Extra iPad. eBay worldwide or local CL?

[Brodus]

I will have an extra 32GB AT&T LTE on Friday, as it was upgraded to a 64GB after purchase, but the 32GB had already been prepped for shipping. It is (unfortunately) engraved with a random business name. Apple was quite helpful, has already sent an e-return form, and I have 14 days to send it back or bring it to a brick and mortar store for a refund. I figured I would test the market first, (Why not, right?) though I know the engraving will probably be a deal breaker for the majority. It is all about playing the odds. I will try the local CL first for a couple of days, then add eBay.​

I have two questions. The first concerns eBay. I notice the worldwide shippers have more bids ... right now almost all of the bids, which is understandable, though I know it is still early in the game. Does anyone have any thoughts about countries to avoid if I do post? Can I be safe with most/all of the countries on the eventual rollout? Thoughts? I wonder about days or possibly weeks in foreign customs, shady local officials, and/or sticky fingers by delivery people. Obviously I would insure for max, send tracking info (in US at least) and get confirmation for delivery. I have read tons of shipping info on the USPS site, but I am looking for past experiential data.​

The second question is about Craigslist. I would probably shoot for a meeting in a local, very nice bar/ restaurant, from brunch to happy hour-ish, where I used to bartend, know the whole staff, some of the guests, and probably have a tasty adult beverage when I arrive early. Anyone have prior experience with an iPad or other high ticket item on Craigslist? For those who have done this, do you call/ text them to connect last minute? I am not big on handing out the cell number, period. In the CL e-mails I would probably try to set up a time, then have the buyer ask the bartender if (my fake name) was there yet. I am a big guy, and I believe in the good in people, but I am also not up for having to fight a stranger, or getting jumped for the cash I was just paid. Any info, thoughts, or related stories are appreciated.​

 

[Photography]

I'm an experienced seller on eBay. My advice and personal policy is to only sell to those with verified PayPal accounts in the United States. I restrict buyers all other countries, no exceptions. I have never had any problems getting top dollar for the items I sell, and I can rest assured in that the buyer I am selling to has more credentials than an unverified buyer in another country. You can edit your eBay preferences in the my eBay section in terms of restrictions.

As far as Craigslist goes, I would recommend meeting in front of the local police station. That is the absolute safest place you can meet, and you're guaranteed not to have any trouble. In the event that you do get jumped, the police are right there.

 

[greytmom]

I thought engraved items couldn't be returned?

 

[NameUndecided]

I almost always sell an old laptop, Apple device, or other portable electronic through Craigslist when I have one to sell. I give a proper and honest description, usually with one or two pictures attached to the listing, and I put my phone number in the ad and the clarification that the ad will be removed when the item is no longer available. I also state that any vague email messages asking "is item still available?" will usually be ignored.

When someone contacts and is interested, I meet at a local Starbucks or bookstore where we can both have a seat while dealing in a public space.

*crossing fingers for fear of jinxing* This has always worked out perfectly fine for me.

 

[Brodus]

@coolosxapps: Definitely the verified PayPal only, good call. I think in my head I know that setting a US restriction is the best idea, and I am guessing the stateside demand will jump over the weekend. When it comes down to it, if there is a problem, it is better to stay with eBay, PayPal, and US law in a more controlled environment. I have no desire to have my package mysteriously disappear on foreign soil, only to then have buyer protection kick in. I have been to the little electronic bazars in places like China & Hong Kong, and they reek of total lawlessness. (i.e. any cpu program/ movie on a disc for a dollar) It has been probably five+ years since my eBay days, so I do appreciate your input. I never really thought about the police station, that is actually not a bad idea. I have the local town, county, and state popo within five miles of me, and there is, I think, a coffee shop or local pizza place in front or next to each of them.

@greytmom: I believe the non-engraving policy was around for the first iPad, but they pulled that policy, because the shell is replaced when apple refurbishes and resells them anyway. I think it also started to cause an uproar when they encouraged engraving to personalize, but then rejected returns. Bad karma. Curiously, I could not find any info (yes or no) on Apple's return pages. However, I was told by more than one Customer Service rep that it would be fine, and I have also seen similar responses on other threads. This could be one of those policies that got changed quietly, to appease the customer, but not openly advertise it to the masses ... I hope.

@NameUndecided: I guess I just worry about some possible wacko tracking me down by my phone number. Also, thank you for the crossed fingers. I can feel your un-jinxiness from here. That's right, I'm making up words ....

Thanks again for the shares. I have been coming to this site for years, to dig through the forums. Maybe I should have joined earlier than today. Better late than never, I guess.

 

[Storrow]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

But cant the buyer just claim the ipad is not in the box? Then your paypal account gets a charge back and is negative the money. I got screwed in a similar way through my own stupidity but be really careful of ebay. I would say CL is definitely safer. Just meet at a starbucks.

 

[Photography]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I am also thinking of selling my extra ipad on ebay. I am really worried about it though because can't the buyer just claim the ipad was not in the box and then your paypal account goes negative because of the buyer protection? Is there any way to get around this and safely sell it or does it just come with the territory? From reading this ill definitely sell US only to paypal verified buyers but is that enough?

Read this page completely for information regarding eBay seller protection.