Craigslist Question: Shipping To Buyer

[Texas Mac Man]

QUOTE(Mayo @ Jan 30 2009, 02:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here is the IP address info:

Registrant:
SBC Internet Services, Inc.
   1701 Alma dr
   Plano, TX 75075
   US

I've asked the person where he lives and suggested that we might be able to meet half-way. We'll see how he responds...

Plano,TX is about 5 miles North of where I live & about 20 miles North of Dallas.

I've bought & sold items on Craig's List. But always in person for cash. I bought my G3 Pismo laptop on CL. Got to see it & check it out before payment. I've also given away items on CL (kind of like FreeCycle).

If I was selling to someone where I had to ship the item, I would insist that payment be made via PayPal AND would only ship to the buyer's PayPal verified address. The verified address is the address associated with the buyer's credit card. You'll pay PayPal a fee for the transaction. Also, there will be a shipping charge for the item. Have the buyer pay this also.

[Xairbusdriver]

I still think that 'owner' and info are simply for the interweb service provider. Unless this guy actually works for SBC/AT&T at that address. That address is certainly not a residence!

<Welcome to 1702 Alma Dr., Plano, TX. Please sign in at the security desk.>

[RHPConsult]

Mayo's already reported that he/she's from LA - a mere 725 mi, halfway being, Tah Dum, Vacaville, CA.

Get a list of restaurants from Kimnmer . . .

[Mayo]

QUOTE

If I was selling to someone where I had to ship the item, I would insist that payment be made via PayPal AND would only ship to the buyer's PayPal verified address. The verified address is the address associated with the buyer's credit card. You'll pay PayPal a fee for the transaction. Also, there will be a shipping charge for the item. Have the buyer pay this also.

So how reliable is this anyway?  

The potential buyer appears to be on the up-and-up. He hasn't suggested anything that I associate with a scam. For example, I sent him this message:

"I'm going to wait an see if I can find a local buyer.  If I decide that isn't going to work, I may take a friend's suggestion to list it on eBay and set up a Buy It Now link. We could agree on the price and you could purchase it that way so we both have some safeguards via eBay/PayPal."

And he replied:

"Sure ebay is good, I trust paypal too so you can save the ebay fees if you wish.

Let me know."

I haven't replied yet because I wanted to read some reactions from the more experienced online sellers here at TS.

[Paddy]

I have used Paypal many times, but only for eBay auctions or where the seller/buyer was a known entity (and then usually not for tangible goods).

The integrity of the payment won't be in doubt with Paypal, especially if he is a verified Paypal member and pays you directly from his bank account rather than via a credit card - the only thing you'd have to beware of would be if he claimed the item was not as advertised/damaged etc. and wanted his money back. Of course, that can happen with eBay too.

I guess I'm wary because so very many of the non-local offers to buy something on Craigslist are from scammers - as are the too-good-to-be-true MBPs you so often see; I responded to one of those once out of curiosity and the guy was in London. England. Not Ontario. And of course he had one of those phony escrow things going on - plus he had great difficulty with the English language. For all I know, he was actually in Nigeria. I told him "nice try, but I'm not that stupid" and he STILL kept trying to convince me he was on the up and up.