I am looking to buy some wheels, but unsure of the best method to ensure a safe person to person transaction. Local pickup is not an option in this case. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I have bought and sold countless items here on NAM. I have used on NAM as well as eBay, Paypal. It has buyer protection built-in and saves you from sending Money Order's or checks in the mail.

 

^^ What he said ^^

 

As far as NAM goes...It also is good to take a look at the number of posts they have on this forum.....I would be especially leary of someone with less than 10 posts but someone with more than a couple hundred posts have established some community presence

 

Also take a look at the Join Date. More than likely if they have been here a while they are

 

Bought wheels on E-Bay with paypal. No problem. Bought mats on NAM with money order. No problem.

 

I searched for two years - I wanted just the right wheels that were
different from the others. I found them here on NAM. After great
communication from the seller (including numerous pictures of the wheels
and answering all my bothersome questions) I sent this person I had never
met a substantial amount of money. It was one of the best purchases
I have made for the MINI. The wheels arrived fast, looked better than I
ever expected on the car, and I still have never seen them on another
MINI. If the seller has been around here for awhile and communicates
with you, go for it. Plus if you use a credit card thru PayPal you could
dispute the charges if something goes awry.

 

the correct answer is NOT NAM if you want to be ENSURED a safe transaction. Although people have given good advice, this site offers no protection, no guarantee to buyer or seller whatsoever. Most members are upstanding, honest citizens, but theres no way to KNOW that the person you happen to be dealing with is one of those people.

I've bought and sold things on here before, but only pay through paypal, and when selling items, I refuse to ship before the payment has cleared into my bank account. Paying through paypal helps, as they DO provide some guarantee, particularly if you make things very clear in the transaction notes on the paypal payment, but don't offer a true guarantee.

I've seen transactions on mazda3forums (another forum I frequent) go VERY VERY wrong, and I've even seen a member of 2.5 years and over 1000 posts stiff someone and disappear (they can always just get a new screen name and who would know?). Watch yourself on these forums, I've had people get angry with me for not trusting them, and I'm simply fine with that happening, so that I don't get stiffed, you can't trust ANYONE you meet online, if you have a phone number and address, thats a bit more concrete, but either way, watch out for yourself. Often times, if you do get stiffed, you COULD technically take that person to court, but if they are in a different state (or country) that proves to be a lot more difficult than it sounds. Just watch yourself, theres no reason to put yourself in a position to be taken.

 

Try to get as much information as possible..
Phone, Address, Name..
See also if the seller is a member in their local car club..
I've had plenty of good transactions through NAM but I wouldn't trust other forums..

 

Even with several great transactions myself, below is the correct answer.
Also, transactions on the net are always a risk. I have been cheeted on ebay with paypal. The only safe transaction is in person for a known good.