A Question on buying and selling privately - please help!!

[chris_salt]

I'm looking for some advice on the private sale of an £1100 frame. I'm in the UK and the buyer is in France.

I obviuosly want payment up front before I ship the frame, but the buyer wants to be protected against the fact that I could take his money and then fail to send the frame (which I wouldn't do!).

What do you guys normaly do when you sell/buy things overseas from private buyers/sellers?

[madcow]

Someone has to blindly put their trust in the other. It's almost always the buyer. They will pay before the item gets shipped.

If both of you are unwilling to trust the other, perhaps he can paypal half the total then the other half when he gets the frame.

My thought, if after some communication you don't feel like you can trust the other party, you probably shouldn't do business with them.

[zakeen]

Why dont you put it on ebay and tell him about it. Soon as its up, he makes a bid(what you asked for). Then close it with him as the highest bidder. Then do the Paypal thing. then both are protected.

However I sold a frame last month without anything. the buyer paid for it(bank transfer) then I sent it. Doesnt always happen, but it can.

[Skillgannon]

Zakeen - you cant close it with him as the highest bidder, but you could make it a buy it now auction, and then tell him the time when your putting it up, and it is his problem if he missess out....because you still get the money

[Mads Kock]

Can't you send the frame COD (cash on delievery - the buyer has to pay before recieving the package)?

[brminpin]

If you guys don't really feel that you can trust each other, you can use an escrow service. Ebay recommends www.escrow.com and only that service. I've looked into it before when I was bidding on a bicycle and kind of had my doubts that the seller was legit. When you factor in the cost of the frame, the small escrow fee and hassle is well worth it. Also since it protects both the buyer and seller, you guys could split the fees.

Luckily, I've had no problems dealing with people on this board and haven't really heard of anyone getting really burned either. Good luck.

[michel2]

if you're not sure of each other, i would let the deal go and try to buy something near by.i bought a lot on ebay, i even bought a 3500 usa dollar moots after the auction was finisched wich was the most stupid thing i ever did,but it worked out fine !then i sold three frames through a german bike forum to people i have never heard of before or after the deal...

sometimes you can wire transfer money from a credit card,wich might make it insured ?

cheers
michel

[RTW]

Its all about faith. Work out what you can afford to lose (not what wouldn't piss you off to lose) and if the transaction exceeds that then don't do it.

I have bought tyres, a frame, wheels, and sold a fair few items through this board with no problems. All of these people I now count as friends too.

[IanB]

Take a holiday to France, it'll be lovely and warm. You can do some riding, drink coffee, have a beer, and do the transaction in person

probably not very practical, but it sounds nice