OV9

I sold some stuff on ebay. Two items, £300-£400 each. I am happy to post them but *both* buyers independently want to do a 250 mile / four hour round trip from the midlands to collect in person and pay cash. To save a tenner on postage.

One says there's a problem with ebay and it won't accept his card. Other says his insurance money that was meant to come through on Monday hasn't arrived yet so can't pay from his bank account but needs the item straight away and will come down with cash tomorrow.

They're up to something dodgy, right ?

Sounds iffy. Forged cash? Pay it in at the bank then hand the items over?

What are you selling?

Probably actually frkm Reading or Slough and will offer you a lot less for a quick, easy sale.. many excuses/reasons along the lines of I’ve driven so far, I thought I’d brought more cash etc and probably works with the average level of laziness these days!

Can you grab one of those pens that shops used to have? Not sure of the effectiveness but may save some freshly “minted” cash exchanging hands..

Yeah, moody bank notes were my first thought, and also the scope for last minute haggling - although a long drive makes that a bit moot. I’d not considered the ruse being them (or their mate…) in fact being local. Good point.

Not sure the pens would work on the new plastic notes ?

I’ve told them collection is OK, but payment needs to be through eBay. Let’s see what their replies to that are….

Builder, window cleaner etc

Can’t have too much going through the account or HMRC get suspicious.

Dave!

Couriers are cvnts. If I’ve got nothing better to do I’ll happily drive many miles and spend more on fuel than a courier would cost to make sure something matches the description and isn’t going to get drop kicked behind the neighbours bin while I’m at work.

V8Granite wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 10:17 pm Builder, window cleaner etc

Can’t have too much going through the account or HMRC get suspicious.

Dave!

Yep, I had a chap do an 80 mile round trip for a £50 mobile phone just to pay in cash, It was free postage!

Been years since I sold anything on eBay, but had a few scammers try it on.
Worth checking the rules to ensure you comply with seller's protection, especially around collection.

My guess is the “actually local but using the drive sob story to haggle down”

But do check the notes somehow and don’t do the pick-up at home. Carpark of plod station is best,

Prepare for a smash and grab

240PP wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 9:40 pm Pay it in at the bank then hand the items over?

That. John Q Citizen doesn’t handle wads of f cash any more, and it’s easier to use when it’s in your account.

Either that or get your counter strike in early. Leave the sold items on the bodies.

TBH it's probably just coincidence and some people who don't want the money going through their bank account for either tax or illicit activity purposes but can't really say that in a message.

"I'd like to pay cash because I'm evading tax/selling gear on the weekends"

FWIW, all of the fake notes I've seen have very obviously been fake with more than a cursory glance.

I've bought and sold cars for cash (several thousand £) in the past with no issue - why are we so scared of it now?

Rich B wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 8:57 am I've bought and sold cars for cash (several thousand £) in the past with no issue - why are we so scared of it now?

Me too. When it was the only way to do it.

Instant bank transfers are easier and less risky now, so that would be my preference.

Agree with everyone that some trades still use a lot of cash, so there may be nothing sinister in it at all.

Rich B wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 8:57 am I've bought and sold cars for cash (several thousand £) in the past with no issue - why are we so scared of it now?

We all did, because it was normal, and was the only way to do an "instant transfer" in the days before online banking, when even if you phoned up the bank to do a BACS payment it would take 3 days and the recipient would then have to phone their bank to verify it.

And I never *liked* handling thousands in cash. And back then I had a local bank branch where I could pay it in. That's now long gone and it's nearly an hour's round trip to go to Camberley to pay it in once you've parked (and paid for parking !), walked through the town centre, queued, blah. Cash is PITA now.

mik wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 9:21 am Agree with everyone that some trades still use a lot of cash, so there may be nothing sinister in it at all.

Yep, I get that. But in this case of driving all the way from Birmingham, it's a double whammy of not-being-worth-it:

a) The fuel will cost nearly as much as declaring the money and paying 20% tax on it.

b) You've lost half a day's income by doing this instead of working.

Gavster wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 8:40 am "I'd like to pay cash because I'm evading tax/selling gear on the weekends"

Yeah, I don't particularly care about that, but cash (more than say £50) is an inconvenience to *me* - see above about paying it into the bank.

So, second alternative, *they* go to the bank and pay the cash into my account. It keeps it out of their financial history and gives me the same net result that it just appears in my account. I'll suggest it. I'll wager a tenner they don't like that idea

It’s a few hundred quid. Stop overthinking it guys

A few hundred quid is enough to buy another car ! You've changed....

Guy that bought the race mini from me paid in cash. £6500 of it. Wasn't an issue but i was shitting myself until I had paid it in.

scotta wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 12:34 pm Guy that bought the race mini from me paid in cash. £6500 of it. Wasn't an issue but i was shitting myself until I had paid it in.

Same for me with my old Exige. £24k in cash. I was probably stupid to take it really, but the guy seemed legit and my missus was used to handling cash (don't say it ) so she did the counting, figured she'd spot something dodgy. Took forever to count and got some questions at the bank, but it was ok.

It was a bit annoying though, I said I wanted a bank transfer and he seemed fine with it, but then turned up after having come a long way, with cash. I think I checked his ID and took as many details as I could, he came with his missus and all seemed normal, but I guess anyone can be a grifter.

Seemed like more of an officey white collar type, so no idea why he had all that cash. He didn't try to haggle any more on the day.