Accepting a payment from across country

[MRH]

So I listed a guitar on CL and it is high end. A guy in Arizona has called me and is very interested. Rightly so, it is a good deal for this particular instrument...Anyway, we were discussing payment and he said he would send a cashier's check and I said "negative, ghost rider"...Then he asked if I would accept a personal check. We do not share the same bank so I am responsible for a bouncer. Of course this is also with the agreement that I will not ship until everything is clear. Still...

I'm looking for other options. PP kind of worries me as well, because I have no idea what they would do if he tried to rob me and they are stuck in the middle, unknowing. The guy does know a good bit about guitars and he seems just as worried about me, not knowing me. Understandable, and nothing personal, but I don't trust a stranger on the phone with a few thousand dollars.

I've sold stuff safely on Reverb and shipped with no problem, but I have never shipped a high end guitar through a CL transaction.

Any suggestions for a safe transaction on my end will be very helpful. I know some of you have a lot more knowledge about a deal like this than I do. He said if he decides he wants it he will get back with me in a day or two, so in the meantime I figured I would seek some friendly advice, if possible.

Thanks for reading.

 

[tas6691]

Postal Money Order
Cash it at PO and then ship.

Personally for non=firearm stuff PP is fine.

 

[MRH]

Postal Money Order
Cash it at PO and then ship.

Personally for non=firearm stuff PP is fine.

Postal money order cashed at the PO does sound like a definite winner for me. Thanks. I hadn't thought of that.

Is PP more friendly towards sellers?

 

[tas6691]

Time was, that was the only option. EBAY, GunBroker, gun sites...thats all we used.

 

[hamburglar3]

Postal money order cashed at the PO does sound like a definite winner for me. Thanks. I hadn't thought of that.

Is PP more friendly towards sellers?

watch out at the usps po. i tried to cash a money order once and they "didn't have enough money in the drawer" to cash it...."go to the bank and deposit"

 

[MRH]

I don't know...The more I look into it, the less confident I am in any non cash CL transaction. Apparently it is riddled with fraudulent cashier's checks, money orders, wire transfers, etc...Even PayPal doesn't appear to be 100%...Though it looks like the most secure option.

Without being able to accept a credit card, I think I will have to decline from selling to this guy. I'm not desperate or in a hurry to sell, anyway. I just don't want to risk being taken, especially with a big ticket item.

 

[Ruger34]

USPS money order

 

[StuP]

If someone tries to cheat you with a USPS money order they treat it seriously and it's postal fraud, a federal matter. I understand they pursue those cases.

 

[K79540]

What's wrong with a cashiers check?

 

[tas6691]

What's wrong with a cashiers check?

easy to fake. no one takes them anymore