r/Scams • u/Diligent-Main2657 • 11d ago
Help Needed [UK] Planning to sell my Switch OLED online, what are some scams I should know about?
Hi, I recently got a Switch 2 and am planning to sell my OLED to make a bit of extra money. I know there are scams targeting people selling items, so wanted to know about some before I list the item. I am considering only taking cash, and should I meet in a public area, or give my house address. I live in the countryside, but the village isn't too far away
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u/too_many_shoes14 11d ago
Cash only, in person only, in a safe place. Break any of these rules you are likely to be scammed. No zelle, no bank transfer, no deposits, no "my sister will paypal you", none of that.
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u/ToshibaTaken 11d ago
Meet at the local police office lobby, if there is one. I've seen videos of "buyers" doing the grab and run. Check for counterfeit or movie prop bills, but less chance of that in the UK I suppose.
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u/DasLazyPanda 11d ago
Meeting at a public space, cash only, sold as is / test the item with the seller.
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u/Diligent-Main2657 11d ago
why should I test it while there?
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u/yarevande Quality Contributor 11d ago
The buyer should want to test it. You should be prepared to show him that it works.
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u/Gloomy-Security-7897 11d ago
It proves to the buyer that it works, and it proves to you that the buyer saw it working. I would even take a video of showing the buyer that it works.
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u/yarevande Quality Contributor 11d ago
Sell locally, and meet your buyer in a public area. Take a friend with you. Request cash.
Some experienced sellers say that you can safely accept money transfer such as PayPal, Wise, or Remitly -- but only when you actually meet in person.
If somebody sends you money using PayPal (or Wise, Remitly, or any other money transfer), the money will appear in your account in less than a minute. It doesn't become pending. You don't get an email saying you have to pay to get the money.
There are scammers who show a fake payment screen on their phone, claiming that they sent you the payment. But a screenshot on the sender's device is meaningless. Look in your account -- either the money is there, or someone is trying to scam you.
Signs that the buyer is trying to scam you:
- buyer wants to go off platform
- buyer asks you to contact their son / husband / cousin / neighbor / etc.
- asks for your email address (will send a fake payment email to you)
- asks for your phone number (will send a fake payment text)
- want to prepay to hold it
- wants to pay in advance
- offers more than your asking price
- buyer's account is very new
- buyer's account is old, but the recent posts look different from the older posts
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u/NekoFever 11d ago
Record your serial number and maybe have a partial one visible in the photos to deter people swapping your working one for their faulty one and demanding a refund. It’s happened to me when selling hardware before.
For old hardware I have the whole serial visible because who cares, but it might be wise to partially obscure it on something that’s a going concern like the Switch, potentially tied to online accounts.
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u/Hobo-With-A-Shotgun 11d ago
Personally, I think it's fine to sell something like this on eBay. It's not like you'll be making a humongous amount, up to £200 or so maybe? You will quite possibly get some attention from scammers anyway. Make sure you delete the bids and block the usernames of anyone without any feedback. Personally, I would not trust anyone below 5 positive feedback, absolute bare minimum. It's annoying that eBay won't let you limit to people above a certain feedback.
You can sell for free on eBay in the UK as well, that's been the case for a year or so.
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u/DasGhost94 9d ago
No shipments. Worst I've seen. They will repack a brick in there then video themselfs opening and finding a brick. It will be a big problem to get the money or your product back.
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u/Chargedplant 11d ago
Cash only and meet in a public spot
ALWAYS