Selling through paypal : receive person to person payments

[OscarVM]

Hi everyone !

I'm new to paypal in the way that i've never received money through it before. All i've ever done is to pay with it over ebay.

I'm studying in France right now and i'm selling my previous laptop over a very popular selling website over here. Problem is, even though it's popular, the website is nothing like ebay in terms that it doesn't have in place any payment platform for buyers, or protection system for neither buyers or sellers. The website is more like a way for letting others know what you're offering and then it's up to the parties to reach out to each other and make the deal in the way they find most convinient.

No surprise, lots of people use Paypal for their transactions specially when it's something between parties separated by big distances, case in which it's a little harder to coordinate a meeting. No surprise either, scams do happen. One of the most popular i've read about, which targets sellers, is one where the "buyer" collects the seller's info and then uses it to make him/her believe that they have credited the seller's account with the amount agreed, by sending them an email, mimicking Paypal's information services, saying so. We know paypal doesn't do that and i'm surprised people falls for that since the most logical thing to do is go check at the source itself, over your actual Paypal account, that the money is there. Next you know what happens....... seller rushes to send over the item trying to be a good seller, to then find out he/she doesn't have neither the money nor their once beloved item.

I read that in order to be protected as seller one should only ship to verified Paypal addresses, and make sure to do your shipping with proof of delivery. However, i have the following doubt. Supposing one of the potential buyers/scammers actually has a verified paypal address and is making themselves look like an honest person, and having in mind this involves no merchant's website but a person to person transaction done through a payment request from my Paypal account to the "buyer's" account; is there a way they could file some sort of false unfounded claim, (missing parts, not as in the pictures, damaged not working), that would cause Paypal to freeze the money and eventually return it to the buyer/scammer leaving me with nothing ? How should i go about doing this transaction through Paypal in a safe manner ?

Looking forward to hear from you.

Thanks in advance !

[DPCreations]

Too much to read.

What is your question?

[OscarVM]

However, i have the following doubt. Supposing one of the potential buyers/scammers actually has a verified paypal address and is making themselves look like an honest person, and having in mind this involves no merchant's website but a person to person transaction done through a payment request from my Paypal account to the "buyer's" account; is there a way they could file some sort of false unfounded claim, (missing parts, not as in the pictures, damaged not working), that would cause Paypal to freeze the money and eventually return it to the buyer/scammer leaving me with nothing ? How should i go about doing this transaction through Paypal in a safe manner ?

I was afraid it could end by being too much. Maybe that part of the post will stay in context on it's own.

Thanks,

[DPCreations]

Seems like you need to read and understsand PayPal policies on buyer and seller protection because I'm still not clear on exactly what you want to do.

Click on Legal at the bottom of the page and then on User Agreement for details.

[OscarVM]

I did read them, but i still didn't find it clear enough as to respond my concern. Let me see if i may explain it within few words so that you may help me.

I want to sell a laptop. Someone wants to pay me via paypal. They told me to just send them a payment request, and once i had the money i could ship over to them. I'm not a seller or business person. I just want to sell the laptop. Is there any trick they could use to block the money leaving me without nothing at all ?

[DPCreations]

Finally, you explained what you want to do.

Your buyer is correct.  This also shows the buyer to be the experienced one; it should be reversed and the seller should be the one with the most experience.  In business the one with most knowledge and experience has a big advantage when it comes to disputes.

There are multiple issues involved here.  First, where was the item listed for sale?  Some web sites are breeding grounds for scammers looking for new PayPal sellers.  Second, listing a laptop for sales is like advertsing an invitation for a scam.  So just be aware of pitfalls.

You need to do all you can to protect yourself; you also need to be aware that PayPal will NOT protect you for a dispute not as described.  Buyers have a lot of options to get a refund if they don't like the product.  When the buyer contacts you after the sale, you need to promtly resovle it, even if it costs you money.  The cost of not resolving becomes increasingly more costly.

There are risks to internet sales; this risks increase dramatically with computers.  You can't avoid all risks, so don't sell something you can't aford to lose.

Here are the best steps for a sale.

Create an invoice.  This invoice needs to include all details and specifications about the item for sale, multiple pictures of the item, and shipping/handling costs and service.  You send that invoice to the buyer.   The buyer pays.   Next, you check the payment transaction on your computer; it will let you know where to ship and let you now if you have seller protection or not.  It will also give the OK to ship. 

[OscarVM]

Thank you for the help.

As for the website i'm selling my old laptop on, it is 'leboncoin.fr'. In the long post i had mentioned that i'm studying in France and wanted to sell the previous laptop i had since got a new one. In the french Paypal website says that payments received for items sold in France over this type of sites, have no Paypal coverage for the seller. I guess i have everything to lose.

I'd like to know if i'm correct on the following though : if the money gets sent over a payment request i do, or over an invoice i sent, in any of those 2 cases it'll be viewed as a sale which may be disputed, etc., etc. But if it's sent by the "buyer" as in when whoever sends money to whoever then would it also be so or not ?

[zaracay]

Too much to read.
What is your answer?

[OscarVM]

However, i have the following doubt. Supposing one of the potential buyers/scammers actually has a verified paypal address and is making themselves look like an honest person, and having in mind this involves no merchant's website but a person to person transaction done through a payment request from my Paypal account to the "buyer's" account; is there a way they could file some sort of false unfounded claim, (missing parts, not as in the pictures, damaged not working), that would cause Paypal to freeze the money and eventually return it to the buyer/scammer leaving me with nothing ? How should i go about doing this transaction through Paypal in a safe manner ?

I was afraid it could end by being too much. Maybe that part of the post will stay in context on it's own.

Thanks,

[zaracay]

I have a similar scenario trying to sell an iPhone on a local classifieds website. Buyers from other states have contacted me and offered to pay through paypal.  From previous answers, it sounds like they could dispute the item as not being as advertised and therefore have PayPal refund them their money.  They would then have my old iPhone and they would have been refunded for the payment. They would have the phone and their money, and I would be left with nothing.  Can this scenario occur?  Are sellers protected from such scams, or do buyers have the only protections?