Beta Graded Full-Set on auction

[Perception]

Hey guys

I´m sure most of you already seen that auction. The terms and communication with the seller is really doubtfull so I want to ask around for your opinion.

- The seller wants a certified bank cheque "in order to protect numbers and security".

- Seller is not a member on MOTL or librarities nor has any references he can provide within the MtG collectors scene.

- he refuses to deal via escrow

- on the other hand his feedback is fine and full or mtg transactions

I think the risk factors speak for itself. What do you guys think? Does anyone here know that buyer from selling to him maybe?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTG-BGS-Beta-Gr ... 2a3ae7d2cb

Thanks and good luck to all who intend to bid or gotten warned by now :D

[Alien_Starfighter_Pilot]

All of the seller's feedback is as a buyer...

and it looks like a few members here have sold stuff to the seller recently, so maybe they know who the seller is.

Clay

[ende73]

Quite weird that he explicitly accepts local pickup though...

I wonder if that'd really go through in case some guy from NY actually wins and wants the set hand-delivered.

[Perception]

Quite weird that he explicitly accepts local pickup though...

I wonder if that'd really go through in case some guy from NY actually wins and wants the set hand-delivered.

It´s more weird how he wants to receive the payment and what his explaination about that is:

"I meant to say "bank draft" or "cashier's check" and not certified check. If you win the auction, I intend to reimburse you $200 via a bank draft sent to an address you specify before receiving payment for the lot. A bank draft will protect both sides as the account number is a bank internal account / general account number.

I work in an anti-fraud department and thought it would be most safe to use a method of payment without disclosing the account number for either side. I've seen many instances of account abuse with wires."

The risk of abuse with his bank details from a possible bidder is so much less than the risk a buyer has to take by sending money via that "anonymous" way. That combined with the "pick up only" seems to be way too much fishy? What do you think...

[GlobalBoosterHunter]

Other than the seller, is that a good starting price for such a set? The Black Lotus is graded 8.

[l0qii]

He sounds paranoid. A bank cheque is one of the only way to guarantee funds are legit without giving out your bank account details, short of using cash.

Doesn't want to use escrow because it complicates the deal and usually someone has to pay for it. It's an unnecessary cost

Wants in person pickup because doesn't want to assume any liability for shipping errors/problems

Isn't on MOTL etc for all the same reasons.

[hammr7]

The seller's method of payment will help protect him from buyer's remorse. Since the payment and transfer are handled outside of Ebay/Paypal, then the Ebay and Paypal rules won't easily apply. In effect, if the cards are truly BGS graded, and if the transfer is face-to-face,then once the transaction is completed a buyer would need to resort to general New York consumer protection laws if he felt wronged.

I'm sure the seller would also allow a cash transaction at a secure place (like seller's bank or seller's lawyer's office) in NYC. The key, for me, would be to arrange both payment and acceptance at a face-to-face meeting in a secure (for both parties) location. If I was the winner, I would want to know exactly what a sealed BGS slab looked like, what counterfeit BGS slabs look like, and be able to confirm all the BGS serial numbers on the slabs back to the seller.

As long as a face-to-face meeting is allowed, I wouldn't have to provide payment in a method that disallows Ebay / Paypal buyer protections, before seeing or getting the cards. If I need to make some sort of wire paymet before getting the cards, there is always a possible risk of a scam. Wire transfers are secure and discreet (the money goes where intended), but in many cases are not reversible once made. If the sale were a scam, then a wire or draft transfer could well leave the country.

[l0qii]

Those are also all valid concerns.

[Perception]

The seller's method of payment will help protect him from buyer's remorse. Since the payment and transfer are handled outside of Ebay/Paypal, then the Ebay and Paypal rules won't easily apply. In effect, if the cards are truly BGS graded, and if the transfer is face-to-face,then once the transaction is completed a buyer would need to resort to general New York consumer protection laws if he felt wronged.

I'm sure the seller would also allow a cash transaction at a secure place (like seller's bank or seller's lawyer's office) in NYC. The key, for me, would be to arrange both payment and acceptance at a face-to-face meeting in a secure (for both parties) location. If I was the winner, I would want to know exactly what a sealed BGS slab looked like, what counterfeit BGS slabs look like, and be able to confirm all the BGS serial numbers on the slabs back to the seller.

As long as a face-to-face meeting is allowed, I wouldn't have to provide payment in a method that disallows Ebay / Paypal buyer protections, before seeing or getting the cards. If I need to make some sort of wire paymet before getting the cards, there is always a possible risk of a scam. Wire transfers are secure and discreet (the money goes where intended), but in many cases are not reversible once made. If the sale were a scam, then a wire or draft transfer could well leave the country.

Thanks for your thoughts.