Dealing with ebay payment

[GreenLantern]

Hey, so I have an auction that is about to end on ebay for a trading card, I haven't sold anything on here in years and even then it was mostly MMO accounts/items. What are the steps I should take to protect myself?

I made it clear in the auction that payment is required in full including shipping through Paypal before I will send the item. I planned to send it in a hard case, between two pieces of stiff cardboard either in a solid envelope with bubble wrap or a box with bubble wrap. I also wanted to send it priority so he has to sign for it when it arrives to avoid him just saying he never got it.

Anything else I should do to make sure I don't get scammed?

[Fuzz]

Take a few pictures of the packaging to show it was well packed.

[ken0042]

Be sure to ship to their confirmed address, and that the address matches up everywhere. Both on the ebay selling page as well as the PayPal payment page.

[Rathji]

I ship and receive trading cards out quite often, almost 4000 cards in the last 14 months. Most of them are shipped PWE with a top loader, but for larger orders I use a #000 Bubble mailer with a top loader.

Here are a couple sites with some tips on the shipping/packaging portion:

https://pucatrade.com/shipping

From http://www.magictraders.com/trading-tips

Relevant parts:

Be patient.

Sometimes the mail is fast, sometimes it’s slow. If the person you’re trading with is in another country, even Canada, expect the trade to take considerably longer. Don’t go crying “ripper!” if their cards didn’t arrive in a week, no one will listen to you. Also consider that some people also can’t afford to drop everything and go to the post office when your cards arrive. If you haven’t heard anything from the person you’re trading with a week after sending your cards, send them a polite e-mail messages asking if they got your cards, whether you received theirs or not. Remember, the cards you send are your responsibility until they reach the hands of the person you’re trading with, so make sure that they got to their destination.

Take steps to safely ship your cards.

Using a hard sleeve and a bubble mailer can go a long way to insuring that your cards get to their destination safely. The post office typically pays more attention to these type of packages, and they’ll actually honor the “Do Not Bend” markings. It only costs a dollar, on average, to send your cards like this. Look at it this way, the stamp you’d normally use + the price of a candy bar = great happiness for the person you’re trading with.

Things don’t get lost in the mail (at least in the U.S.).

Face it, it just doesn’t happen anymore. You could label a package with just a name and a zip code and it would still probably get to it’s destination. If someone tries to give you the excuse that the cards got lost in the mail, they’re probably full of it, plus, they are still responsible for making sure you get your cards. If you think something may have been lost, go to your local post office and have them do a trace on your package. If you want to be absolutely sure that your cards get to their destination, send them by certified mail and the person you’re trading with will have to sign for them when they arrive.

Ripping someone off is mail fraud.

This is another reason to save your e-mail messages. Any documented deal in which you agreed to send a certain item in exchange for another by mail, is under the jurisdiction of laws pertaining to mail fraud. If you don’t believe me, read Title 18, Section 1341 of the US Code. Those found guilty of mail fraud can be fined and sent to jail for up to 5 years. Contact your local postmaster if you seriously believe you’ve been ripped off, and he or she will tell you what you can do.

Finally, most people are honest.

Although there are some rippers out there, online trading wouldn’t exist if most people weren’t honest. If you just use some common sense and try to follow these guidelines, you should have many successful trades.

[GreenLantern]

This actually is a MTG card, Mana Crypt, I have a top loader but never thought about the card slipping out, good tip.

I found it in an old shoe box along with a handful of others in mint condition, figured I would check them out and well here we are..

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Hey, so I have an auction that is about to end on ebay for a trading card, I haven't sold anything on here in years and even then it was mostly MMO accounts/items. What are the steps I should take to protect myself?

I made it clear in the auction that payment is required in full including shipping through Paypal before I will send the item. I planned to send it in a hard case, between two pieces of stiff cardboard either in a solid envelope with bubble wrap or a box with bubble wrap. I also wanted to send it priority so he has to sign for it when it arrives to avoid him just saying he never got it.

Anything else I should do to make sure I don't get scammed?

How much are you selling the card for?

The only way not to get scammed is to ship the card with proof of delivery. If you ship it without then the buyer can always claim it never arrived, and there is no way you can prove it did.

I got scammed for a $90 card last year. Sent it out. The buyer filed a paypal dispute. I had no way to prove it got there. The buyer got a refund. The card, which was individually marked out of 10, then showed up for sale, now graded, from the same small town in Quebec.

It'll cost extra to get the proof of receipt, so depending on how much you are selling the card for, decide if it's worth the risk.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

This actually is a MTG card, Mana Crypt, I have a top loader but never thought about the card slipping out, good tip.

I found it in an old shoe box along with a handful of others in mint condition, figured I would check them out and well here we are..

I ship all cards in top loaders. Put a bit of tape at the top to stop it from sliding out. Then I put the cards in a team bag and surround with other cards. I send them all in bubble mailers.

Taking picture etc...won't help you. It's up to you to prove that the card actually arrived at its destination. The only way to do that is with a method of shipping that requires the buyer to sign upon delivery.

You're selling a $200 card, I'd definitely go the more expensive route to cover yourself. Review Paypal's refund/dispute policies as well as Ebay's to make sure your covered.

[GreenLantern]

Yes I was planning to send it certified mail so they have to sign for it when it arrives. I will put it in the sleeve, in the top loader the way the video shows, then between two pieces of thin but firm cardboard, taped up a bit, then in the bubble wrap envelope. Does that seem like over kill?

That was another question I had with paypal, as soon as I send him a request for payment and he pays it, and it is in my account, the only way he can get that back is if he proves I never sent the item? How long should I wait after the auction ends to actually mail the item?

Thanks

[ken0042]

If the buyer has a confirmed address in Paypal, I typically ship right away. Especially if the person looks to have a fair amount of feedback, and for similar items.

So if he is a new buyer, or previous feedback was for doilies and quilts, maybe wait a day. Once again, it's sometimes better to wait a day and pay extra for Xpresspost shipping to be safe; if the value of the auction is there.

Also make sure you sign up for Venture One from Canada Post. Gets you Expedited shipping (almost as fast as Xpresspost) for the same price as parcel.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Yes I was planning to send it certified mail so they have to sign for it when it arrives. I will put it in the sleeve, in the top loader the way the video shows, then between two pieces of thin but firm cardboard, taped up a bit, then in the bubble wrap envelope. Does that seem like over kill?

That was another question I had with paypal, as soon as I send him a request for payment and he pays it, and it is in my account, the only way he can get that back is if he proves I never sent the item? How long should I wait after the auction ends to actually mail the item?

Thanks

Do not mail the item until you receive payment, but you are expected to send the item as soon as you receive payment. Unfortunately, there is nothing to stop him from filing a dispute 2 months later.

Review the paypal rules. I'm not sure if registered mail will 100% cover you, but you should also use your own judgment. Ideally, only ship to people with lots of positive reviews.

[CaptainYooh]

I find that vast majority of the people on ebay are honest. Feedback system is an excellent way to keep everyone vigilant and mindful. Sellers have less rights than buyers when it comes to buyers though, because a seller cannot leave negative feedback unless buyer's payment is not received within a specified time.

Obviously, wait for the PayPal payment clearance, withdraw the payment into your bank account, then ship. Photograph your card at the post office in front of the clerk and ship via registered mail. In case of a dispute, all you need to prove would be the photo and the shipping receipt.

[GreenLantern]

I just had a very confusing conversation with the employees at my local post office, inside a Co-Op who didn't really seem to know what I wanted to do.

I want to ship it so it has to be signed to be received, and trackable is a bonus. I also would prefer it be in an envelope that has a lot less of a chance of getting damaged. Is this expedited?

They said it would be $26.50 for what I wanted, does that seem high? Shipping the card to LA.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

I just had a very confusing conversation with the employees at my local post office, inside a Co-Op who didn't really seem to know what I wanted to do.

I want to ship it so it has to be signed to be received, and trackable is a bonus. I also would prefer it be in an envelope that has a lot less of a chance of getting damaged. Is this expedited?

They said it would be $26.50 for what I wanted, does that seem high? Shipping the card to LA.

Ebay has a shipping program that give you an automatic discount on shipping fees (I think 30%). You print the label and bring it to your post office. Look into that too.

[GreenLantern]

Alright so we figured it out he submitted payment, got the email from paypal says I am good to go with shipping the item and he has a confirmed address.

I take it that means i am good to go?

[CaptainYooh]

Yes. Don't forget to withdraw the funds from PayPal into your bank account and post a tracking number on ebay.

[firebug]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

I just had a very confusing conversation with the employees at my local post office, inside a Co-Op who didn't really seem to know what I wanted to do.

I want to ship it so it has to be signed to be received, and trackable is a bonus. I also would prefer it be in an envelope that has a lot less of a chance of getting damaged. Is this expedited?

They said it would be $26.50 for what I wanted, does that seem high? Shipping the card to LA.

You should be able to send it 'registered' for an extra 8 or $9.00 within Canada.

[EDIT] Okay, I see you are going to the USA... you can ship via Tracked Packet USA for $16.00 or less. I'm not sure that it requires a signature but it should prevent most people with ill intent from trying to file a false claim. This can be accessed via the print shipping label link in Paypal. [/EDIT]

You could send it as an expedited parcel through paypal as well by clicking the 'Print Shipping Label' link. This will cost between 10 - $15 depending on where it is being shipped to in Canada.

My ebay experience: http://www.ebay.com/usr/gorebug

[GreenLantern]

Wow, quite the track record there. Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I got the payment processed in Paypal and have sent the item out for delivery and posted the tracking number on ebay.

Since I don't have a selling record they said they have to hold the funds for up to 21 days, but I am guessing just until the buyer says he got the item. I haven't used my account to sell since 2001, so I guess feedback from that far back doesn't count.