I have a shipping and payment question...looking for advice

[whitehse]

I have a higher dollar card that is in the $600.00 range and I am looking for advice on shipping and payment methods. I have always dealt with lesser value cards with nothing more than $200 bucks but in this day and age where switcharoos and returns seem to be running rampant on Ebay (at least for some modern cards), I was curious to know from those who sell higher dollar cards how you prefer to be paid and how you ship the cards in order to best protect yourself. I assume Paypal is the best payment method but NOT F&F..... but how well does that protect me as a seller if someone pulls a fast one on me? Do I even have protection perhaps if someone wants to return the card and I get sent back an empty envelope?

And what about shipping? I would likely ship 1-2 day priority but should I be doing more? Would sending it registered be my best option? If some of you could chime in with your best practices I would very much appreciate it.

[Eddiez]

When I ship anything over ~$400 I use a small flat rate box to protect the card better than a padded envelope. I also do signature required. Personally the few times I have had buyers try to scam me eBay has stood behind me. Hope this helps. Eddie

[conor912]

Registered mail is massive overkill for a $600 card. A well packed flat rate small box is more than appropriate. It comes with $50 insurance. You can add $550 more if you like. Paypal goods is likely your best bet for payment, unless the buyer is willing to send a check, which a lot of people are not. You should be fine with PP. Their seller protection is well outlined on their website, and problems are rare. That said, there is risk in everything. If being out the $600 (in the unlikely case that it becomes an issue) would be that detrimental to you, I would suggest not selling though the mail at all.

[swarmee]

You can sell through a consignor like COMC.

PayPal protection is about to eliminate protection for items "intended to be resold" which likely include collectibles. So paying PayPal Goods on a transaction for sports cards may not longer have the same quality that it has in previous years. I'm not sure when the new TOS starts, but it is soon.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by swarmee

You can sell through a consignor like COMC.

PayPal protection is about to eliminate protection for items "intended to be resold" which likely include collectibles. So paying PayPal Goods on a transaction for sports cards may not longer have the same quality that it has in previous years. I'm not sure when the new TOS starts, but it is soon.

This is news to me. I wondered how PP would determine said reselling motives and I found this. To me, it sounds like it would only apply to collectibles if, say, you bought 10 of the same card. Then PP might assume you were reselling them. This obviously has massive flaws since i have bought multiples in the same transaction before with the intention of keeping them all. Sounds like a clusterf*** of arbitrarily denying claims to me, but I’d love others’ interpretation.
https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2020/...ct-on-july-31/

That said, it won’t affect the OP.

[swarmee]

Thanks for the link; looks like they walked back a lot of their original plans in the last month.

[bnorth]

Cash is king. Both card and cash can be sent n a bubble mailer first class with tracking.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Cash is king. Both card and cash can be sent n a bubble mailer first class with tracking.

I can't think of a worse idea

[Jewish-collector]

Originally Posted by conor912

Registered mail is massive overkill for a $600 card. A well packed flat rate small box is more than appropriate. It comes with $50 insurance. You can add $550 more if you like. Paypal goods is likely your best bet for payment, unless the buyer is willing to send a check, which a lot of people are not. You should be fine with PP. Their seller protection is well outlined on their website, and problems are rare. That said, there is risk in everything. If being out the $600 (in the unlikely case that it becomes an issue) would be that detrimental to you, I would suggest not selling though the mail at all.

I disagree. I'm a low end collector, so $600 is a huge amount to me. If I was selling your card, I would send it registered mail.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by conor912

Registered mail is massive overkill for a $600 card. A well packed flat rate small box is more than appropriate. It comes with $50 insurance. You can add $550 more if you like. Paypal goods is likely your best bet for payment, unless the buyer is willing to send a check, which a lot of people are not. You should be fine with PP. Their seller protection is well outlined on their website, and problems are rare. That said, there is risk in everything. If being out the $600 (in the unlikely case that it becomes an issue) would be that detrimental to you, I would suggest not selling though the mail at all.

well said.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

I disagree. I'm a low end collector, so $600 is a huge amount to me. If I was selling your card, I would send it registered mail.

My point was that the shenanigans it sounds like he is scared of are not part of the shipping process, but of the buyer trying to pull a fast one after receiving the card. I would expect registered mail to take at least 2 weeks to arrive, should he go that route.

[sportscomicfantasy]

I have started selling some stuff on ebay about 2+ years ago. Anything I sell over $100, I pay for the insurance. I send it in a bubble mailer, with cardboard on each side of the card, first-class through the post office so I have a tracking number. I am not worried about the card after I send it with the insurance, it does cost a bit, probably about $8 on a $600 card.

As far as returns, it hasn't happened that often but of course there have been a few. Now on returns, because I am worried about being scammed, I videotape my opening of the package. Though I have been fortunate not to get hit by anyone trying anything on returning something to me.

Now I do have and have sold several higher valued cards and only had problems with one. It was a PayPal transaction, the buyer sent the card from my grader to another and it came back altered so he filed with Paypal. They sided with me, took a few weeks of pain in my ass!

I say pay the extra and have it insured and don't sweat the selling part. Now if you want to worry about the return problems, that is up to you, I don't worry about it that much and I am the type to over think things way too much.

[Jim65]

If you're worried about someone pulling a switcheroo on a return, theres really no protection against that, insurance will not cover that.

I speak from experience when I say videotaping opening the box on return will not prove anything, Ebay or PayPal won't even look at it. A seller can open the box, replace the card with a cheap common, then videotape themselves opening the box again to find the common.

[MikeGarcia]

Originally Posted by Jim65

If you're worried about someone pulling a switcheroo on a return, theres really no protection against that, insurance will not cover that.

I speak from experience when I say videotaping opening the box on return will not prove anything, Ebay or PayPal won't even look at it. A seller can open the box, replace the card with a cheap common, then videotape themselves opening the box again to find the common.

..Well then what proof of a scam does the USPS and E-Bay and PayPal request/require in order for us sellers to not lose both the seller's payment ( refunded to buyer ) and our shipped real actual card .? What works , other than sending a hitman to the ''buyer''s address ?

..

[swarmee]

A lot of times in those cases eBay and PayPal will reimburse both sides, as part of their guarantee. If it happens too often from one guy, they will remove your account so you can't do it to them again.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by MikeGarcia

..Well then what proof of a scam does the USPS and E-Bay and PayPal request/require in order for us sellers to not lose both the seller's payment ( refunded to buyer ) and our shipped real actual card .? What works , other than sending a hitman to the ''buyer''s address ?

..

Ebay sided with me when it happened but I'm not sure what other actual proof there is.

I was told by Ebay that videos are too easily faked and wouldn't even look at them. When I posted the story on another forum, a few others related similar responses from Ebay.

[whitehse]

Thank you everyone for the responses.

The card I was shipping was a 2012 Topps Heritage Mike Trout that I had no clue it had any value. I bought about five packs in 2012 since I usually buy just a few to see what they look like each year and just stashed these away. I went to clean out some old boxes and found the Trout and set it aside having no idea it was a high dollar card. I finally got around to looking at it and about lost my lunch when I saw it was a $200 card raw but PSA tens were going for between $600 and $800 bucks. So I sent it away and dang if it didn't come back as a ten. So I sold that card so that it could fund my purchase of a 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle that I need for my set which I would much rather have over the Trout anyway.

I sent the card in the 2 day small priority box with additional insurance and packed it with a ton of bubble wrap and other quality packing material.

I thank everyone for their advice as it was much appreciated. I have sold online for years but never sold a card of this value so I just wanted to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row. I appreciate all of you!!

[sportscomicfantasy]

Originally Posted by Jim65

If you're worried about someone pulling a switcheroo on a return, theres really no protection against that, insurance will not cover that.

I speak from experience when I say videotaping opening the box on return will not prove anything, Ebay or PayPal won't even look at it. A seller can open the box, replace the card with a cheap common, then videotape themselves opening the box again to find the common.

Thank you for letting us know about that!

I currently have one extra protection which if you buy a lot I don't know if it would help or not. I have a mailbox at the UPS Store, so I always have someone to sign for it, never gets left out in the weather, or where someone can steal my items.

I will now open any returns at the desk of the UPS Store on videotape with witnesses before leaving the store. If Ebay or Paypal will not accept it, I do believe that a court of law would accept that if it is a high dollar item.

I just wish all these cheats would take their really good swindling minds to cure cancer or something more productive for everyone!

[toledo_mudhen]

You don't say "how" you sold the card?

In 30ish years of card deals (buy & sell) I have only used - In Person, eBay and Net 54. Have never had an issue with any of these (just dumb luck maybe?)

When selling other than in person - I have always used USPS with tracking (sometimes priority, sometimes sig required, and always insured on high dollar deals). To me $600 would fall under the category of "high dollar" deal - so it would be insured.

On Net 54 - have always used PP F&F - both buying & selling. Have always made sure that both sides get "tracking" updates.

Over the last many years Net 54 has become my "preferred" method of both Buying (even tho it includes me paying up front) and Selling (requires trust on the buyers part).

Lots of trust in USPS and lots of trust in Net54 BST.

eBay pretty much an irritating platform but not many alternatives that get the same number of eyes on your item. Been on eBay since 96 and never any issues there either.

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

You don't say "how" you sold the card?

In 30ish years of card deals (buy & sell) I have only used - In Person, eBay and Net 54. Have never had an issue with any of these (just dumb luck maybe?)

When selling other than in person - I have always used USPS with tracking (sometimes priority, sometimes sig required, and always insured on high dollar deals). To me $600 would fall under the category of "high dollar" deal - so it would be insured.

On Net 54 - have always used PP F&F - both buying & selling. Have always made sure that both sides get "tracking" updates.

Over the last many years Net 54 has become my "preferred" method of both Buying (even tho it includes me paying up front) and Selling (requires trust on the buyers part).

Lots of trust in USPS and lots of trust in Net54 BST.

eBay pretty much an irritating platform but not many alternatives that get the same number of eyes on your item. Been on eBay since 96 and never any issues there either.

Hi Lonnie,

You are right, I forgot to mention how I sold the card. I had it sitting on Ebay for about 2 months and would receive occasional low ball offers for it...and I mean EXTREME low ball offers for it but this past week someone shot me a deal I thought was fair and covered almost all I needed for the Mantle so I thought I should jump on the offer while I had the chance. Outside of Ebay my only other method of selling has been here on Net54 and on a very rare occasion, Blowout if the card is more modern.