Buyer wants to send courier to collect a glass topped table. Is this risky?

[stomberosie]

I have a glass topped table in my listings and a prospective buyer wants to know if he can send a courier to collect. I have requested cash on collection but, under these circumstances, I imagine Paypal is best. I have a niggling feeling that this scenario is unwise - I'm also worried it might get smashed in which case who would be responsible? And how do I know if the courier is who he says he is? I'm probably making a fuss about nothing but....just not sure. I'd much appreciate your comments re safety etc. Thanks

[rusticrye · Accepted solution]

A buyer has zero buyer protection for Item Not Received or Not As Described when they arrange their own courier, so should anything go wrong en route (loss or damage), that's between the buyer and the courier to sort out. You and your prospective buyer can read this for yourselves in the Seller Centre, or in the Help pages with their integral search.

However, should an Unauthorised Account Use claim be opened against you within the next 13 months, you would lose. The only thing accepted to contest such a claim is a Proof of Posting receipt proving dispatch to the account holder's address. Which of course you wouldn't have. You would lose your money, and be charged a hefty admin fee into the bargain. So you should only ever accept payment in cash or by bank transfer for collection items, once the buyer or the buyer's agent has fully examined the item and is happy with it.

@stomberosie 

[**peaseblossom**]

Although there is no buyer protection for collected items it is still an added complication.   You'd have to package it very well to protect it.   Also if buyer used their credit card with Paypal in theory they could claim money back via their card.

Personally I would decine and put their ID on my blocked bidder list to be sure.

http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BidderBlockLogin

[john1297576]

The perfect solution would be for the buyer to give the Courier the Cash to pay on collection, but that still leaves the problem of packing, although I would think a decent Courier would know how to transport something like that.

However as suggested I would think there are too many risks so cancellation might be the best way.

As said the risk is all with the buyer but this is ebay. If buyer opened a not as described case for damage in transit,  you might have to argue your case, and ebay decisions can be very bad, ignoring their own rules.

[plpmr]

adding to the advice already given -

Everything else aside there's nothing stopping the buyer opening eBay / PayPal cases and you would then have the trouble of possible dealing with them.