How is a transaction handled?

Many sellers will only accept cash or money orders. However, this is rarely a problem. I have personally sent and accepted many money orders and personal checks for used equipment. This is usual practice if the buyer is aware of the reputation of the seller, and unless the reciprocal is true, the seller will usually wait until the check clears before sending the material.

Another method of payment gaining rapid acceptance is electronic payment. There are several companies, listed below, that facilitate payment electronically by means of direct transfer of funds or with a credit card. All you have to do to use these services is sign up with them, which is usually free, and register your method of payment, either via credit card or bank account. This information is held by the company you signed up with and never shared with anyone else. The success of these companies is based on their ability to protect the privacy of their customers, so your information is reasonably safe. Once you are signed up with a company you can both send and receive funds electronically. A small fee is charged for each transaction similar to the use of a credit card, and is usually charged to the seller.

Some of the better known companies are:

Western Union's BidPay	Ebay's BillPoint	Citibank's C2it	PayPal

There are several other ways to conduct business, particularly if the cost of an item is high. One of these is to ask for COD delivery. This allows you to at least see that you are getting the equipment you expect rather than a box of bricks, and that there are no obviously broken parts. Another is to use an "escrow" company. There are several companies who, for a fee based on the selling price, will act as a mediator. Usually the buyer initiates the action by sending a check or money order to the escrow company. After the check clears, they will instruct the seller to ship the item to the buyer within so many days. After the buyer has received the item he has a short period of time to check the merchandise and accept or return it. If he accepts it the escrow company sends the seller a check. If not the material is returned to the seller and the buyer will get his money back. Most escrow companies also work with credit cards and electronic transfer of funds. A couple of escrow companies' links are found in the Members section at escrowlinks.