Am I being scammed

[Robti]

Hi all I am currently selling my old av receiver on a well known av site and have just got a pm below, any reason to be worried, just the fact about the invoice?

Thanks


Cool. How much for it being shipped? I'm in Barnsley South Yorkshire.

Do you accept paypal? and could you invoice it up as something else so I can pass it through my business?

[Trisman]

Doesn't seem like a scam, not yet anyway..!

If it were me, I reply saying:

I'd prefer a bank transfer, as it's quicker & more direct, but would accept PayPal gift. (The fees are ridiculous otherwise...!).

What would you want it invoicing as?

Cost will be £....

Regards,

etc...

Go from there. If you start getting excuses about the payment method or he wants it invoicing as a supertanker, then it's time to get suspicious!

[electrocop]

There's nothing wrong with being asked for an invoice, however being asked to state it is something else constitutes fraud to some degree.
If I were you, I would only send an invoice for the item you are selling. Make sure you include the model number and serial number on the invoice, and a reference to the place it was advertised & sold. This protects you from being scammed, as the buyer could go to PayPal and claim that the item is faulty (and return a different item), or say that the item was not received at all, or received whatever it was that he wants you to say it is and not the amplifier (or whatever).
To sum up - be careful!

[Dallas]

It sounds like he wants you to send him a paypal invoice so he can pay you via the invoice option, this is perfectly normal.

You can log into your paypal account and create an invoice for the item you are selling, then you send him the created invoice to his email address for him to pay you direct. You normally do this for 'Goods or Services' as its different than sending money as a gift, sending an invoice gives you and the buyer protection.

The bit where he is asking you to not mention the item being an AV receiver, wants you to list the item as something else on the invoice. This could be a scam where he may claim the item you sent him is not what it states on the invoice a bit silly though if that is his intentions.

I would simply message him back and say... Sorry, but item will be stated as an AV Receiver, brand, model and serial number etc.

This way it protects both you and the buyer if anything was to go wrong, just make sure you take as many photos as possible, even open it up and mark with an ultra violet pen.

[Robti]

Thanks to you all for the helpful replies I have just let him know the P&P so will wait and see if I get a reply and then mention the things that you have all brought up, politely of course

[Robti]

Thanks all he's came back and was wanting it to down as a server for a company, but happy to accept it as av equipment with description.

Now if I send him an invoice for £170 as that is what I want does he pay fees ?

Thanks

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by Robti

Thanks all he's came back and was wanting it to down as a server for a company, but happy to accept it as av equipment with description.

Now if I send him an invoice for £170 as that is what I want does he pay fees ?

Thanks

Depending on how much money you have moved through your PayPal account in the last 12 months, its normally 3.4% and 20p per invoice.

You will need to send your buyer a £176.19 invoice for you to receive £170.

[Trisman]

I'm guessing you don't use PayPal very much!

Basically, no. He doesn't pay the fees, you do.

If he's planning to pay you via. PayPal after you send a request for payment through PayPal (the so-called PayPal 'invoice'), you pay their fees.

If he agrees to send the money via. PayPal gift, you don't pay any fees (neither does he) but there is then no way of sending him a PayPal invoice.

Why not just email him something stating how much you want, with the option for him to pay via. PayPal gift (give your PayPal ID so he can pay you) or your bank sort code & account number?

Send the actual invoice with the a/v equipment. He'll need that if he wants to put it through his books.

(The PayPal 'invoice' is really nothing more than an email request for payment that goes through PayPal's systems. Putting it through his companies books could be difficult).

PayPal gift (AKA friends and family) is supposed to be a way of transferring money between people who know & trust each other. It's often used as a way to circumvent PayPal's fees. They're wise to the more blatant evasion techniques.

As others have said, if you send a PayPal invoice for a server & he receives a/v equipment, he has the basis for a claim to get his money back.

So either send the PayPal invoice stating exactly what you'll be sending him, (you'll be liable for PayPal fees) or send a separate invoice with the item stating whatever he wants, after he pays via. your bank or via PayPal gift.

Seems needlessly complex to me...