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Buying a bike from England

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  • 28-03-2014 7:50pm
    #1
    chippers
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭


    Hi, i'm looking for some advice.

    I want to buy a bike from a guy based in England. He has agreed to boxing it up and to organising a courier. I'm a bit unsure of the best method for payment. I found the bike on the CTC forum so we have been exchanging emails from that. Does anyone have some advice on a suitable payment method that would provide me with some sort of assurance that everything is above board.


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    #2
    furiousox
    Registered Users Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭furiousox


    Paypal?

    CPL 593H



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    #3
    chippers
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭chippers


    furiousox wrote: »
    Paypal?

    I have to admit i've never used paypal before. Do I just set up an account on their website?If i send the money to the seller and the bike never arrives / or not the same as in the photos will I have some sort of a comeback?


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    #4
    furiousox
    Registered Users Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭furiousox


    It's easy enough to open an account with them and they do offer a degree of protection.
    Their fees are quite high though, around 5% but it's the seller who gets hit not the buyer.

    https://www.paypal.com/ie/webapps/helpcenter/home/

    CPL 593H



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    #5
    chippers
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭chippers


    furiousox wrote: »
    It's easy enough to open an account with them and they do offer a degree of protection.
    Their fees are quite high though, around 5% but it's the seller who get's hit not the buyer.

    https://www.paypal.com/ie/webapps/helpcenter/home/

    Thanks for that. Not too sure how he will react to receiving €50 less on the agreed price


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    #6
    letape
    Registered Users Posts: 2,926 ✭✭✭letape


    chippers wrote: »
    Thanks for that. Not too sure how he will react to receiving €50 less on the agreed price

    He will probably expect you to cover the PayPal fees. That's been my experience buying bits and pieces to date.


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    #7
    reallyunique
    Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭reallyunique


    I've used PayPal many times for transactions in the UK and US. Transfers are quick and painless (for the buyer) and they do provide some cover if things go wrong. Take a good look at the procedure for handling a dispute. It can take a long time, there are fees and AFAIR, a limit on any one claim. That said, my one and only dispute was handled slowly but fairly and I got most of my money back.

    Online transactions need trust. If the sum involved is large and you have any uncertainty at all, even if you can't quite figure out why, stop. It hurts to be scammed and it can sour you on the whole ebay/online thing for ages.
    As you found the bike on a forum, check the seller's posts and any other sales that might have been done. If it's a noob then take extra care.

    Ask the seller if they'll eat some of the cost, people can be surprisingly willing.
    Best of luck with the purchase :)


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