgroups, Ebay, forums like this. General rule is to use common sense, just as already mentioned above, be very careful dealing with overseas.

When buying or selling, I alway feel more comfortable with someone having real identity: having a business address, website, or having a well established online status, like some one already here for several years, having long history on ebay with postive feedbacks, etc.

In general, using palpay with your credit card is quite safe. Three times I got stuffs from ebay not as listed: one tripod with a broken leg, a lens with fungus, and a lens was heavily used but described as mint. One guy was a photographer, after I sent him complains, he refund some money right away. The other two I have to file a paypal complain to fight back my money.

The only time I really suffered bigger loss is when I bought a camera off a online forum, not a lot of money, but just wasted a lot time and emotion. The camera was describe as working perfectly, but when I got it I found that was not true. I asked for refund and wanted to ship the camera back at my cost. First the seller asked me to file claim with postoffice, said that the camera was damaged from shipping. I said the package show no sign of any damage. Then the guy said that he would refund partially since he already spent the money. After I did't receive any money for serval weeks, I emailed him again. He kept lying, said he would send money after his pay day. Later he claimed that he lost job. I just wasted a lot of time with him.

All I want to say is be careful, but stuff happens
 
I think eBay transactions with sellers having at least dozens of positive feedbacks over a couple years is the safest, especially if they have a history of dealing with gear. I probably wouldn't risk a high bucks forum connection that didn't go through eBay.

Have you seen the "eBay Buyer Protection" on most auctions now? It was apparently updated Sept 7th, probably to add coverage to most non-PayPal transactions. It could still result in lots of headaches and lost time, but at least it's a bit reassuring.
http://pages.ebay.com/coverage/index.html

Then there is the Escrow.com option which is eBay's only approved escrow service.
 
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