Paying on German eBay

[KillerHERTZ]

Im bidding on a certain item at the moment on the German eBay.

The seller has a good rating, but the only payment method is bank transfer.

Im aware that the Germans & PayPal dont really mix but im a little concerned about simply sending over the cash.

Any recommendations?

 

[BTB 500]

Do a BIC/IBAN transfer from your bank account to theirs. There's a fee for this (£20ish IIRC), but it's traceable ... unlike sending cash.

 

[Diesel Benz]

I've never done anything else than international bank transfer (use BIC/IBAN identities). My bank does not charge me anything extra, not sure about the receiver side but I pay according to the bit. The only disadvantage is that it takes a few days before the money arrives at the other end (banks use some specifically slow electrons or something

 

[stats007]

I've bought items from German eBay using IBAN - Barclays charge £10.

 

[jaymanek]

Ive bought a few items now and have never had a problem with the sellers, they seem to be universally reliable! I use HSBC transfers who charge £16..

The only issue is the language barrier and even using a translator it can get confusing trying to communicate...

 

[BTB 500]

I have a German wife to do the translating

And her mum picked up an AMG back box for me and brought it over in her car ... saving postage :bannana:

 

[Fady]

Depending on the amount. In the absence of PayPal a bank transfer is obviously the safest. I've bought car parts for a couple of hundred quid and done a bank transfer. At around a tenner it offers peace of mind.

Conversely, I've also bought bicycle parts for a cost of say 20-30 Euro. I'm loathed if I am going to to spend a tenner on top of such a small amount - I've just sent a wad of Euros in an envelope. You can do "signed for" at a additional postage charge (though obviously you can't declare that you are sending cash), but it's hardly the end of the world if you lose such a relatively small amount, so I don't bother. If you are buying off someone with immaculate feedback, then that offers additional reassurance.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

For larger purchases I use bank transfer (IBAN/BIC) but it costs me £21 per transaction. So for smaller purchases I send Euro bank notes by registered post, which Royal Mail now call "International Signed-For". This costs £4 to £5.

I have done this about twenty times now and have never had a problem. For peace of mind, you can trace the departure from the UK and the signature on arrival using Royal Mail's Track and Trace system.

You are insured for up to £500. You simply declare the cash value at the time of posting.

In my experience, German eBay sellers seem perfectly happy to accept cash.

 

[verytalldave]

Why not ask the seller if they will accept paypal?
They might agree and save you the hassle. Its worth asking.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Thanks for all your replies, handy to know for the future.

Ive been hopelessly outbid already

 

[Fady]

Why not ask the seller if they will accept paypal?
They might agree and save you the hassle. Its worth asking.

They would have to set up a PayPal Account and, as far as I'm aware, there is a slightly different culture in Germany (plus it takes a short while to get one up and running in any event). Most transactions are conducted by internal bank transfer which is free (or relatively so), so no need to set up another account which attracts a fee. Those who trade regularly with people outside the country do sometimes set up Paypal accounts (I've just bought a set of wheel centre caps in that way).