options for selling?

[jano]

I haven't sold anything online before -- purchased a few items here over the last year which are just sitting around and I'd like to send them on to those who would use them. What are the options for payments? I am familiar with checks, money orders, and cash, are people here okay with those?

Thanks,
Jano

 

[BrianShaw]

There is nothing wrong with the traditional payment methods (except for exchanges of sheafs of wheat, goats and camels, perhaps) but have you considered PayPal aas a payment option. There is registration and fees involved, but that type of convenience is pretty much becoming a standard expectation in internet commerce. www.paypal.com

 

[back alley]

paypal is very convenient for people also.
money orders are fairly safe.

i have also sent cash in the mail and, so far, without incident.

joe

 

[FrankS]

Money orders are quite secure. For purchases less than $150 or so, I often send cash. If the purchaser is well known on RFF, a personal check is fine.

No established RFF member is going to risk their reputation by trying to scam another member out of a few hundred dollars. Common sense to me, but maybe I"m too trusting.

 

[BrianShaw]

No established RFF member is going to risk their reputation by trying to scam another member out of a few hundred dollars. Common sense to me, but maybe I"m too trusting.

Let's test that, Frank. Send me $150 cash and I'll send you something. Do we have a deal? 😀

edit: US American money, please!

 

[back alley]

there was a raft of stolen money orders in the past that caused some problems for folks on the net.

 

[jja]

Not to take this too OT, but those who use Paypal, are you Verified? A seller wants payment from a verified account only, and I'm wondering if there are any downsides to being Verified.

Edit: back on topic: In my experience, buyers like using paypal, so it's good to give them that option.

 

[flashover]

Verified means that PayPal has linked the online account to the users financial establishment. Also alows them to send larger amounts, A non verified buyer is not covered by the sellers protection with PayPal. So some seller will not take paypal from non verified buyers. If you accept Credit cards then Paypal hits the seller with fees to recive payments.

 

[FrankS]

Let's test that, Frank. Send me $150 cash and I'll send you something. Do we have a deal? 😀

edit: US American money, please!

Hi Brian, depends what that "something" is. 🙂

 

[jano]

I have considered paypal. Maybe I'm just daft or don't have time to understand when it comes to their system, but I do not understand hwo to set it up without them accessing my bank account. I only have one account at the moment, and I'm not too keen about them accessing it 😱 Can it be setup to "credit" my credit card? Perhaps I'll just stick with standard payment methods for now. Thank you 🙂

 

[Al Patterson]

Jano, for quite a while I was setup on paypal to only use my Discover card. I recently added a bank account when a seller wouldn't accept a payment originating from my credit card. Poke around their web site, it's not that hard to figure out.

 

[JimG]

I have considered paypal. Maybe I'm just daft or don't have time to understand when it comes to their system, but I do not understand hwo to set it up without them accessing my bank account. I only have one account at the moment, and I'm not too keen about them accessing it 😱 Can it be setup to "credit" my credit card? Perhaps I'll just stick with standard payment methods for now. Thank you 🙂

Jano, I agree with what you say. What I did was I opened a separate checking account for online transactions only. That way only the money in that account is at risk. I use a credit card for verification which is the same risk you take using a cc over the phone or online. Over seas money orders are sometimes forged or stolen so I don't except them from people I don't know.

 

[eli griggs]

I also set up a separate bank account with debt card for PayPal , one that is not linked to any other accounts. It works and I don't give it a second thought.
Cheers

 

[Dougg]

I used PayPal for credit-card only payments (un-"verified") for quite a long time, where "verification" status required allowing them access to a checking account, and I was reluctant. It seemed they were relying on the bank to verify I was a "real" person. Like Eli, I finally allowed them to link with an acct with a low balance into which I could transfer funds (by online banking) as needed.

Being "verified" has made some transactions easier, but previously for those sellers wanting PayPal buyers to be verified, I instead used Western Union BidPay, the disadvantages there being I pay the cost and the M.O. is in US$ only.

 

[bob cole]

options for selling?

jano, two points -- one on money orders and another on BizPay, not yet mentioned...

If you accept money orders, the easiest to cash are US Postal Money Orders and International Postal Money Orders. Others, like Western Union and Travelers Express Money Gram, take a bit of hunting [and maybe fees] to cash right away but banks take them as deposits...

I have not yet used BizPay but it's back in business with a new owner and, if it's as it was, the buyer pays the fees, unlike Paypal, where the seller pays the fees...

As others have already said, after the time-consuming set-up is completed, the Paypal method is [in my estimation] the fastest way to ship because you know your money is safely in your Paypal account...

 

[peter_n]

Not to take this too OT, but those who use Paypal, are you Verified?

Yes. And if I was a seller I would want a buyer with a verified a/c too. PayPal can be a godsend for international transactions. Yes there are fees, but that is true of any mercantile exchange.

 

[jano]

Peter and Doug.. when you're talking about being verified, it appears you are talking about buyers. I'm looking to be a seller, and really, I only have a few items I'll be selling (if that many!). Is there any verification for a seller? If so, what are the benefits? It seems the whole paypal route may be too much, unless there's a way to make them credit my credit card instead of tieing into a bank account (I chose to remain unverified, since I use paypal infrequently). Setting up another bank account is a great idea, however, I do not think it is worth my effort at this time -- I'm just a nobody looking to buy a couple items per year, and sell on rare occasion *shrug*

 

[peter_n]

I believe verification is associated with an account, not a role. An account holder can be a buyer, a seller, or a buyer and seller.

PayPal has what they call a "Seller Reputation" number which is the number of verified PayPal account holders that have paid that seller. It is kind of silly but it probably can be regarded as an index of the seller's veracity. PayPal only increments new transactions to the number 30 days after they occur, so it is meant to be seen as an index of successful transactions.

The verification process is free and yes, PayPal knows your bank account number. Maybe there are horror stories about PayPal emptying bank accounts or freezing them or something, I don't know, but if you read the PayPal small print you should not have too much trouble transacting business, verified or not. The people who get into trouble with PayPal are the people who don't take the time to perform due diligence on how the PayPal system works.

 

[jano]

Okay, that makes sense, thanks so much Peter. Unfortunatley, I don't have the time right now to investigate exactly how paypal works, and there's actually a reason I don't wish to get into now why I'm slightly paranoid about having someone else with access to my bank account. Perhaps later 🙂

 

[popstar]

Jano - It took me a while to warm to the idea of PayPal too. Even though I sold tons of CDs on eBay, I felt like I was one of the last to go Paypal, but I opened an account three years ago and haven't regretted it at all. For sellers it makes transactions, especially international ones, much easier.

Being verified only means Paypal has confirmed that you are who you say you are, usually by linking to a back account. AFAIK, they won't/can't do it to a credit card.

For the amount of transactions you're talking about I don't know that Paypal is that helpful. But if you ever want to sell more gear, it would a good thing as in my experience it also widens the buying audience. Just something to think about...

Steve