How To Purchase from a Distant Craigslister

[Not Right]

Sorry, I don't have the answer to this. I am asking the question. Got a guy 1200 miles from me who has a part I want. He doesn't use PayPal. He really wants to do the Local Meet & Exchange thing. He's afraid I'll defraud him and I'm afraid he'll defraud me. So, he won't send the part unless I send him the cashier's check first, and I won't send him a check unless he sends me the part first. I KNOW I'm a good guy and that I'm good for it! I'm sure he feels the same way about himself. It's me he's worried about. I want to buy it and he wants to sell it to me....but we are stuck. Neither one of us has any idea of how we can go about this and both be safe from fraud. Has anyone out there got any IDEAS? Thanks in advance for your thoughts....helpful or not, as long as they are funny! -Not Right

 

[mr. fix it]

what and where is this part?

 

[Jeff]

I send money all the time and hope for the best. So far I have never been burned. I would be hesitant if it was a big ticket item. I know I will lose out eventually, but I can't let my progress be stalled by fear of getting defrauded. Doing a transaction with with someone on this board or on that C Body Facebook page gives me more comfort. Craigslist is tough. The only thing I can think of is to use a trusted third party as an escrow. You send the money and he sends the part and the third party distributes the part when the money clears.

 

[Big_John]

Where is the guy? Perhaps someone on here is local to the seller and can help you out.

 

[cantflip]

Sorry, I don't have the answer to this. I am asking the question. Got a guy 1200 miles from me who has a part I want. He doesn't use PayPal. He really wants to do the Local Meet & Exchange thing. He's afraid I'll defraud him and I'm afraid he'll defraud me. So, he won't send the part unless I send him the cashier's check first, and I won't send him a check unless he sends me the part first. I KNOW I'm a good guy and that I'm good for it! I'm sure he feels the same way about himself. It's me he's worried about. I want to buy it and he wants to sell it to me....but we are stuck. Neither one of us has any idea of how we can go about this and both be safe from fraud. Has anyone out there got any IDEAS? Thanks in advance for your thoughts....helpful or not, as long as they are funny! -Not Right

PayPal is easiest, but I've done it on faith too... after establishing the dialogue to get this far, you need to either "**** or get off the pot". As much as a burn would bug me, I would have missed some nice things if I hadn't taken the risk.

 

[Not Right]

Well, I've toyed with the idea of just taking a chance and sending the money. It wouldn't break me if I got burned, but I know me...I'd be trying to book a load out to Kansas City (which is nowhere near my usual lanes), just to try to find the guy! Then, if anything bad where to happen, it would be my fault. But I just looked on the Member Map and there are three of us in or close to K.C...........That's an idea! Thanks Guys!

 

[Not Right]

Well put, Can't Flip! I can't seem to get the right balance of Kayopectate and Exlax.

 

[4spd300J]

Sorry, I don't have the answer to this. I am asking the question. Got a guy 1200 miles from me who has a part I want. He doesn't use PayPal. He really wants to do the Local Meet & Exchange thing. He's afraid I'll defraud him and I'm afraid he'll defraud me. So, he won't send the part unless I send him the cashier's check first, and I won't send him a check unless he sends me the part first. I KNOW I'm a good guy and that I'm good for it! I'm sure he feels the same way about himself. It's me he's worried about. I want to buy it and he wants to sell it to me....but we are stuck. Neither one of us has any idea of how we can go about this and both be safe from fraud. Has anyone out there got any IDEAS? Thanks in advance for your thoughts....helpful or not, as long as they are funny! -Not Right

I always use a postal money order. If the other party turns out to be a deadbeat, the USPS will go after them. They take fraud through the mail pretty seriously.

 

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

Yea I use to use postal money orders on eBay when they allowed that, not for big ticket items $5 to $50 stuff.
Had excellent results and sellers loved it without the PP leech.

 

[polara66hardtop]

Before craigslist and the Internet I sold parts out of the Mopar collectors guide magazine all the time. The buyers always paid first, and I always sent them the correct part. Back in those days we just trusted each other. We usually spoke on the phone several times, and once we felt we could trust each other, then he sent the money. granted, I always sold and never bought, as I had far more parts then I would ever need, and had all the parts I was going to need. Now, Year one is the exception. They sent junk half the time and took their sweet time backing up their product.(1988-2000)

 

[adam]

I only know one member on this site and he is in Topeka about an hour away from KC. @Commandough is a salt of the earth Mopar guy. Honest to a fault with a penchant for spirits and women.

He could might help you out.

 

[Not Right]

Update (the next day): He (the seller) is going to send a few photos showing himself boxing up the goods and with my "Ship To" address on the box, then he's going to send me a copy of his Driver's License. Then I go to Walmart and send a Wally-Wire to the Name and Address on the License, I note the particulars in the memo portion of the wire transfer, They give me a Confirmation #, then I let him know the Confirmation number of the wire (like a T-Chek, for my Trucker friends out there).............then he goes to his Walmart, presents them with the Con# and his License, and he gets his money. Then he drops the package at the Post Office. Not as good as "in person" or by PayPal, but like some of you have said, go with your gut, and take the chance if it seems promising. There may be some added recourse by using this Wally-Wire or a Postal Money Order, but to pursue an Out-of-State deal gone bad would most likely be cost prohibitive. Anyway, I feel pretty confident in the Seller and I thank everyone for each of your opinions. I just thought I'd let you guys know that I got off the pot......it's just all paperwork now.

 

[cantflip]

Update (the next day): He (the seller) is going to send a few photos showing himself boxing up the goods and with my "Ship To" address on the box, then he's going to send me a copy of his Driver's License. Then I go to Walmart and send a Wally-Wire to the Name and Address on the License, I note the particulars in the memo portion of the wire transfer, They give me a Confirmation #, then I let him know the Confirmation number of the wire (like a T-Chek, for my Trucker friends out there).............then he goes to his Walmart, presents them with the Con# and his License, and he gets his money. Then he drops the package at the Post Office. Not as good as "in person" or by PayPal, but like some of you have said, go with your gut, and take the chance if it seems promising. There may be some added recourse by using this Wally-Wire or a Postal Money Order, but to pursue an Out-of-State deal gone bad would most likely be cost prohibitive. Anyway, I feel pretty confident in the Seller and I thank everyone for each of your opinions. I just thought I'd let you guys know that I got off the pot......it's just all paperwork now.

Thanks... I think the security measures are a touch overkill, but I'm really glad this worked out for you.

 

[Not Right]

I guess you'd have to know me a little better. Being a PITA comes naturally to me...

 

[SPF Required]

now I am just dying to know what the part is?

 

[65MonacoND]

I sent a part to a buyer on here before getting paid because he kept messaging me for awhile about how much he needed it to finish his interior. He stiffed me on payment. I'll never do that again. I don't blame the guy.

 

[LocuMob]

Glad you worked out a deal. I've always had good dealings with people, I mostly use PayPal, and have gotten used to the 3% I add on, so the seller doesn't have to *****, and I get the protection of my money not disappearing. Smaller amount I just use F&F and haven't had any problems. When someone starts getting pissy, I just pass, I find it later.

 

[cantflip]

I sent a part to a buyer on here before getting paid because he kept messaging me for awhile about how much he needed it to finish his interior. He stiffed me on payment. I'll never do that again. I don't blame the guy.

I don't get it... I would certainly blame the OP. I do believe that most folks who are active in this as an enthusiast, not just a profiteer, are decent and want to do right by themselves and others. I also believe that if they do you wrong, they will do someone else wrong... so I don't keep quiet about it (I have proven this before).

I will admit I have had some disappointments, usually due to poorly represented items... but I tend to buy cheap and sometimes win because of the same reason. I have never kicked up a fuss about such things, because I could have pushed for better information and chose to accept some risk instead. I would and have paid for items I didn't want because I felt it was the right thing to do.

I have been doing a good bit of resorting of my growing hoard of "stuff" to better determine what I have and what I would be able to live without... I will start my own thread here when I am ready to list it... I will have limited space to pack for the swap at Carlisle, so I will make items that have buyers who want to meet there my first priority. I really have little interest in sitting in the swap all day, so hauling stuff folks already have spoken for is a win/win. I'd be a little disappointed if I found myself jerked around too much, I won't be asking for ridiculous prices on what I have.

 

[cantflip]

I guess you'd have to know me a little better. Being a PITA comes naturally to me...

My last transaction that involved a little faith from both sides... I stumbled upon a CL ad for some fair priced Imperial hood ornaments... turned out the seller, Joe, had been discussed here before. He is the former owner of the black 74 Crown Coupe, which we have discussed in several threads... and not too kindly, I admit to being a part of all that. Joe wasn't a PP user and I wanted the stuff... he had a bunch more than just the ornaments... some was quite nice. We both put some faith into the deal and broke it down into a few shipments... He was fair and I didn't try to negotiate his prices, just find common ground for the payments/shipping. My biggest risk was less than $200, and he made the first move risking $60.

I couldn't have asked for a better transaction and he is a standup guy... I even feel bad about anything I said when he was a nameless guy selling a car I felt was overpriced. Not that I wouldn't repeat my statements, but without going back to review them all, I hope I wasn't too harsh.

 

[Big_John]

I had a deal go south on me in December. I bought three parts for my Barracuda and they sent me one. That was a plastic "A" pillar and that came in a padded envelope and it wasn't in the condition they claimed it was. After ignored emails, I ended up placing a claim with PayPal and that got their attention. I think he was using his father inlaw's account and the PayPal folks froze it. They couldn't get the remaining parts in the mail fast enough. I kinda got screwed on it overall, but at least I got something. From what I'm seeing, there's at least two other guys that didn't get anything.

On the other side of deals, I've never had too much issue. I only take PayPal though, so I get paid before I ship.