Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Thinking about ebaying my powerbook
- Thread starter csubear
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
So do not accept paypal? Will that hurt my auction?
Also, how much should I start the bidding? I was thinking 900-1000.
Its a powerbook 1.33, w/768mb ram, 100GB 5400rpm segate harddrive, and comes with the stock super drive. It still have the box, and restore cds. I was purchased in may of 04. No apple care.
Also, how much should I start the bidding? I was thinking 900-1000.
Its a powerbook 1.33, w/768mb ram, 100GB 5400rpm segate harddrive, and comes with the stock super drive. It still have the box, and restore cds. I was purchased in may of 04. No apple care.
You buyers will not want to send a money order for something so expensive. They want to use paypal, it's better with paypal because you get your money instantly. On your auction just say somewhere that if they pay with paypal immediate payment is required if not you will bill them for the selling fee and you will leave negative feedback unless you decide you want to work something out instead.
csubear said:
start the bidding low but put a reserve on it, because if they see powerbook g4 $400 thyre more liklely to click on i then if it sys powerbook g4 $1000
csubear said:
You're better off starting it .01 cent. You will find that within the first 3 or 4 days it will get up to $900-$1000. The more bidders you have, the more chance you have of getting someone to pay more than they have to. The best way to get a lot of bidders is to start the auction low.
As far as paypal goes, I've sold 4 apples on ebay. Everyone paid with PayPal and I've never had a problem. Not allowing people to pay with paypal will definitely hurt your auction. If you are worried about someone reversing the charges then don't ship the computer until you have deposited the money from paypal into your bank.
I've bought and sold many laptops on ebay, including apples.
1. If you use paypal, you cannot make them pay the fee, you'll need to build this into the reserve price
2. If you're very paranoid (nothing wrong with that, just saying...) you can make them use escrow.com and have them pay the fee.
3. Make them pay vai paypal using a bank to pay not a credit card and, tell them you will wait until payment from paypal has cleared YOUR bank - do the withdraw then once it's in you should be ok.
1. If you use paypal, you cannot make them pay the fee, you'll need to build this into the reserve price
2. If you're very paranoid (nothing wrong with that, just saying...) you can make them use escrow.com and have them pay the fee.
3. Make them pay vai paypal using a bank to pay not a credit card and, tell them you will wait until payment from paypal has cleared YOUR bank - do the withdraw then once it's in you should be ok.
I've sold a number of computers on eBay.
1. Paypal is perfectly safe, but make sure you only accept payment from VERIFIED members. A verified member is someone whose address/payment information has been verified by Paypal, and if the buyer tries to screw you, Paypal covers it. Otherwise, you're on your own.
2. Otherwise, money orders, bank checks, and personal checks (with a waiting period to make sure they don't bounce) are perfectly acceptable.
3. Do NOT accept payment from anyone asking you to do a Western Union transfer, they are always fraudulent.
1. Paypal is perfectly safe, but make sure you only accept payment from VERIFIED members. A verified member is someone whose address/payment information has been verified by Paypal, and if the buyer tries to screw you, Paypal covers it. Otherwise, you're on your own.
2. Otherwise, money orders, bank checks, and personal checks (with a waiting period to make sure they don't bounce) are perfectly acceptable.
3. Do NOT accept payment from anyone asking you to do a Western Union transfer, they are always fraudulent.
With paypal, ONLY shipped to CONFIRMED addresses. ONLY VERIFIED memebers as was just said. ONLY ship via a carrier that will track and confirm delivery. Insure for full value. Save all receipts and paperwork for 6 months. In other words, have proof that you mailed the item if they buyer denies anything.
If you do not, PayPal will be happy to take your money, if you do, you should be ok. Do as others have said and only accept payment via bank account and make sure you have the cash before you mail.
I have sold 2 laptops on eBay and 50+ other items, as well as 50+ purchases. I have only had 1 semi-bad selling and one semi-bad buying experience. (Hence my two negatives out of 130 or positives...)
If you do not, PayPal will be happy to take your money, if you do, you should be ok. Do as others have said and only accept payment via bank account and make sure you have the cash before you mail.
I have sold 2 laptops on eBay and 50+ other items, as well as 50+ purchases. I have only had 1 semi-bad selling and one semi-bad buying experience. (Hence my two negatives out of 130 or positives...)
Thanks for the help, so i guess I will go with paypal verified? I don't think I can auction it at the moment. I'm moving from cleveland to phoenix on the 24th, I don't think that would be enough time to get everything squared away. I guess I'll just wait until i get to phoenix.
As a person who spent several weeks trying to sell my PC so I could buy my PB, here are a couple tips:
-Don't do a Buy It Now auction; a scammer will immediately buy it, tell you they will send the money through a money order and want you to send the computer as soon as you get email confirmation for the payment. When you refuse, they will unregister from ebay and you can get your money back for final auction fees, but it's a pain in the neck and you've already spent the money on the actual auction (which you won't get back). This can be prevented if you require instant payment, which won't allow anyone to go through with the BIN unless they send money via PayPal
-Watch out for African scammers emailing to pay for the computer outside of ebay at high prices (though I probably don't need to tell you this)
-State on the auction you must have at least 5 positive feedbacks to bid (or something of that nature)
-Watch out for American scammers. I finally sold the computer to someone with good feedback and good communication. She sent the money with a check and of course I waited until it cleared before sending the computer or buying the PB. My bank had already put the money in my account but when I called, the check hadn't actually cleared yet (this is after waiting 2.5 weeks for it) but they gave me the money anyway because I was a good customer. So I waited, went to the Tiger release in pain because I reaaaaally wanted to buy a PB, and sure enough, the next day the check bounced, the money removed, and the ebayer had unregistered from ebay when I called her on the scam.
My advice is require PayPal only (or escrow.com) and make sure the people bidding have good feedback. Good luck!!
-Don't do a Buy It Now auction; a scammer will immediately buy it, tell you they will send the money through a money order and want you to send the computer as soon as you get email confirmation for the payment. When you refuse, they will unregister from ebay and you can get your money back for final auction fees, but it's a pain in the neck and you've already spent the money on the actual auction (which you won't get back). This can be prevented if you require instant payment, which won't allow anyone to go through with the BIN unless they send money via PayPal
-Watch out for African scammers emailing to pay for the computer outside of ebay at high prices (though I probably don't need to tell you this)
-State on the auction you must have at least 5 positive feedbacks to bid (or something of that nature)
-Watch out for American scammers. I finally sold the computer to someone with good feedback and good communication. She sent the money with a check and of course I waited until it cleared before sending the computer or buying the PB. My bank had already put the money in my account but when I called, the check hadn't actually cleared yet (this is after waiting 2.5 weeks for it) but they gave me the money anyway because I was a good customer. So I waited, went to the Tiger release in pain because I reaaaaally wanted to buy a PB, and sure enough, the next day the check bounced, the money removed, and the ebayer had unregistered from ebay when I called her on the scam.
My advice is require PayPal only (or escrow.com) and make sure the people bidding have good feedback. Good luck!!
There are postal money orders, which are just as good as cash.ITASOR said:
Though, even they are being faked.
But like cash, you need to make sure the postal money order's security thread, watermark, etc. are present.
The post office site should have some tips on how to spot fakes, which is a darn harder to do with any other moneyorder -- besides waiting 3 weeks to see if it doesn't get pulled from your account.
I sold my older PowerBook on eBay. The first person that won it, tried to screw me with the unverified PayPal account/shipping address. After they sent me money, I quickly refunded the money back to their account, and within 24 hours they unregistered from eBay and refused to reply to my emails.
This is what I do. I accept PayPal on any items less than $500. If over $500, I only take money orders due to PayPal's outragous seller fees. I have yet to have a problem, and although you don't get as many bids at the beginning of the auction... someone will look at your positive feedback and see that your legitimate seller.
Once I receive the money order, I take it to my bank and have one of the account executives (clerks) verify that the money order is legit. They have phone numbers for all of the issueing banks. Once they verify the numbers on the money order, I deposit it in my account and ship the item.
Watch eBay and PayPal's fees, you can easily loose 10 to 15% of the final auction price if your not careful.
Edit: If a bidder with good feedback request PayPal for the auction, I tell them that I will accept it only if they are a verified member, have a verified shipping address, and willing to pay the PayPal fees associated with the auction. Most of the time, they are willing if they intend to charge it on their credit card and don't want/have the funds to purchase a money order.
Making the buyer pay the PayPal fees is technically a violation of the PayPal agreement, but I personally don't care.
This is what I do. I accept PayPal on any items less than $500. If over $500, I only take money orders due to PayPal's outragous seller fees. I have yet to have a problem, and although you don't get as many bids at the beginning of the auction... someone will look at your positive feedback and see that your legitimate seller.
Once I receive the money order, I take it to my bank and have one of the account executives (clerks) verify that the money order is legit. They have phone numbers for all of the issueing banks. Once they verify the numbers on the money order, I deposit it in my account and ship the item.
Watch eBay and PayPal's fees, you can easily loose 10 to 15% of the final auction price if your not careful.
Edit: If a bidder with good feedback request PayPal for the auction, I tell them that I will accept it only if they are a verified member, have a verified shipping address, and willing to pay the PayPal fees associated with the auction. Most of the time, they are willing if they intend to charge it on their credit card and don't want/have the funds to purchase a money order.
Making the buyer pay the PayPal fees is technically a violation of the PayPal agreement, but I personally don't care.