What’s The Best Way To Assure Payment When Selling Tools???

[Joe Felchlin]

I’m in the process of selling some tools I collected/don’t need/used/never used (still new).
Having never done this before on the FOG - And having searched the forum for info -
I’m asking for advise/input on the best and most trusted way for:
A.
The buyer(s) - To be assured they’re going to get what I’m selling -
and
B.
Me - To be assured that I get payment from them.

Thx ahead,
Joe

[SRSemenza]

Only take PayPal.  Ship with insurance and delivery confirmation even if it is at your expense. Keep documentation of shipping etc. As far as FOG and Festool are concerned you are on your own though.

  Links to guidelines and such ............................

                 http://festoolownersgroup.com/classifieds/about-classified-ads/

                 http://festoolownersgroup.com/classifieds/paypal-friends-and-family-cautionary-note/

                 http://festoolownersgroup.com/classifieds/classified-post-bumping/

                 http://festoolownersgroup.com/classifieds/scammers/

Seth

[Dane]

I’ve recently switched over to an app called Mercari.  It has an escrow-type feature, where the buyer pays for the item up front, but the company holds the payment until the item arrives and the buyer signs off that all is well with the purchase.  The other huge benefit is the that Mercari seems to have some negotiated rates with shippers because the shipping costs when using the site are dramatically lower than they otherwise are.  A huge benefit when selling heavy tools.

[Joe Felchlin]

Thx Seth.
I’d already read thru all of the...
“Links to guidelines and such ............................“ Twice.
And...
I knew/expected that Festool and the FOG were not “involved” in Classified transactions.

[Peter_C]

Also good to look at the persons presence on the board you are posting the tools on. You can get a feel if they have been around for awhile and plan to be around, which means they are not going to screw you over. The mods of the board have access to IP addresses should something go wrong. I also like to get a phone number that is verifiable, not a Google number.

Paypal will almost always side with the buyer. Great for buyers, bad for sellers.

[SRSemenza]

Also good to look at the persons presence on the board you are posting the tools on. You can get a feel if they have been around for awhile and plan to be around, which means they are not going to screw you over. The mods of the board have access to IP addresses should something go wrong. I also like to get a phone number that is verifiable, not a Google number.

Paypal will almost always side with the buyer. Great for buyers, bad for sellers.

As noted in several places in the guidelines. We will not get involved in disputes or transactions gone wrong. That doesn't mean we are not on the look out for scammers. And when a true and verifiable scammer is found we ban them. I have found a few. But we will not get directly involved in a buyer / seller dispute. Nor will we give out info.

Just want to make this clear.

Seth

[RustE]

Good descriptions and photographs will avoid a lot of problems.

If you will not be able to ship within 2-3 days of an item selling, then be up front with that information.  I had deals on a fly fishing forum were I asked for my money back because the sellers could not be bothered to ship items within a week receiving payment.

I think PayPal has can send tracking information back to the buyer.  Otherwise, send the buyer a PM with shipping and tracking information when available.

[lwoirhaye]

I just use ebay if I'm inclined to ship.   I've had few problems and fewer since there's such detailed package tracking integrated.   You can set it up so bidders/buyers with lower than 10 feedback(or whatever) get their bids canceled.

Buying scams may be more likely to go for hot products like apple phones.   I have read about one where the guy will buy a phone on ebay and send back a book or something with the same weight.  By the time you get the phone back he's already withdrawn the refund money from his paypal account.   With parcel tracking that scam may not even work anymore because the return can be verified as received by the seller.   Also,  scammers like that would have to hack or set up a lot of burner accounts and ebay keeps making that more onerous.

[Bill Chang]

I have bought many things online through forums and discussion groups.  I dislike PayPal for many reasons so as a buyer I go old school and use US Postal Money Orders for payment.  If you have a problem with the seller, you can stick the US Postal Inspectors on them and they do not mess around.

[Peter_C]

Also good to look at the persons presence on the board you are posting the tools on. You can get a feel if they have been around for awhile and plan to be around, which means they are not going to screw you over. The mods of the board have access to IP addresses should something go wrong. I also like to get a phone number that is verifiable, not a Google number.

Paypal will almost always side with the buyer. Great for buyers, bad for sellers.

As noted in several places in the guidelines. We will not get involved in disputes or transactions gone wrong. That doesn't mean we are not on the look out for scammers. And when a true and verifiable scammer is found we ban them. I have found a few. But we will not get directly involved in a buyer / seller dispute. Nor will we give out info.

Just want to make this clear.

Seth

Thanks for clearly stating the FOG's stance on assistance. Some other boards do offer help when needed.