Bob Lockwood:
George Hatfield:
I'm still not sure how to handle "not rated" buyers. I've thought about asking for some sort of ID, but had second thoughts in that it might be too intrusive. Of course, if the "not rated" buyer offers ID and even recommendations from others, that is a very good sign. I have had zero problems in selling many, many items.
For me, this is not the case. It's the buyer rated or not that's taking the risk buying from a seller that has no ratings. Once you have received funds, it's the buyer that is hopping you're an honest seller. I have sold many items to buyers that have never purchased anything before, there the risk taker. Once the transaction has been completed, I leave them good rating as a first-time buyer.
I agree that once the seller has his/her money, the risk becomes low in dealing with a "not rated" buyer. But I learned from my latest round of selling that PayPal no longer automatically releases the payment for transfer into your bank account. This is especially true for expensive items (e.g., >$1000). First, PayPal wants proof of delivery, which can be obtained from shipping tracking info. But what if you deliver the item (e.g., something delicate and heavy)? Then, one has to get the buyer to sign into Paypal and acknowledge receipt of the item. Then, they may impose a limit on how much can be transferred per month or some other period. Paypal is no longer as simple as it once was. In the future, I will avoid using them. What I worry about from "not rated" buyers is that some minor or nonexistent "problem" will be claimed with the item, and then PayPal will not release the money. Anyway, as you noted, problems are very rare in my experience with Astromart or Cloudy Nights.
