How to sell securely

l will be selling my trusted 1Ds soon and I was wondering how to get a secure sale. I have sold many items thru ebay and paypal...but this is a little to big-ticket to trust those. When I bought this camera, I flew down to Texas in person to buy it.
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Andy C

Sure, it's not the best method for buyer protection but it's the safest method for seller protection.

Do NOT sell overseas unless you know the party's reputation is sterling up front and can easily verify this.

Let any checks, INCLUDING money orders and cashiers checks clear for at LEAST a week. It is relatively easy to forge a cashiers check these days to the point where even your bank doesn't know until the try to recover the funds electronically.

The only truly "safe" deal is an in-person cash deal, but these are few and far between.

Escrow can be duped as well and is no solution -- plus fees can add up quickly.

Brendan
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Things that make you go, hmmmm...

Either try to sell it locally or demand certified funds before you ship. If you do ship, make sure its trackable and insured with signature confirmation.

I did this and was comfortable with the transaction:

First I spoke to the seller on the phone and we agreed on the price. We chatted for a while - both trying to get a feel for the other guy. Next we both checked each others web site and posting history. From his site and mine we could both see the other persons history, family etc. and both became comfortable with the others long term stability.

As a seller he wanted the money first and I wanted to be sure he would send the Camera. I asked for and he sent to me a copy of his drivers licence, a bank deposite slip, and a hand written promise to deliver the camera as soon as he got the money. With that, I wired the funds driectly into his bank account and he immediatly sent the camera and Emailed me the tracking number.

His identification, and pre printed check again showed me he was a real person with a history with his local bank, and the promise to deliver was my legal recourse if something went wrong.

Of course, this was not foolproof or completly secure, but both of us were comfortable with the deal.
Good Luck
Steve
--
Retired, and always in the pursuit of happiness.
http://homepage.mac.com/sbrowns1
http://www.pbase.com/stevebrown

you can require Western Union transfer. You then walk out of Western Union with the cash in your hand. Then ship the camera. it will cost a bit, but worth it for the piece of mind.

My local grocery store is a WU agent.

Jim

Andrew Chiciak said:

l will be selling my trusted 1Ds soon and I was wondering how to
get a secure sale. I have sold many items thru ebay and
paypal...but this is a little to big-ticket to trust those. When I
bought this camera, I flew down to Texas in person to buy it.
--
Andy C

Click to expand...

--



Canon 1D Mark II, 20D, Pentax Optio 555, and G-III QL (yes - film)

I'd be catching the evening flight to your place,
with the cash in my hand, if it was the Ds mII one...

I'd run screaming if some seller said they only accepted irrevocable funds without the product in my hot fists.

The only way to go, short of meeting in person, is with a trusted escrow service. The auctioneer should have a list of trusted escrow agents.

--
[ e d @ h a l l e y . c c ] http://www.halley.cc/pix/

Ebay should be a pretty secure route. Put it up for auction and specify money order, cashier's check, or PayPal. In any case, you get the money before you ship.

I would take a couple of other steps:

• be careful to accurately describe the camera, in order to minimize misunderstandings
• if you get the money via PayPal, have them wire it to your bank. I have heard that in rare instances (overseas trades) they pull the funds back out
• put a fair reserve on it

If you have some feedback, you should be fine on the bids.

Ed
(have a 1Ds on eBay now)

GagBagger said:

Sure, it's not the best method for buyer protection but it's the
safest method for seller protection.

Click to expand...

This is the way businesses operate.

GagBagger said:

Do NOT sell overseas unless you know the party's reputation is
sterling up front and can easily verify this.

Let any checks, INCLUDING money orders and cashiers checks clear
for at LEAST a week. It is relatively easy to forge a cashiers
check these days to the point where even your bank doesn't know
until the try to recover the funds electronically.

Click to expand...

A way around this for cashiers checks is to call the issuing bank and verify the check with them. I've done this many times. I call them and tell them that I'd like to verify that the check is good. You give them the check number, date of issue and the amount.

GagBagger said:

The only truly "safe" deal is an in-person cash deal, but these are
few and far between.

Click to expand...

Not true. Verify the person's rep, get the money before shipping, and then ship with FedEx or UPS and insure the package. If you do this then you can avoid any possibility of personal injury from a robbery.

GagBagger said:

Escrow can be duped as well and is no solution -- plus fees can add
up quickly.

Click to expand...

I agree. I wouldn't trust escrow as a buyer or a seller.

GagBagger said:

Brendan
--
Things that make you go, hmmmm...

Click to expand...

--
Greg M
http://www.dslrcameras.com/gallery/index.php
http://www.dslrcameras.com

Boston Red Sox World Series Champions!
Best of all was handing the Yankees the worst defeat in baseball history!

http://www.escrow.com

It costs some money, but I guess it's the only method that assures buyer and seller.

sugar

Andrew Chiciak said:

l will be selling my trusted 1Ds soon and I was wondering how to
get a secure sale. I have sold many items thru ebay and
paypal...but this is a little to big-ticket to trust those. When I
bought this camera, I flew down to Texas in person to buy it.
--
Andy C

Click to expand...

--
Less is more...

sadly, this rule does not apply to lenses...

I would as well, but he asked as a seller, what is a secure way to sell. There is no more secure way to sell than have the irrevocable funds in your hand before shipping.

There is always going to be some insecurity unless its a face to face sale.

I have no idea which escrow service is honest with all the fake ones showing up and would never use one.

I'd consider a cheap air fare to buy in person first.

Jim

Ed Halley said:

I'd run screaming if some seller said they only accepted
irrevocable funds without the product in my hot fists.

The only way to go, short of meeting in person, is with a trusted
escrow service. The auctioneer should have a list of trusted
escrow agents.

--
[ e d @ h a l l e y . c c ] http://www.halley.cc/pix/

Click to expand...

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Canon 1D Mark II, 20D, Pentax Optio 555, and G-III QL (yes - film)

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=13621752
--
Ford Phares
http://www.gophares.com