Ship before receiving payment?

[stealthrs]

Hey guys. I'm selling something in the FS/FT section (Abit AI7 motherboard) and I'm considered a new user because I only have 100 posts and I've only purchased one thing (+1 in heatware)

I got a PM from a user asking if I'd be willing to ship first and receive my payment second... He has +98 on heatware (user: cherrytwist)...

Is it pretty common for new sellers to ship first, receive second on here?



The only thing you are obligated to do is keep the communication lines open and live up to your responsibilities.
You work it out between you and the buyer who pays/ships first.
Customarily, newer traders pay/ship first when dealing with established traders but that is not a rule.
Read this.
AnandTech Moderator

 

[EngenZerO]

i sold my cellphone a bit ago, and i dont have any heatware or anything... and i recieved payment before i shipped... i dunno...

i have also sold some stuff on the g35 forums... and i always recieved payment before shipping (sold a gialla grill, pedals, clear corners, etc...)

 

[doze]

Common on most boards where buyer has good eval or has been there for a while but totally up to you as the seller.

 

[stealthrs]

+98 on heatware is impressive, I'm tempted

 

[Mo0o]

i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

 

[aidanjm]

I can't see why you would do that under any circumstances anywhere. Ship when you receive payment.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

but why? what benefit is it supposed to offer? someone gets their goodies 2 days earlier than they otherwise would?

 

[iRONic]

Originally posted by: aidanjm
I can't see why you would do that under any circumstances anywhere. Ship when you receive payment.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: Mo0o
i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

but why? what benefit is it supposed to offer? someone gets their goodies 2 days earlier than they otherwise would?

the buyer is concerned teh seller isn't legit since he has only 1 heatware eval. I think the buyer's 98 heatware is sufficient evidence to take the leap of faith and ship first. either way someone is taking a risk. im not saying getting it two days earlier is somehow vital to anything but if the seller doesn't agree there might not be a deal at all.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

I'd be ok with shipping first, but you are well within your rights to say 'no' to that. You are by no means obligated to ship first, but it does provide a level of safety for the more established traders here. The number of high-heatware scammers are few and far between.

 

[faenix]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: Mo0o
i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

but why? what benefit is it supposed to offer? someone gets their goodies 2 days earlier than they otherwise would?

No. Its the fact that OP is a new user and the fact that he barely has any references might mean he's a scammer. Early on when you have little to no heatware feedback, its usually recommended that you ship first so that other traders are encouraged to make deals with them.

When OP gets more and more heatware as time goes on, he won't have to 'ship first' anymore.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: Mo0o
i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

but why? what benefit is it supposed to offer? someone gets their goodies 2 days earlier than they otherwise would?

It has nothing to do with when the product arrives, the issue is IF the product arrives. Way too many trolls around to blindly send money around.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: Mo0o
i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

but why? what benefit is it supposed to offer? someone gets their goodies 2 days earlier than they otherwise would?

It's all about trying to ensure the trade is as safe and reputable as possible. The inherent value from the number of heatware evals can provide a similar level of assurance to the seller. He/she can contact people involved in the trader's history. The buyer, in this case, isn't afforded that same luxury.


But, to reiterate, the seller is by no means obligated to ship first. It's a recommendation only and ultimately, the seller can say deal or no deal.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
the buyer is concerned teh seller isn't legit since he has only 1 heatware eval.

fair enough, I didn't consider it from that perspective.

 

[stealthrs]

Plus I am offering a 30-day money back guarantee with what I'm selling... So it gives him a chance to give a shot before I get paid too..

I'm an honest seller, but I understand +1 feedback is almost nothing.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: stealthrs
Hey guys. I'm selling something in the FS/FT section (Abit AI7 motherboard) and I'm considered a new user because I only have 100 posts and I've only purchased one thing (+1 in heatware)

I got a PM from a user asking if I'd be willing to ship first and receive my payment second... He has +98 on heatware (user: cherrytwist)...

Is it pretty common for new sellers to ship first, receive second on here?

Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. I would never ship before receiving payment. I have traded online for about 15 years (used newsgroups before ebay and the internet) and I have never shipped before being paid - ever. I never will either.

Heatware is not more trustworthy than ebay feedback - it is just different. Just because someone has long standing relationship here and has 100 heatware doesn't mean you won't be trolled.

If you are comfortable shipping before payment - than OK. If not refuse and use craigslist or ebay or keep trying to find some who will pay first.

 

[Poulsonator]

Never, EVER ship before getting payment.

 

[Tom]

the problem with this scheme is it is outside the normal way of doing business in the larger world.

the law is set up to protect buyers who pay for something and don't receive what they paid for. less so for sellers who ship stuff before receiving payment, which is basically extending someone credit, and there are regulations for being in the lending business that probably have to be met to have any legal protection for the loaner.

a comment about feedback schemes in general - people can establish themselves by partaking in numerous small trades, which doesn't mean they are more trustworthy than people who aren't playing the game.

 

[keeleysam]

I did it a couple of times when I just started, as most do.

Once you get above 10 or so, most don't care anymore.

Now with 60+ heat and 400+ eBay, I still cross ship sometimes, but that's just because it's faster.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Hossenfeffer

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: Mo0o
i think it's understandable. Personally i'd do it

but why? what benefit is it supposed to offer? someone gets their goodies 2 days earlier than they otherwise would?

It's all about trying to ensure the trade is as safe and reputable as possible. The inherent value from the number of heatware evals can provide a similar level of assurance to the seller. He/she can contact people involved in the trader's history. The buyer, in this case, isn't afforded that same luxury.


But, to reiterate, the seller is by no means obligated to ship first. It's a recommendation only and ultimately, the seller can say deal or no deal.

yeap.

also depends on who you are buying/selling from. there are a few that i would ship/pay first without a 2nd thought. even if htey do not have high heatware. i just can't see them ruining the rep they have over it.

now a person with 100 post and say 3 heatware? no way.

 

[Wuffsunie]

Never ship before payment.

It's 100x easier for buyers to get their money back than it is for you to get goods or your money back should something happen to the deal.

 

[funboy6942]

Most people in the forums have started out this way, I am one of them. Now I have almost 170 heatware. Thing is though when starting out and your going to ship first make sure you do it with an established trader (almost 100 heat is a good guy to deal with), make sure to email him through heatware and wait for a email back so you know the heat given to you is they guy your dealing with and not an impostor, get his addy, and home telephone. Do a reverse look up using anywho.com. If it all matches up you 99% safe to ship it out first.

If he is sending you a payment make sure you only take a postal money order. Never a check, never any other form of postal money order. It can be cashed for free at any post office and if on a off chance he sends you a fake one the post office will gladly go after the guy for you free of charge because he committed mail and money fraud using a government office. Which he is sure to do time for.

Feel free to pm moe for any other tips, been doing it for over 7 years and i wrote a very lengthy manual to safe traing for anandtech, that never got a sticky for some reason, that can be found searching me screen name and over 90 days.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: funboy42
If it all matches up you 99% safe to ship it out first.

This is bad advice. Everytime you trade online you risk being trolled. 100 heatware means nothing - 1000 heatware means nothing.

Even if you confirm phone number, email address, shipping address, full name, sexual preference....., you are still taking a risk far greater than 1%.

Like I said before, heatware is just as easy as ebay feedback to manufacture so the counts mean very little.

 

[BabaBooey]

Originally posted by: stealthrs
Plus I am offering a 30-day money back guarantee with what I'm selling... So it gives him a chance to give a shot before I get paid too..

I'm an honest seller, but I understand +1 feedback is almost nothing.

Thats coola nd all but just make sure you get address,phone number(s) and check them,98 is decent but have seen heat upwards towards 200 go bad so check the info ..

 

[Sphexi]

I've done it in the past, with smaller items. I sold one of those nice Dell servers they had deals on in the past, did half up front and half when it arrived kind of thing, maybe you could do that?

98 positive heatware is very good IMO, I wouldn't have any problem with it, just make sure it is his/her heatware, as in the email you use to communicate with them is associated to that heatware, etc. Sometimes trolls have been known to pass off someone else's heatware as their own.