On 26 Oct, 11:00, Frugal Farmer
wrote:
an eBay seller (Code, Camey & Assoc., codecamey.com) listed the
following item on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=290174749827
if this product is purchased for an average size roof, one needs to
order around 30 boxes (~ $3,300). PayPal covers only $200 of this
purchase.
To install this product, the purchaser also needs matching accessories
(valleys, ridges, gables, clips,..) which the seller also supplies -
off-line: (Further contact is needed for accessories and freight
estimates....).
I have already gone through the bidding process w/ him once before and
the seller added the price for accessories to the final eBay purchase
price and then demanded WU/bank draft for the entire purchase to
proceed w/ shipping. Credit cards not accepted. Any other mode of
payment is fine for as long as the money is in his bank before him
shipping the product.
Even though it is possible to get matching accessories from another
source, it is a good practice to get all as one package to avoid color
mismatch and extra shipping costs.
Being risk-averse, I wonder if it is possible to complete this
transaction with minimal risk in case this seller is unscrupulous.
An acceptable risk would be to pay with a credit card, examine the
goods for quantity and defects once received and should the shipment
not match the order, being able to dispute (successfully) and reverse
the charge. Getting $200 back from paypal and forfeiting $3100 wont
work for me.
Any ideas how to go about this?
Just some thoughts....
According to you, the rules set up by the seller a "Any other mode
of payment is fine for as long as the money is in his bank before him
shipping the product."
Then you wonder aloud "if it is possible to complete this transaction
with minimal risk in case this seller is unscrupulous."
It seems to me that the answer is pretty obvious - No.
If the guy is not going to ship until he has cash (or its equivalent)
in hand, you'll never get the product until you pay him, in full,
using a payment vehicle that gives him full control of the funds. It
doesn't get any riskier than that.
If those are indeed the rules, you have 2 options: Buy from him and
hope he's honest or move on.