Buying from Facebook. Help/advice please

[Gazzalene 171]

Need some advice/help please.

My wife uses FB I never have,hate the whole idea of it. Anyhow due to lockdown I have been drawn to the "Market place" section she talks about.

So I had a look at modelling related stuff.Some stuff of interest,that was local BUT missed.

I have now seen some parts a guy is selling or swapping. I have stuff he would like,so I could buy OR swap. I am in England he is in wales so any sale/swap will need to be posted.

I have looked and the guys profile and he seems genuine and getting on like me.

Can anyone give help/advice on buying on FB? best way to pay,best way to ship. Are there any checks I can/should do etc.

My real issue would be with postal service at the moment,all you are hearing is parcels being left on door steps then being stolen. Not sure if paypal will cover if selling? rather than buying?

Thanks

[lsear2905 1279]

First thing's first: only use PayPal, and do not select 'friends or family'. Yes, it's 3% extra, but that's spectacularly cheap insurance if something goes wrong.

Photos, emails, everything - take screenshots and keep as a record in case of any PayPal dispute. Do not become complacent - if you have a few good experiences you'll start to trust people, which is a lovely sentiment, but you need to be super careful buying and selling online.

Check out reviews of the seller or buyer - most trading websites (FB included) offer some kind of feedback on the person you're dealing with.

If you're worried about parcels being stolen - maybe give your work postal address? 

I buy and sell a lot on eBay, FB Marketplace and Gumtree (an Australian website) and have had mostly good experiences, but I was always protected from the bad ones by PayPal.

[LeftyAl 164]

Good advice from lsear2905. I've go a step further and see if the postage can be registered (so someone has to sign to receive it) and tracking of the item. Tracking is important to help if a claim with the post office or Pay pal is required.

 

Might be worth checking with your post office on what they recommend in your circumstance.

 

[Gazzalene 171]

13 hours ago, lsear2905 said:

First thing's first: only use PayPal, and do not select 'friends or family'. Yes, it's 3% extra, but that's spectacularly cheap insurance if something goes wrong.

Photos, emails, everything - take screenshots and keep as a record in case of any PayPal dispute. Do not become complacent - if you have a few good experiences you'll start to trust people, which is a lovely sentiment, but you need to be super careful buying and selling online.

Check out reviews of the seller or buyer - most trading websites (FB included) offer some kind of feedback on the person you're dealing with.

If you're worried about parcels being stolen - maybe give your work postal address? 

I buy and sell a lot on eBay, FB Marketplace and Gumtree (an Australian website) and have had mostly good experiences, but I was always protected from the bad ones by PayPal.

I have been lucky as a buyer being protected by paypal. Not sure how it works being a seller?

[Gazzalene 171]

10 hours ago, LeftyAl said:

Good advice from lsear2905. I've go a step further and see if the postage can be registered (so someone has to sign to receive it) and tracking of the item. Tracking is important to help if a claim with the post office or Pay pal is required.

 

Might be worth checking with your post office on what they recommend in your circumstance.

 

RM are a cope out at the moment,Still accepting signed for service BUT not getting a signature on delivery. I had had 2 parcels delivered which were signed delivery. All I got was a knock on door and parcel left. Is this acceptable? will they say due to covid that's the best that can be done. If so who would cover any lose ,RM or Paypal. Bit of nightmare.

[LeftyAl 164]

Gazzalene it is a tough situation at the moment. I have had my share of delivery issues with Australia Post, but that all stopped when i got a mailbox (called a P.O Box over here) at the post office. All my mail goes there. Some AU Post Offices use contractors to do the home delivery of parcels, this is where a lot of the issues stem from.

Nothing is a certainty these days so it is all about taking a calculated and informed risk. Is there something small/low price you can use as a test with the seller?