WTS/WTT Buyer/Seller protections?

[WesternHunter]

I've been following the forums for years now and see a lot of great stuff come and go on here, but I've always been too nervous to actually post something to sell, or purchase something. What do you guys do as a buyer or seller of an item to protect yourselves during these transactions?

I know we have the good guy list to check against, anything else folks would recommend? I've got some gear I need to offload but have always just sold on the local classified ads and met folks in person for fear of scammers.

Any info is appreciated!

 

[Brendan]

It's always better to check references, and make sure the person you're doing business with has been around here a while. Other than that:

Use PayPal with Seller/Buyer protection. Ship to a confirmed address only, only accept shipments to a confirmed address.

As a seller, you can also accept Western Union, USPS Money Order, a wire transfer (expensive), and I'm pretty sure Zelle works for sellers. But, none of these offer buyer protection.

Venmo, PayPal F&F, etc - do not offer buyer and/or seller protection. Cashiers checks can be faked.

 

[WesternHunter]

I think I would likely go the Paypal route but reading a Q&A on the buyer protections it's saying I have to have a business account open with them to receive that? Is that correct?

 

[The Angelo Kid]

I am fairly new to the Rokslide scene but have actually had about five transactions already, both buying and selling. All have been great interactions with good folks. I tend to look back at folks' history and see how active they are across Rokslide with posting and whatnot.

The frustrating thing for me is it seems like very few people actually use the feedback system (the little green, red and gray squares under a person's name). That is an excellent system to use to be able to go back and see who had good experiences with other Roksliders and see if they were the buyer or seller during a transaction. It's no different than the rating system on eBay and let's people see your track record and history. But from my perspective (however short it may be I've read a ton of threads and pay attention and rarely see people with feedback numbers) this resource is wholly under utilized.

 

[WesternHunter]

I am fairly new to the Rokslide scene but have actually had about five transactions already, both buying and selling. All have been great interactions with good folks. I tend to look back at folks' history and see how active they are across Rokslide with posting and whatnot.

The frustrating thing for me is it seems like very few people actually use the feedback system (the little green, red and gray squares under a person's name). That is an excellent system to use to be able to go back and see who had good experiences with other Roksliders and see if they were the buyer or seller during a transaction. It's no different than the rating system on eBay and let's people see your track record and history. But from my perspective (however short it may be I've read a ton of threads and pay attention and rarely see people with feedback numbers) this resource is wholly under utilized.

Thank you for pointing this out. I always wondered what the heck those feedback boxes were for....

 

[rodney482]

We have a feedback system
Check for past posts
Check join date
Use paypal w protection

 

[Wrench]

I've never been burned. I give it the smell test, if it seems too good to be true I'll ask for a picture with something odd like a quarter and a coffee cup and a phone call.

Beyond that, pays your money and take your chances.

 

[Poser]

I do a check of poster history. I also use PayPal protections on anything of value.

 

[Brendan]

I think I would likely go the Paypal route but reading a Q&A on the buyer protections it's saying I have to have a business account open with them to receive that? Is that correct?

No - Buyer / Seller protection is an option for personal accounts too.

Things got changed for me last time I sent a payment, they used to ask if you were paying "Friends and Family" (No protection) or "Goods and Services" (With Buyer/Seller protection and a fee passed to the seller / recipient). Last time, they just asked me - "Do you want buyer protection."

 

[livefromthetree]

I buy and sell so much stuff from here (fairly new here) and AT and GON and a few of the FB groups that I know I am gonna get burned sooner or later. So far so good, but I am sure it'll happen. Wish I would/could quit buying stuff!!!!!

 

[WesternHunter]

No - Buyer / Seller protection is an option for personal accounts too.

Things got changed for me last time I sent a payment, they used to ask if you were paying "Friends and Family" (No protection) or "Goods and Services" (With Buyer/Seller protection and a fee passed to the seller / recipient). Last time, they just asked me - "Do you want buyer protection."

Awesome. Thank you so much for the feedback guys. Elementary I know but gives me a lot of peace of mind. I've got some gear I need to part with!

 

[ChrisAU]

I wish more people would use the feedback system! I've used it for every transaction I've done here, and when it was implemented I went back and did as many as I could find in my message history. Mine is pretty high now but I'm a huge gear ho, and have done probably 50+ transactions on here. Its very comforting to see someone with multiple positive feedback on here.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

Bought and sold maybe a dozen or so items here no issues whatsoever I usually do PayPal goods and services

 

[Thorn]

PayPal protection helps but it’s mostly a pitch/intimidation gimmick. I bought something on eBay and paid with PayPal and was scammed by the seller... Went through the whole dispute process and eBay settled the dispute in my favor but the seller had drained their account - PayPal only will refund out of the sellers account!

I’ve traded a ton on forums for years, easily over 1,000 deals and it has been mostly positive, better than eBay, Craigslist and Gunbroker. I have had one really bad experience on the receiving end of a Friends & Family payment, it was someone new on a forum and I let my guard down... They paid FF and IM’d me their address, I shipped and then after a few days I received a dispute from PayPal stating something like “The payment was unauthorized”. The guy completely dropped all contact and when I looked up the address it was a Mailbox Etc type of place that forwards mail... I was out $1,200 and my only recourse was to have the guy banned from the forum It was over 10 years ago but I guess you need to always be on the lookout for that one guy!

Other than that If you are selling there isn’t much to worry about, just make sure the money is yours then ship - be honest with details and pictures. I’ll add that I have walked away from many of potential buyers that seemed too much like the free food from a restaurant type. Ive had a couple people get their panties in a wad but reserve the right to sell to whom I choose!

 

[ReinsuranceShooter]

Great advice above ... As the buyer PayPal G&S with a credit card is about as good as you can get... PayPal has limitations but your card company can help with disputes as another level. On the seller side just make sure you use the PayPal address and name, plus make sure the description is correct no exceptions. A buyer can hose you with G&S for not receiving it (if you didn’t use the PayPal name and address) or saying it wasn’t what they were buying - in this case they have to return it, but the return could be an issue as well(same item, maybe, was supposed to be sale is final, etc). Good folks on here but there are dbags all over, so keep your guard up and as others said be cautious and diligent on the front end.

 

[buttekid]

Providing a cell number in a PM to the buyer / seller has given me the opportunity to get a good feel for the person I'm dealing with via texts and/or phone conversations. It also allows you to send multiple pics of the item. As a seller, I always text the buyer a photo of the shipping receipt as soon as I get it.

For what it's worth, I've had great experience with everybody I've dealt with on Rokslide. This site (and members) seems to be a cut above others on the web.

 

[WesternHunter]

Thanks again guys!

 

[Newtosavage]

I've made quite a few transactions here and on other hunting related forums, and seldom have I ever gotten burned. My last transaction was an exception to that rule, and the seller was looking to offload a faulty pair of bins to an unsuspecting buyer. I happened to be the guy. I guess using the warranty to have them repaired was too much trouble for him.

I think all in all, you're pretty safe on these forums, but one thing I do (and should do more often) is check to see if the seller is a contributing member, or is just using the forum for the classifieds. That will tell you a lot. Folks who are contributing members have more invested in the site, and are less likely to screw another member.

 

[Hondo]

Some excellent advice here on buyers using only PayPal Goods & Services with payment via a Credit Card and sellers being meticulous in describing flaws and only shipping to the PayPal shipping address. I've had close to 4000 transactions as a buyer or seller on forums and ebay using PayPal with very few issues using those same basic principles.

I've maybe had only a dozen transactions on this forum and have been very pleased with the folks I've dealt with and have had no one object to me paying G&S although some ask for me to pay the fee which I have no problem with. I still have been surprised how many listings ask for PayPal F&F payments given the fact that goods are clearly being sold and what the Classified rules state:

13. Pay Pal gift or Pay Pal Friends and Family payment options are for people who are Friends and Family. Moderators won’t help with any issues on items bought or sold with F&F.

 

[LionHead]

I was in the same boat years ago, a little nervous to send money for used gear. Been buying and selling here for about 5 years, haven't had an issue yet thankfully.

i think the community here is a small subset of the population and tends to attract the type of people that are less likely to cause issues. At least that what I have experienced

Only this year I've started to use the buyer the protection feature but that's because I'm getting paranoid as I age

The feedback feature doesn't work on the app so I seldom remember to login to the website to leave thumbs up. But I have nothing but positive transactions with everyoen I've dealt with

Ymmv

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