Scammers on this site

[KenneyTran]

Could be that I misunderstand your post but are you suggesting treating a cue purchase like an amazon purchase? It’s not like you can click the return button and take the cue down to the UPS store or Whole Goods.

It’s a pain in the ass process to file a PP claim.

You still need to do what ever due diligence you would normally do on a cue purchase.

That is very very True, it is your moneys that you’ll playing a chance to get scammed with, so it’s best to do what it can to protect yourself. You’ll find that legit seller or genuinely buyer will definitely agreed to do video live chat, and for the cue enthusiasts, they will talk about cues to you all day . Anyhow, video live chat and pay with good and service when Deal with the seller the first time or if you feel the seller has issues.

Remember, it is your hard working moneys and no-one in this world will send you the moneys back even if they vouched for the seller.

 

[RobH]

Could be that I misunderstand your post but are you suggesting treating a cue purchase like an amazon purchase? It’s not like you can click the return button and take the cue down to the UPS store or Whole Goods.

It’s a pain in the ass process to file a PP claim.

You still need to do what ever due diligence you would normally do on a cue purchase.

What does video chat have to do with returning a cue?
If you get scammed you report it with proof that you attempted to contact the scammer and your money is returned.
Not sure what’s complicated about that.
The only time I was ever scammed on a cue the guy did indeed video chat with the cue. Then he got his money and ghosted. I had my money back. I also used a credit card instead of cash so I had the backup of a fraud claim through them.
A video isn’t going to stop a thief.

 

[RobH]

By and large I’ve had good dealings both ways on AZB. I will not do f&f on pp unless it's with actual friends or family. Besides, the fee isn't that much and I don't want to lose the protection of pp. I’ve been scammed a few times ( non pool related) filed cases with pp and received a refund. That protection doesn't happen with f&f.

Yeah, there are a handful of people I do friends and family with but I’ve dealt with them before or have several mutual friends.

 

[Rubik's Cube]

What is the best way to protect oneself when selling an expensive item on eBay, ladies and gentlemen?

 

[Biloxi Boy]

Trust no one unless you know them well, but even then . . . There are too many dirt bags and they don't come with labels on their foreheads. As one can tell, I prefer escrow, but I am accustomed to it. Until or unless a lot of people in the trade become used to escrow, everyone will have to tolerate some risk. I do not like leaving my welfare in the hands of some credit card clerk.

 

[Johnson]

What is the best way to protect oneself when selling an expensive item on eBay, ladies and gentlemen?

Ebay's customer service is now NON EXISTENT and since 2018 or so any dispute that I've had that went to a case I've lost unless it was an item that a buyer claims wasn't delivered but tracking shows that it was. Even better I'm now paying DOUBLE or even up to triple the fees that I paid pre Covid because they hide my listings unless I pay a higher Promoted Listing fee (Literally just listed some fresh items and INSTANTANEOUSLY it's telling me to "Boost" my sales with Promoted Listings). If I don't do Promoted Listings or the % of my listings and Promoted % isn't high enough for Ebay and they stalk me via email or site messages every week until I do so. Ebay is the worst job I've ever had, all they will do is raise the fees every year or 2 and hide your listings even more so they can make more profit on your items than you do.

 

[straightline]

You could reference your purchases to theft stats and purchase by the odds.

 

[classiccues]

There is never a time when the buyer OR the seller is unprotected. Use G/S payments, great for the buyer. Use F/F great for the seller. There are as many bad buyers as there are bad sellers. I have had people hold cues hostage to "renegotiate" when everything was presented up front. Nothing stops a buyer from getting buyers remorse and making stuff up to force a return. Nothing stops a seller from sending you a box of sticks. All deals leave one person out to hang in the wind. If you buy from people that have been in the industry, and have a good reputation, that is your safest purchase.
Escrow, as I have said many times, what is the agents responsibility? Is he to go over the cue to see it matches the description? What if it isn't straight but the ad said nothing about straightness? Do you expect the agent to measure the cue, and check for straightness as well as handle the transaction? Would you pay 125-150+ dollars for that service? Or are you going to be a typical pool player and want this service for free?
JV

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I had a cue for sale on this site, someone stole my photos and attempting to sell to others!!!! Beware there are shitty people out there!!!! You know who you are!!!!!

This is the World we live in 2025, part of wonderful internet. Speaking of people not to do business with the list is long, but then the flip side is the list of good people is also long. Be happy they own store your photo, not like Mrs Robinson who stole a young guy virginity. Wish Mrs. Robinson lived on my block when I was group up.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

The escrow agents follow the instructions/contract between the parties and the escrow agreement between the agent and the parties -- any conflicts are resolved prior to escrow beginning. Like all things in life, you pay for what you get. The problem area is the low cost cue. The reputation and integrity of the agent and the quality of the written agreements are the keys.

The more trips one makes around the block, the clearer the route becomes.

 

[Zerksies]

I don't use PayPal.
I use Venmo or Zelle.
I have bought more than I have sold and sent Venmo or Zelle with zero problem
I like to talk on the phone and if a buyer wants a picture with the item next to my face that's ok with me or a new picture of the item next to any balls on my table chosen to prove I own it is still ok with me.
Talking to the buyer or seller has always worked for me.

Zelle has ZERO protections. It's the electronic verson of handing someone cash. I don't have Venmo. But with paypal if you send as a purchase you have protections. Friends and family not protection and no fees.

 

[Hungarian]

There is never a time when the buyer OR the seller is unprotected. Use G/S payments, great for the buyer. Use F/F great for the seller. There are as many bad buyers as there are bad sellers. I have had people hold cues hostage to "renegotiate" when everything was presented up front. Nothing stops a buyer from getting buyers remorse and making stuff up to force a return. Nothing stops a seller from sending you a box of sticks. All deals leave one person out to hang in the wind. If you buy from people that have been in the industry, and have a good reputation, that is your safest purchase.
Escrow, as I have said many times, what is the agents responsibility? Is he to go over the cue to see it matches the description? What if it isn't straight but the ad said nothing about straightness? Do you expect the agent to measure the cue, and check for straightness as well as handle the transaction? Would you pay 125-150+ dollars for that service? Or are you going to be a typical pool player and want this service for free?
JV

Free. Joking. Great post!!

 

[heater451]

I had a cue for sale on this site, someone stole my photos and attempting to sell to others!!!! Beware there are shitty people out there!!!! You know who you are!!!!!

If you sell a lot, you can also watermark your pictures.

You can download GIMP for free, which is an image editing application (similar to Photoshop). You take your logo, or whatever you want to mark with, put it on a layer above the picture layer, adjust the opacity of the upper layer, then compress/export to a new file.