Safest way to accept funds for long distance sale?

[gchappel]

I will be selling a few $2000+ items long distance. Looking for a safe way to accept funds, and obviously I am new at this.
PayPal I understAnd they can withdraw funds up to 30days with a "complaint"
Cashiers checks and money orders can be forged, etc.
I am not making enough on this to take risk, so figured the brain trust here would know a safe way to proceed.
Yes local sales are safer and better, but just had the second noshow yesterday
Thanks
Gary

[pharlap71]

From my understanding a bank transfer is safest, or a cashiers check with a bank that has a branch near you that you can go in and cash before shipping. Also maybe a US Postal money order. Are you a Chappell?

[Hugh R]

Wire transfer to your bank. Sold a car that way.

[juan ruiz]

Bank to Bank wire transfer will be my first and only choice. Pay pal will be my last choice. I sold $1500 Worth of merchandise few years back to Hong Kong, after 90 days pay pal froze the account because the customer claimed that it was "a non authorized sale' long story short I lost the merchandise and the money a total loss.

[kaisen]

Don't do a cashier's check

Wire transfer is best

[Zeke]

I took a 1000 deposit on a car thru PP and then drained the account. It was fast and easy even though the fees were high. Bank wire transfer is best. USPS MO's work well, but make sure your bank will take them because the PO won't have that kind of money available. Maybe a main city branch, but not the neighborhood one.

[cashflyer]

I always insist on an escrow account with the Nationalist Bank of Democratic Zimbabwe. All checks issued from there are signed by the Prince himself, so you know its legit.


In seriousness - Wire Transfer.
Check with your bank to find out what the fees are and have that added to the cost of the item.

[gchappel]

Thanks
Getting the numbers for a wire transfer
This place is great
Gary

[onewhippedpuppy]

Another late vote for a wire transfer. Cashier's check is ok if you insist on waiting for it to clear, which is normally up to two weeks. I've sold items up to $1000 with Paypal, any more than that I would start looking at other methods.

[aigel]

Bank wire transfer is the only way to go.

Whatever you do, don't use PayPal. Like you noticed, they can get at your money for a number of reasons after the transaction is complete, some of their reasons may even be fraudulent. I had lost several hundred dollars to PayPal because a member was going belly up and they took any "unsecured funds" back that this guy had sent. A cash refund for my money that I had received was taken away from me. I use PP only if I have to (selling small things here on Pelican for example).

G

[onewhippedpuppy]

I sold a set of wheels/tires to a PCA guy in KC, he paid via Paypal because he had a friend pick them up. A sort time after the sale he had a fradulent charge on his Paypal account, instead of Paypal reversing the fradulent charge (as he requested) they reversed ALL of his charges for the last 30 days, including mine. Despite both of us filing with Paypal that my charges were valid, they ruled against me. WTF? He ended up just mailing me a check.

Paypal effing sucks, and their email only customer service (probably in India) is totally worthless.

[porsche4life]

I'm a pretty big fan of brief cases full of benjamins....

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

I'm a pretty big fan of brief cases full of benjamins....

That's how I buy cars, unless there's a lien on the title and we have to do the transaction at the bank. Nobody argues with cash. Of course I'll probably get robbed now......

[porsche4life]

Best to carry a loaded gun in the case with the cash...

[aigel]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I sold a set of wheels/tires to a PCA guy in KC, he paid via Paypal because he had a friend pick them up. A sort time after the sale he had a fradulent charge on his Paypal account, instead of Paypal reversing the fradulent charge (as he requested) they reversed ALL of his charges for the last 30 days, including mine. Despite both of us filing with Paypal that my charges were valid, they ruled against me. WTF? He ended up just mailing me a check.

Paypal effing sucks, and their email only customer service (probably in India) is totally worthless.

Exactly what happened to me. They will clean you out if you received money from a guy who goes bad on their site and if the transaction you have isn't guaranteed. This is fraud IMHO, but unless you want to sue them, which a lot of people actually do, there is nothing you can do about it.

I stay away from PP on anything over $200 these days. If I can't get a MO or check on that, I don't sell it. I also stopped using Ebay for selling because of them forcing me to use their PP.

G

[RWebb]

Bank to Bank wire transfers may be best, but are not fool proof.

Talk to your banker...

You will want to be sure to wait XX days and then for added safety pull all the funds out and manually deposit them into another account - do not let the receiving bank do it and do not use an ETF method.

[wdfifteen]

+1 on the bank wire transfer.

I have a separate bank account that I use for PayPal. I keep $5 in it. If I'm buying something I transfer the amount to the account. When I sell something I drain the account as soon as the money hits the bank.

[Joe Bob]

Wire transfer, then move it to another account.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by RWebb

Bank to Bank wire transfers may be best, but are not fool proof.

Talk to your banker...
.

No way a buyer or seller is going to scam on a wire transfer without someone on the "insiude" (who will get caught). Transferring to another account is unnecesary too, but do it if it helps ya sleep better. Many bankers (at a branch) know very little about wires. I used to be on the inside, and would hand out my routing/account numbers to my primary account with no qualms whatsoever (for transferring in OR out). For a few K, I've done cash deals, but there's no way I'm travelling with tens of thousands, and counting Franklins on both ends .

[RWebb]

wrong - fake banks have been set up before