My trademe sale "near miss".

[benlav]

Some of you may have seen that I am selling my PS3 on trade me. Thanks for all the questions...!

I've been using the "Pay Now" feature for the past year or so but no one has actually used it, until my PS3 sold. Sale price was $400 + shipping. The person who won it was a brand new user, which naturally rings alarm bells, but you gotta start from somewhere.

I forgot the auction closed on Saturday, so I get online on Sunday and see that my tradme account is in debit due to the sale, but my pay now account is in credit about $412. Cool, I thought, not so keen on the $8 payment fee and the $20 something dollar success fee, but what's done is done and I can format the drive and sell it.

I get an email from the buyer giving me the address etc and letting me know the address. All seems fairly legit. Quite possibly is, until..

I get another email from trade me saying. "you've recently sold via blaa blaa, we have been unable to contact the buyer to verify the transaction [dont send the goods]".

So I respond asking what is going on, the buyer has told me their account has been debited and my paynow account shows the funds. I then get another email (after a couple of days conversing wth trademe and the buyer) trying to figure out what is going on. Eventually, I get an email back saying they are unable to confirm the transaction has been completed by the account holder, removed the funds from the paynow account and refunded the fees and told me to relist.

Long and short of this, why the hell would I continue to use the pay now account, if there is no guarantee that when the money arrives into your paynow account, will stay in your account. I didn't send the PS3, however I thought I had access to the funds. They even sent an email (automatically I presume) saying the funds are in your paynow account and will be transferred in 1 or 2 days. Which just added to my confusion.

I don't know whether I'm being scammed or the person buying is just hard to contact, I've sent them my bank account details, but they will have to wait for the amount originally debited, to be credited back, then sent to me.

What a fricken hassle. On the bright side, if it does go through, I won't have to pay a success fee... If it doesn't they saved my ass. I'm not sure which yet.

[Lias]

Which is why I never accept Pay Now.

Credit Card transactions can ALWAYS be reversed.

[BerG]

Bizarre.

I think Pay Now has its positives. There was a time when I would only purchase items that had pay now, because I couldnt be assed doing the payment via online banking (wouldnt mind with a large value item such as a PS3 though).

However, now I bank with BNZ and their iOS app has one click trademe item payments. Fucking awesome.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

Which is why I never accept Pay Now.

Credit Card transactions can ALWAYS be reversed.

It's fine if you just wait till the money has been transfered to your bank account before shipping.

However thanks for the warning Benlav

[benlav]

I've touched base with the buyer who already has her money back, she has transferred it now via simple online banking. It sounds like they were wanting her to verify the 3 digit number on the debit card, which I have no issues with. The issue that bothers me, is that the money showed up in my pay now account, so as far as I was aware, the money was good. Trademe are good at responding via email within their time frame, but 12 hours is a long time when someone's account has been debited and they're waiting on the trade to be completed. I guess however, they did save my butt, so I can't complain, they did refund my fees without me asking (and looks like I get a free trade, yay!), so there are benefits of it. They were quick to say don't send the items. No harm done, just really like space said, is good to know,  wait unti the funds are in your account before you go and do anything.

Also - Berg, have you used pOLI before? I used it for the first time the other day, when I paid for my vehicle registration online. I never really knew what is was, but you can't pay vehicle reg using a credit card. By clicking on the the payment online feature, I selected my bank and then entered in my login details and it takes you directly to the online transfer option, fills in their bank account and payment details and amount, all you do is essentially log in and hit confirm, it was pretty good actually. I've seen it lots but never used it. Is good because they can confirm an online transaction immediately and process payment, whereas a normal online transaction is a bit more tedius from their end.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

I used it for the first time the other day, when I paid for my vehicle registration online. I never really knew what is was, but you can't pay vehicle reg using a credit card.

I used my credit card a few weeks ago to pay for my vehicle registration online.

[Lias]

I've touched base with the buyer who already has her money back, she has transferred it now via simple online banking. It sounds like they were wanting her to verify the 3 digit number on the debit card, which I have no issues with. The issue that bothers me, is that the money showed up in my pay now account, so as far as I was aware, the money was good. Trademe are good at responding via email within their time frame, but 12 hours is a long time when someone's account has been debited and they're waiting on the trade to be completed. I guess however, they did save my butt, so I can't complain, they did refund my fees without me asking (and looks like I get a free trade, yay!), so there are benefits of it. They were quick to say don't send the items. No harm done, just really like space said, is good to know,  wait unti the funds are in your account before you go and do anything.

Also - Berg, have you used pOLI before? I used it for the first time the other day, when I paid for my vehicle registration online. I never really knew what is was, but you can't pay vehicle reg using a credit card. By clicking on the the payment online feature, I selected my bank and then entered in my login details and it takes you directly to the online transfer option, fills in their bank account and payment details and amount, all you do is essentially log in and hit confirm, it was pretty good actually. I've seen it lots but never used it. Is good because they can confirm an online transaction immediately and process payment, whereas a normal online transaction is a bit more tedius from their end.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8099097/ASB-warns-customers-of-POLi-spoof

poli is dodgy as fuck, see above.

[Matt]

I think TM fees are bad enough as they stand, let alone paying more on top for pay now. Nice to see TM being somewhat proactive in this case however

[benlav]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8099097/ASB-warns-customers-of-POLi-spoof

poli is dodgy as $#@!, see above.

Could say the same with any spoofing attack. Ideally only use it through reputable sources, I'm pretty sure ASB would have had to allow the programmers access to thei online banking system. But always be vigilant I guess.

[BerG]

I used my credit card a few weeks ago to pay for my vehicle registration online.

This. Been doing it for years.

[Bounty Hunter]

I think TM fees are bad enough as they stand, let alone paying more on top for pay now. Nice to see TM being somewhat proactive in this case however

yeah that's what I notice about trade me, silly expensive but they've got their shit sorted.

is wheedle running/crashing again yet?

[Pyromanik]

This is a type of escrow right?

Sounds a bit shit.

[Lias]

Nah "Pay Now" is basically trademes name for allowing you to accept credit card payment even if your not a merchant set up for it.

Your thinking of Safe Trader which is an escrow service they also offer.

[benlav]

funds arrived via online banking. So ended up getting a free trade on $400, which is about $25 fee.