I have never sold anything on this board and am curious as to how one receives payment. I have a Bernina BSR that came with my Bernina 440, then I bought a 730 and it also came with a new BSR, so I have two. I'd like to sell one BSR, but am not sure how the payment works, especially on an expensive item. I want to believe that all of us are honorable people, but sometimes things can go wrong, and I don't want to lose that much money (retail, I believe is about $1,000). And it works the other way, too...the buyer will want to be sure that I am actually going to send it to her. If it were a $5 item I wouldn't care, but this is a big investment. Thanks for any advice you have.

you can either take a check/m.o, and wait for it to clear before shipping, or take Paypal and get the money instantly.

sign up for paypal, it's really easy to do, and then you don't have to worry. Most people in this site have paypal, so if you want to buy anything then you will be all set. It's very secure and so easy to do.

Paypal is the safest method for both buyer and seller.

I cant speak or everyone here, but I have never had a bad customer here. Always got paid, no bad checks, and always recieved items if I bought.
I know some people will ONLY do paypal....maybe that is safer? I dont know anything about it. Good luck with selling!

If you do not have a Paypal account- I would create one. I would never buy anything that expensive online without using Paypal- it protects both parties. (You get your money, safely, before sending out product, and buyer has some recourse if the item is damaged, broken, etc.)

Paypal does charge the seller a small fee, so take that into account in your price. Also, you can use Paypal to create a shipping label to ship your item. You are right, you don't want to lose that much money, and neither will the buyer. Paypal rules....

Wow, thanks for all the speedy replies! The people on this QB are amazing!!!!

Unfortunately there was a seller on this board last summer who did not keep her commitments to those who purchased from her. Paypal was my protection in receiving my money back - as you are able to file a claim through them, and in time, I did receive a full refund. I realize this is an isolated incident, but it did happen - and with that in mind, I would recommend going through Paypal - especially when you are talking a large sum of money.

paypal charges 3+ % plus 30 cents per transaction. So definitely keep that in mind when you sell. Because for a $1000 item you will pay roughly $35.00 in fees. Hope this helps. :-)

I have taken paypal, check, money orders and IOU's. I have never been burned. I have this innate Faith in Quilters that they will do as they promise. Just my attitude :)

I prefer the using paypal. I would rather pay the fees and have the money instantly and securely. Much easier for all involved

I agree with using PayPal as everyone here has stated. I would also when shipping your item, get delivery confirmation on it. It's 70 cents if I remember right and it protects you both. You and the seller can track it. So if someone says they didn't get it, then you can check the tracking number.
Having that tracking number saved me from being burned..not by anyone here, but from a business.

I have a personal PayPal account and there are no fees charged for receiving money as long as it is not via credit card. If the payment is made from another PayPal account or bank account tied to PayPal, there is no fee.

This is for personal accounts. Business accounts (or "upgraded" accounts) are charged for every transaction.

If you only use paypal then you limit your selling of the item faster. I have paypal but do not use it much. Not everyone has paypal. I won't even look at the listings that say they only take paypal or say they will only use flat rate shipping.

I have just started selling items here just because of a more appreciative and understanding crowd, and a member taught me how to use Paypal and it was a simple process. It was hard watching all the books and fabrics and not knowing how to do things. I also check the personal section to not have to pay the fees. Then you can also transfer the money in your Paypal account to your bank if you want to. It takes a few days but it is well worth it.
This has been a great forum to unload unused and unneeded items with the drama or hassle of ebay.

My Paypal is a personal account and I've been charged fees everytime i have collected money for things sold on here. On a personal account there are different options for the "type" of funds a person is sending you. I don't remember exactly what those "types" are but I do believe one of the choices is gift...and that may be the one that is not charged a fee.

If you send money and claim that it is paying for something, the person on the other end receiving the money, is charged a fee.

You also have to remember that this quilt board was NOT set up to just sell items!! It seems to me that some members have been using this board as a site to sell(JMHO). I do buy from people on here, but that's not why I'm on here. I'm here to LEARN new things and enjoy the comraderie of fellow quilters.

Paypal is the best and most secure way to handle a transaction, but I've also never had a problem with a check from anyone on here yet.

I've learned how to use paypal since I joined the board too. I have it when I used ebay years ago, but wasn't really up-to-date on how to use it.

It's nice to be able to do everything with the paypal "debit" card....I just got that!

Since I don't have a printer at home to print postage labels, I go to the post office or my evening shipper and just use my paypal card to pay for the postage...saves time...otherwise I have to wait for the money to transfer to my bank account. A transfer from my paypal account to my bank takes about 4 days...so I only do that about once every couple weeks.

People on here are real nice...I've learned thru trial and error too.

I take checks, money orders, cash, paypal, IOUs...and havent't had any problems either.

It has been a blessing for me to thin out my inherited stash....and make room to get quilting again.

As long as the sender is not using a credit card or debit card to pay you, you should not be charged a fee on a personal account. If you accept credit card payments beyond a certain number (I think it's 5 per year now), your account is automatically upgraded to a business account. On my personal account, as long as the person is transferring money to me from their PayPal balance or directly from their bank, I am not charged any fees. Here is a link to PayPal's fee schedule:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-fees-outside]https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/websc...y-fees-outside[/url]

Hmmmm..... I should read the website before I post. It says that fees are the same for all accounts now. All I know is that I am not charged a fee when someone sends me money that is not via credit card or debit card. If someone tries to pay me with a credit card, a notification shows up allowing me to accept or reject the transfer. I always reject those types of payments.

I signed up for this board because it offered the most knowledge, the best tips and hints and just all around great ideas. There is a comaradirie of sisterhood with shared goals and talents and there is never the feeling of being afraid to ask a question. I like how Craftybear and Amma help and share tips and sites on how to make things. The last thing I joined for was to sell items. It is just an outgrowth of buying items and seeing if my unneededs can be someone's treasure.

My Paypal account is a personal account. But when people send money to it they have to choose WHY they are sending it.

Personal
Goods
Services

IF they choose personal then NO I will not be charged a fee. However, when people buy stuff from me and they choose the option Goods, then I am charged a fee.

But I still only have a personal Paypal account. She does not have to open a business account in order to sell a thing or two.

I know a friend of mine and myself has swapped things and money for a few years and the options were the same even then. Personal, Goods, or Services.

Quite frankly, amongst friends, we always chose personal.

If you still have any ?? concerns you can PM me as I have an online business and have used paypal for that for 12 years now!

Having said that, paypal is NOT the only safe way to receive payment. IT is just the quickest and I have learned in my many years of doing internet business that everyone who buys on the internet thinks they are going to open the front door tomorrow and their goodies will be there...instant gratification is what they expect! NOT going to happen in today's world of slow shipping!

I will say that so far the folks I have sold/bought from here on QB are a complete 180 degrees from the people on ebay! But then my customers are on Etsy are 180 degrees away from those on ebay as well....maybe that is why I am closing that ebay shop and taking it on the road instead!

Anyway if you have questions/concerns feel free to ask!

OH and for a costly item, I would NOT ship via the USPS insured or not...go to UPS...much better tracking and insurance coverage!

What is a Bernina BSR?

Good Question
Thank you!
David

Bernina Stitch Regulator

I agree that you should use UPS to ship - great tracking and insurance. but be sure to pack well.

It's a computerized foot that attaches to many/most Bernina models and it allows you to do free motion quilting in a way that all the stitches are uniform in size. It's a great tool.

it is not just the foot is it? does a "bed" come with it? or does it just hook up to the removable bed?

either way, i saw one in use last week..one of the gals i quilt with got a bernina for Christmas with the stitch regulator..it was so cool to watch her!

PAYPAL

I don't have any advise regarding selling, but I do have a question. What is a BSR? The first thing that came to mind was Basic Seam Ripper.hehehe. However, I am guessing that is not what you are referring to.

It is a foot that has a small cord that plugs into the machine's computer. The screen shows which mode you are working in as there are 2 different settings for FMQ. There is no bed...just the foot.

I hate PayPal. I was using it to buy off eBay until one day Master Card closed my account immediately because it was obviouse to them that my account had been hacked into. No more PayPal for me. If a seller doesn't take Personal Check, MC or Money Order, I don't buy it.

i love to look at the things for sale

From the buyer's point of view, you might try to sell it to someone near enough to pick it up from you rather than shipping it!

Many thanks to all of you for the great suggestions.

Definately Paypal

Not good enough for items over $250.

You (as the seller) must ship it with Signature Confirmation of Delivery required in order to cover your tuchis. It's another few bucks and worth the cost.

Also, you should make sure the address the buyer is requesting is eligible for protection - it will be noted on the PayPal page. If the buyer sends you an email asking you to send to a different address, refuse.

If you send it regular DelConf and the buyer says they didn't get it EVEN if it shows delivered on the USPS.com site, you're screwed (again, this is for items over $250).

Also, is someone is going to pick up the item from you because she is local, DO NOT accept Paypal as payment for the purchase. You would have no way of proving the item was delivered. Cash Only.

And a general note: DelConf is not tracking. While the PO is much better about scanning the packages on their journey, they are really only required to scan at delivery - confirming it took place. But that can mean leaving the package on your front porch or in a PO Box.

Here's a link to some answers about Seller protection using Paypal (there are differences in protection when not selling thru eBay), with other links available.
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?c...faq#id7_header


Here's some tough love:
If you don't educate yourself by doing the research or asking BEFORE using a service (PayPal, etsy, eBay, whatever), as a seller and/or buyer, you have no one to blame but yourself if something goes wrong and you get screwed out of money or the item or both. And when you go online to complain, you won't get much sympathy. Call it "tuition" and move on, hopefully smarter and more knowledgeable.

Kudos to the OP for asking.

I bought a sewing machine on ebay and paid with Paypal. We had recently moved, and even tho I had changed my address on Paypal, they gave the seller my old address. It had already shipped before I realized their mistake. I called Paypal and actually talked to a real person, who refunded my shipping charges, and completely removed the old address. BTW, even tho the seller was assured by Fedex that the machine would not be delivered to the old address, it was, and my real estate agent (the house is up for sale, 200 miles from where we live) found the box on the porch and shipped it to me.

Thank you for all the time you put into this reply. I really appreciate your time and knowledge. Thank you!