# Ebay Selling Question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614 "2022-08-30T16:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/1 "2022-08-30T16:44:40Z")
I have had some shady dealings in the past with Ebay (buying and selling.) I am a very infrequent Ebay user so I don’t know the best practices. In this case I have a watch to put up for sale. It’s a ladies Cartier watch and based on some online searching it’s worth somewhere around $3,000. My question is, how do I protect myself against someone buying it and then claiming it’s not real or some other scam once they have it in their hands? In my experience, dealing with Ebay in these situations can be hit or miss. Are there safeguards I can use to prevent any shenanigans? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/2 "2022-08-30T16:53:48Z")
Have it appraised and get documentation? And/or meet with a potential buyer at a qualified jeweler/watch dealer to make the sale in cash. ETA: Settle for somewhat less by selling it to a jeweler/watch dealer. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/3 "2022-08-30T17:06:56Z")
That was my initial thought. I was hoping to get the most return, but avoiding the potential headache is probably worth taking less. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/4 "2022-08-30T17:22:29Z")
From what I have seen on the internet, it is a crapshoot. eBay will pick a favorite out of the buyer/seller and support them, evidence be damned. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/5 "2022-08-30T17:25:19Z")
You might consider selling somewhere like Craigslist instead, there would be no return protection on that. Insist on cash only and meet in a very public place like a police department parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/6 "2022-08-30T17:43:47Z")
Another way to go is to join one of the online watch forums, they usually have a buy/sell function. You are more likely to find someone who actually wants the watch, not merely a scam artist. I belong to a fountain pen group like that; some pens regularly go for that much. I use paypal for these transactions. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/7 "2022-08-30T20:10:32Z")
Watch you need is a serious auction house which as a specialty in this area. While Sotheby’s and Christies’ come to mind when we think of serious auction houses one $3,000 watch probably wouldn’t interest them. For example perhaps an auctioneer on the LiveAuctioneers platform: > **[LiveAuctioneers: Online Auctions for Arts, Antiques & Collectibles](https://www.liveauctioneers.com/)** > > Win one-of-a-kind items from auctions around the world. Awarded Excellent (4.5 stars) on Trustpilot by thousands of bidders. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/8 "2022-08-30T21:16:59Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Another way to go is to join one of the online watch forums, they usually have a buy/sell function. You are more likely to find someone who actually wants the watch, not merely a scam artist. I belong to a fountain pen group like that; some pens regularly go for that much. I use paypal for these transactions. I agree with this approach (note: I have only ever been a buyer, not a seller). It seems to me, however, that Paypal is no better than eBay at careful adjudication of disputes, and seems to favor the buyer (unless the buyer is very inept at scamming). ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/9 "2022-08-30T21:29:30Z")
My standard for both buying and selling on paypal is that the seller receives the money in their account and then sends the item. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/10 "2022-09-01T07:44:28Z")
also, except for a hack I think 10 years ago, they seem to be safe site ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/11 "2022-09-01T14:55:45Z")
I would be wary of doing so if you can’t afford to lose the watch. I’ve sold lots of things in eBay and never had someone try to scam me, but my impression is that the deck is stacked against the seller in disputes. The expected rate of fraud is low, but if you end up with the 1% tail end, you’re going to have a hard time winning. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/12 "2022-09-01T15:33:08Z")
There’s absolutely no way I’d sell that on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-selling-question/970614/13 "2022-09-01T16:12:38Z")
I sold a non working Rolex on Ebay. I listed it as non working and included the repair estimate from a reputable jeweler. The buyer questioned the authenticity of the watch, I told him to have it inspected by a well known jeweler in his home town. He did and the jeweler not only verified the watch, he offered to buy it for more than he paid for it. You can also have the watch verified for [authenticity by Ebay](https://pages.ebay.com/authenticity-guarantee/), that should satisfy any buyer and it protects you.