Bank transfer from foreign Ebay customer??
Discussion
I've just sold an item on Ebay and the buyer is requesting my bank details to pay by transfer. I've done this a few times within the UK paying for stock etc, but I'm a little reluctant.
The buyer is from Germany (no problem) but has zero feedback. If I give him my account name, number and sort code to pay, he will also have my address and phone number as it's on the listing.
Am I being over cautious here or would the combination of details about myself be enough to leave me vulnerable to some kind of scam?
The buyer is from Germany (no problem) but has zero feedback. If I give him my account name, number and sort code to pay, he will also have my address and phone number as it's on the listing.
Am I being over cautious here or would the combination of details about myself be enough to leave me vulnerable to some kind of scam?
They take a fake cheque or banker's draft into their local bank and request the transfer be done. Weeks later (after you see the money in your account and have sent the item), the bank realises it's a fake and cancels the transaction. Guess who gets screwed?
Tell him that it's easier to scam you via Paypal.
Tell him that it's easier to scam you via Paypal.
I occasionally buy quite expensive items on Ebay (have bought 2 classic cars in this way in the past), and have used bank transfer to pay, to avoid traveling with a large amount of cash.
Unfortunately the increase in reported scamming leads everyone to expect to be ripped off. Not everyone from overseas is a scammer. I guess you need to go with your gut feeling on this, and also maybe evaluate how easy it is to sell (were there a lot of other bidders?).
I replied to a post along these lines a while back, and it degenerated into a slanging match. I don't see the harm in furnishing your bank details. Maybe you can ask your bank to check this transaction and confirm that it is definitely safe before shipping the item. I did this last year when selling some €15000-worth of spares into France (I'm in Belgium).
I would imagine that a genuine buyer would accept a delay in shipping until the money has definitely cleared. It may be a way to "screen" them - if they react badly to that sort of suggestion.
Unfortunately the increase in reported scamming leads everyone to expect to be ripped off. Not everyone from overseas is a scammer. I guess you need to go with your gut feeling on this, and also maybe evaluate how easy it is to sell (were there a lot of other bidders?).
I replied to a post along these lines a while back, and it degenerated into a slanging match. I don't see the harm in furnishing your bank details. Maybe you can ask your bank to check this transaction and confirm that it is definitely safe before shipping the item. I did this last year when selling some €15000-worth of spares into France (I'm in Belgium).
I would imagine that a genuine buyer would accept a delay in shipping until the money has definitely cleared. It may be a way to "screen" them - if they react badly to that sort of suggestion.
Gassing Station | Finance | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff