Q&A: Are off-site sales a good idea, or probably a scam?
QUESTION: Why do so many people contact me to ask whether I will do a private sale? They see a book I have listed on Amazon, Alibris, or ABE, and then they want to buy it from me directly with a money order, check, or PayPal. They will say they don't like to buy things using the computer (so they email me about something they saw online?) or that they don't have an account with Amazon. I would rather sell via a site for the protection it offers me, but am I just turning away good money, or are these folks more likely to be scammers?
ANSWER: I used to get those types of inquiries all the time when I first started selling, and I rarely get them anymore. So that makes me suspicious that at least some of the people who ask for off-site deals are up to no good. I would be very concerned about getting a counterfeit check or ending up in some other type of scam. When you get paid via Amazon Payments, you don't have those worries.
I really have a hard time believing anyone nowadays who says they're scared to buy on the Internet. If they don't want to buy on the Internet, then they should shop only at brick-and-mortar stores, if you ask me. Perhaps the reason they don't "want" to buy online is because they're broke and all their credit cards have been cancelled.
It's entirely possible that some of these people aren't scammers, they're just cheapskates. They think you'll offer them a great deal when you don't have to pay a commission to Amazon, Half, or someone else. But personally, I'm not willing to go out of my way for them, just to eliminate a dollar or two in commission. I don't think it's worth the aggravation.
The other thing, of course, is that Amazon and all the selling venues prohibit off-site deals. So while it's probably unlikely, there's always the chance that somebody asking for an off-site deal would end up reporting you. Again, it's a risk I'm not willing to take.
I'm curious to know if other sellers have had good or bad experiences with off-site deals.
ANSWER: I used to get those types of inquiries all the time when I first started selling, and I rarely get them anymore. So that makes me suspicious that at least some of the people who ask for off-site deals are up to no good. I would be very concerned about getting a counterfeit check or ending up in some other type of scam. When you get paid via Amazon Payments, you don't have those worries.
I really have a hard time believing anyone nowadays who says they're scared to buy on the Internet. If they don't want to buy on the Internet, then they should shop only at brick-and-mortar stores, if you ask me. Perhaps the reason they don't "want" to buy online is because they're broke and all their credit cards have been cancelled.
It's entirely possible that some of these people aren't scammers, they're just cheapskates. They think you'll offer them a great deal when you don't have to pay a commission to Amazon, Half, or someone else. But personally, I'm not willing to go out of my way for them, just to eliminate a dollar or two in commission. I don't think it's worth the aggravation.
The other thing, of course, is that Amazon and all the selling venues prohibit off-site deals. So while it's probably unlikely, there's always the chance that somebody asking for an off-site deal would end up reporting you. Again, it's a risk I'm not willing to take.
I'm curious to know if other sellers have had good or bad experiences with off-site deals.
Labels: payments
posted by Steve Weber at 1/09/2007
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