Safe way to pay?

[ShyBoy]

Hi, I'm about to buy some stuff from someone off a forum - he's gonna send it over to me. Just wondering whats the best way to pay him - obviously cash in an envelope is a big no no :p I was wondering if a cheque would be any better though, since if he cashes it then decides to do a runner, what would I do? I mean, generally the forums I'm buying off, people are satisfied and all that :) and its not a centre for rip off merchants, mroe like a swap shop thing.

I would go pick it up but its in suffolk lol, and I cba to go all the way. He sounds good though, i mean, ive got his email and his website and hes not one of these anonymous web people who you know nothing about. Could all be a scam though :/ don't want to get ripped off to the tune of £400 lol.

Also, I don't even have a cheque book (lol) so would going to the bank and getting a bankers draft be the best way to go? I can always pay through paypal if thats a possibility... I trust the guy, I just want to be 100% sure I'm not going to get ripped off.

[wooooooooah]

You could also do a postal order I think? Or a direct bank transfer if you asked them to do it...

[Rich-E]

I would have said paypal might have been one of the safer ways.

[ShyBoy]

You could also do a postal order I think? Or a direct bank transfer if you asked them to do it...

Postal orders are completely untracable though! Thing is, if I write a cheque to him, my bank will pay him, then I can say to my bank 'he didnt give me the goods, i want my money back' but because of the nature of banks, it would be down to me as far as i know to chase him to spain or wherever he went, get him in a court and sue him, as id given him the cheque. Some things, like credit cards, because its not your money, if you dont get whatever it is, its the bank being ripped off, they'll give you the cash back, and they'll chase the people up.

can you pay from paypal to someones bank?

[wooooooooah]

Ah I see. Yeah I think you can paypal into someone's account...

[Acrobat]

I'd say paypal with a credit card. You get buyer protection with some of them I think.

[ShyBoy]

Unfortunately I've only got the visa electron, but hopefully *crosses fingers* everything should go through without a hitch anyway :D

[Mist]

Also, I don't even have a cheque book (lol) so would going to the bank and getting a bankers draft be the best way to go? I can always pay through paypal if thats a possibility... I trust the guy, I just want to be 100% sure I'm not going to get ripped off.

A banker's draft would essentially be like cash and therefore no use to you - it offers no benefit to the buyer over a cheque, and, since you would normally have to pay a fee to get one drawn up, could actually be worse for you.

Best would be paypal I guess, though you're not guaranteed either way.

[ShyBoy]

The guys gonna drop it off to save on postage lol, so long as I give him a bacon sarnie and a coffee. Oh dear, Im no good at socialising :| but anyway, I may as well just give him cash in hand then... or something :)