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Buying from first time seller

Every seller has a first time selling so this is nothing against first time sellers. Still, a positive rating inspires more confidence when buying than no rating at all. Is there any way to at least somewhat protect yourself when buying from a seller with no rating? I would assume that a direct wire transfer to a seller's account would provide at least some protection from complete fraud since the seller would have to go through at least some kind of identification process to establish their bank account and this would be discoverable in a criminal or civil case. I do not know if this assumption is true.
allcaps
zd542
5,339 posts
 
A wire transfer is not safe. Once the money is transferred, its gone. There's really nothing in place to help you in the event of any type of fraud. Assuming its not an international sale, I would pay a little extra and ship COD. Not only that, if you know your UPS or FedEx driver, they may let you open the box before you pay for it. They're not supposed to do that, but if you know them or they like you, they may overlook it. Another useful trick is to find out the shipping weight from the manufacturer. All packages are weighed when the shipper first gets the box. You can use the tracking number to find out what your package weighs before you get it. If there's a big difference, you may not want to accept the shipment.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
2,678 posts
 
I couldn't help but notice that you joined Audiogon today. Is this question about you? Paypal is the safest way for any transaction.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
In addition to the excellent advice already given, I will add that there is a monetary cost to the lack of security associated with transactions with those with little or no feedback.

They receive both fewer offers and offers at less than what one would pay to someone with established feedback. I typically offer from 10%-40% less than market to these sellers, as the risk is mine.
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,502 posts
 
Paypal is definitely the safest route for you as a seller.
Now when I started trading on Audiogon what I did to help alleviate some veteran users fears here was in all my ads mention my feedback on other selling sites. On those ads I would also mention that even though I had little to no feedback I would treat the customer right. When I was buying an item I would make my offer and follow up with a message stating my seriousness to buy their item. It stinks being new but you can get through it with a bit of work.
jperry
1,408 posts
 
I would use Paypal, COD or local pickup. I would not pay with a wire transfer.

Your comments about a legal case may be true, but what you want is the item you purchased or your money returned.

Lawsuits are expensive other than small claims and those take time. Winning a lawsuit and collecting your money are two different things.
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