The Yak Shack Forum

This isn't really a big deal, I don't think, but I just sold a card on ebay for $500+.  I have never, ever sold anything for that much, as I don't buy cases, and I usually sell only my extras, etc.  So, immediately after the auction was over, the buyer contacted me and asked if I would accept a 'split' payment method - money order & paypal.  For that amount of money, I'm ONLY comfortable with paypal unless I know the buyer(I don't). So, we worked out a paypal payment schedule for the next 5 days, and she's going to have it paid off by then, along with the extra paypal fees(I don't think THAT will be too much but I have to look it up).  My question for the serious sellers is Should I have been mean and said NO! Pay it all NOW?

If you had told her no, she might have backed out of the transaction, and that would have been a huge headache for both of you.  As long as she'll pay off the card within a week and cover the extra PayPal fees (which I believe are 30 cents per transaction, plus a percentage of the amount), you should be fine.  After all, there's really no difference waiting five days for all of the PayPal payments or waiting five days for the money order to arrive. :)

I might sound a bit off, but if the buyer can't afford to pay straight away, they shouldn't have bid. This type of arrangement should have been sorted before bidding. I would have been inclined to have said "No".

I agree with you, but since this person has won the auction, to me it makes sense that they work it out.  If the buyer backed out, Eve would have to wait a week before filing a non-paying bidder claim, wait another week for eBay to rule in her favor and refund her seller fees, and then she'd have to sell the card again.  Maybe it wouldn't sell for $500 the next time around.  IMHO, all things considered, waiting five days for payment isn't so bad.  Most sellers give people five to seven days to pay, anyway.

I'd tell the buyer to forget the partial payments - pay in full within 7 days via paypal.  I'd also insist on full insurance in addition to shipping or if the buyer is overseas that the shipping be with Registered Mail/International Signed For or your country's equivalent...

Actually, a money order should be safer than PayPal. (Or at least if it's a same-country money order.) The payment can't be reversed. And you don't have to pay any fee, which might have cleared you some more cash. Of course, I wouldn't ship the item until after I received and cashed the MO, and in this situation I would have asked that it be drawn on one of the bigger outfits like Western Union or WalMart. If so, it's as good as cash. (Well, unless somebody stole blank money order forms and had the right special machine to emboss them.)

Since most people fund PayPal by credit card, I'm not surprised to see somebody whose card is maxed out could have a problem using PayPal for an unexpected large purchase. Of course, another option would have been for the seller to send the money order to PayPal instead of to you.

Me, I might _encourage_ people to use money orders for items selling at $500+.  ;)

Thanks everyone for your responses.  The seller did pay the first 40% already, and we agreed that it will all be paid by Wednesday.  So, I get to wait and see now. :o=
Actually, this buyer has a perfect rating and REALLY seemed to want this card, so I think I'm just a tad paranoid since I'm not use to selling such big-time cards.

Well, fortunately the buyer paid me in full, and the card is now on its way - fully insured.  Thanks again for all the advice! :ebay:

All's well that ends well.