Rand is right about gift payments. They can also be reversed.
Accept paypal as payment for motorcycle?
- Thread starter grampi
- Start date
- Status
Just say no to alternative banking arrangements.
The only way I'll do private-party transactions involves a trip to their bank with the other party and then to the title bureau.
An out of state buyer can obtain a non-resident Ohio title, which allows them to avoid paying Ohio sales tax. They have good title and you have the vehicle out of your name. They may have a branch of their home bank in your area and if not they can bring cash, which we'll then take to my bank.
I obviously want to get paid when selling something and I want that something out of my name. I also want to ensure that I get good title when buying something.
The only way I'll do private-party transactions involves a trip to their bank with the other party and then to the title bureau.
An out of state buyer can obtain a non-resident Ohio title, which allows them to avoid paying Ohio sales tax. They have good title and you have the vehicle out of your name. They may have a branch of their home bank in your area and if not they can bring cash, which we'll then take to my bank.
I obviously want to get paid when selling something and I want that something out of my name. I also want to ensure that I get good title when buying something.
Originally Posted By: grampi
I have a person who is agreeing to pay my asking price for my motorcycle, but she wants to use paypal to pay me for it.
Paypal is great...for a few things. But, as others have noted, has she actually looked at the bike in person? Have you actually seen her in person?
If she has NOT, and all communications so far have been done anonymously, run away from this deal that smells like a scam.
I have a person who is agreeing to pay my asking price for my motorcycle, but she wants to use paypal to pay me for it.
Paypal is great...for a few things. But, as others have noted, has she actually looked at the bike in person? Have you actually seen her in person?
If she has NOT, and all communications so far have been done anonymously, run away from this deal that smells like a scam.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: grampi
I have a person who is agreeing to pay my asking price for my motorcycle,
Just the fact that they are willing to pay asking price sounds suspicious. If it's too good to be true...
I have a person who is agreeing to pay my asking price for my motorcycle,
Just the fact that they are willing to pay asking price sounds suspicious. If it's too good to be true...
Originally Posted By: JC1
Where is she located? I smell a potential scam.
Update your ad and say no PayPal.
I agree.
I'd only take a cashiers check from a local bank.
Where is she located? I smell a potential scam.
Update your ad and say no PayPal.
I agree.
I'd only take a cashiers check from a local bank.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2025
There sure are a lot of definitive answers for how little info grampi provided...
A lot of questions to answer before we can reasonably assume his is a scam; most have already been asked:
Is she local?
Is she going to have the motorcycle inspected?
//
OP, google search, "PayPal seller protection"
If you follow the rules and do things smartly you should be fine.
Do NOT have her gift the money to you.
A lot of questions to answer before we can reasonably assume his is a scam; most have already been asked:
Is she local?
Is she going to have the motorcycle inspected?
//
OP, google search, "PayPal seller protection"
If you follow the rules and do things smartly you should be fine.
Do NOT have her gift the money to you.
Save yourself some headaches. Just say no to PayPal.
I've heard of people contesting the funds, and the seller loses the vehicle and the funds. They will come up with some lame excuse like the tail lights don't work, thus the vehicle is defective, and ask for PayPal to refund all their money.
I've heard of people contesting the funds, and the seller loses the vehicle and the funds. They will come up with some lame excuse like the tail lights don't work, thus the vehicle is defective, and ask for PayPal to refund all their money.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2025
We've al heard of losing the thing you're selling AND the money, but I haven't personally known anyone who experienced this.
For those who say you can lose both, can you provide more info? Seems odd that a service whose business model involves fees for selling things would not provide protection to sellers.
For those who say you can lose both, can you provide more info? Seems odd that a service whose business model involves fees for selling things would not provide protection to sellers.
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: JC1
Where is she located? I smell a potential scam.
Update your ad and say no PayPal.
I agree.
I'd only take a cashiers check from a local bank.
Don't do this, they can be forged. If you must, accompany the person to the bank and have the teller hand it to you. Then cash it right there and hand over the title. Note, this would never happen!
If the person had cash to get said check, they wouldn't need paypal.
If the person wants to finance it, have them take out a personal loan through paypal and pay cash. Don't get involved with title leins or anything like that.
Originally Posted By: JC1
Where is she located? I smell a potential scam.
Update your ad and say no PayPal.
I agree.
I'd only take a cashiers check from a local bank.
Don't do this, they can be forged. If you must, accompany the person to the bank and have the teller hand it to you. Then cash it right there and hand over the title. Note, this would never happen!
If the person had cash to get said check, they wouldn't need paypal.
If the person wants to finance it, have them take out a personal loan through paypal and pay cash. Don't get involved with title leins or anything like that.
You meet at their bank and teller does cashiers check in front of you.
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
You meet at their bank and teller does cashiers check in front of you.
This is it!!!
If it is more than $200, then you want to do this.
If the person wants to pay with Credit Card, then he/she needs to convert the CC withdrawal at the bank as Cashier's Check.
I was helping somebody accept a paypal for him from his customer.
The customer reverse it and I have no way to dispute the charge even after proving that the person perform the service for the customer.
So no way with Paypal.
You meet at their bank and teller does cashiers check in front of you.
This is it!!!
If it is more than $200, then you want to do this.
If the person wants to pay with Credit Card, then he/she needs to convert the CC withdrawal at the bank as Cashier's Check.
I was helping somebody accept a paypal for him from his customer.
The customer reverse it and I have no way to dispute the charge even after proving that the person perform the service for the customer.
So no way with Paypal.
Couldn't you pay with a Credit Card on PayPal and has SOME protection from fraud?
Don't.
I am a fairly regular PayPal user, but would not use it for a vehicle sale, buyer or seller. I would agree to a deposit of some reasonable amount (10%, no more) and take the balance in some more reliable payment method. All of PayPal's Terms of Service are heavily in the buyer's favour. Dangerous in some cases as a seller.
Either she has the money in the bank, in which case she can easily come to some other arrangement, or she is financing via Credit Card.
If by CC, you can buy a payment doohickey for your smartphone to accept CC payments, in person transaction, and with a more reasonable fee than PayPal will charge you. They are inexpensive, sell them at Staples, etc.
However it does raise a potential fraud risk if the card she is using is not legit somehow. Like PayPal, resolution is pretty firmly in the buyer's favour.
I say decline or 10% PayPal and the balance in Certified Check when she takes delivery. Unless she can satisfy you with regard to why she wants to use these unconventional payment methods, it smells.
I am a fairly regular PayPal user, but would not use it for a vehicle sale, buyer or seller. I would agree to a deposit of some reasonable amount (10%, no more) and take the balance in some more reliable payment method. All of PayPal's Terms of Service are heavily in the buyer's favour. Dangerous in some cases as a seller.
Either she has the money in the bank, in which case she can easily come to some other arrangement, or she is financing via Credit Card.
If by CC, you can buy a payment doohickey for your smartphone to accept CC payments, in person transaction, and with a more reasonable fee than PayPal will charge you. They are inexpensive, sell them at Staples, etc.
However it does raise a potential fraud risk if the card she is using is not legit somehow. Like PayPal, resolution is pretty firmly in the buyer's favour.
I say decline or 10% PayPal and the balance in Certified Check when she takes delivery. Unless she can satisfy you with regard to why she wants to use these unconventional payment methods, it smells.
So, here is my story. I used to sell used engines as a side business. We had lots of transactions on paypal with no issues.
We would sell the engines bare, not dressed with alternators and AC compressors, etc.
We sold a higher dollar Ford Mustang Mach1 engine one day. I had it freighted to the guy.
Two days later he opened up a charge back on paypal. Paypal yanked the money out of my account instantly until they decided the final outcome of the transaction.
I was pretty worried this was like 3000-4000 if I recall correctly.
In the end we ended up winning the dispute, but it could have gone to the seller had I not had copies of bill of lading, with what was included, and photos of the item sold.
Take a deposit via paypal on the bike for like $100, but get the rest in cash or bank wire.
We would sell the engines bare, not dressed with alternators and AC compressors, etc.
We sold a higher dollar Ford Mustang Mach1 engine one day. I had it freighted to the guy.
Two days later he opened up a charge back on paypal. Paypal yanked the money out of my account instantly until they decided the final outcome of the transaction.
I was pretty worried this was like 3000-4000 if I recall correctly.
In the end we ended up winning the dispute, but it could have gone to the seller had I not had copies of bill of lading, with what was included, and photos of the item sold.
Take a deposit via paypal on the bike for like $100, but get the rest in cash or bank wire.
We are communicating via email. It is a woman claiming to want to buy the bike for her brother as a surprise birthday gift. She seems really urgent too. I smell a scam...I'm sticking to cash or cashier's check as my only acceptable payments...
Cash. In. Hand. Or no sale. Period.
I wouldn't even accept a cashier's check. They can be a scam too. If you have the funds to get a cashier's check, you have the funds to get cash.
I wouldn't even accept a cashier's check. They can be a scam too. If you have the funds to get a cashier's check, you have the funds to get cash.
Cash in hand on site or certified check/cashiers check you cash at your or their bank that day. If they even get remotely fussy about it, tell them to pound sand.
The number of scamming [censored] idiots out there today is so high, that you'll weed out the dopers quickly by insisting on cash or certified check/cashiers check verified that day (which is more of a hassle then just getting cash...)
The number of scamming [censored] idiots out there today is so high, that you'll weed out the dopers quickly by insisting on cash or certified check/cashiers check verified that day (which is more of a hassle then just getting cash...)
Originally Posted By: grampi
We are communicating via email. It is a woman claiming to want to buy the bike for her brother as a surprise birthday gift. She seems really urgent too. I smell a scam...I'm sticking to cash or cashier's check as my only acceptable payments...
Run !!!!!
We are communicating via email. It is a woman claiming to want to buy the bike for her brother as a surprise birthday gift. She seems really urgent too. I smell a scam...I'm sticking to cash or cashier's check as my only acceptable payments...
Run !!!!!
- Status
