HELP! Is this too risky?

leoloo

Member
Feb 2, 2021
41
47
I think I have finally found my HG!!! It's is the 2.55 reissue, size 225, black, GHW, made in FR, and would come with receipt (purchased at Rue Cambon!), box, dustbag, authenticity card. It has only been used about 10 times/excellent condition and she's asking a fair price considering the condition and full set.

BUT I'd have to pay for it via paypal friends and family which offers no real protection. The person selling it I found on instagram and lives in the Netherlands. Her account looks real. She's a luxury bag collector and selling a few in her collection now as she has a second child on the way. I've been communicating with her back and forth and she says when she sells bags she always uses paypal friends and family (instead of invoicing it as a good or service) otherwise the fees paypal takes are too much for her.

On one hand, I know if I take this route, she could just not send it or say she did and if it gets lost or whatever I have no recourse and am out of 6K

On the other, I think she's legit? Or is an awesome good scammer.
  • For example, the picture of the receipt she sent me (December X 2016) matches up with her instagram posts at the time showing her in Paris and purchasing it.
  • She has about 3K followers, and they all seem to be friends or other bag lovers.
  • She sent me her name and address and bank details.
  • Sent me screenshots of other convos of people she's sold to on IG and said she's happy can reach out to them if I'd like to talk to them. I checked out their IGs/websites and they seem legit as well.
My husband says no way, this leaves me completely unprotected but I don't know...I think this might be real...

HELP! Thoughts? Anyone bought from someone you found on IG?
 
What is the IG profile? None of us can comment unless we know that....BUT I would personally NEVER use PP FF for any transaction because you have absolutely no recourse. Scammers are excellent BTW, and cloak themselves to be legit so you think exactly the things you are thinking above to justify purchasing. Also, how would it be shipped? Is it insured? Will you have to pay duties? Etc etc. Lots of things to think about. Lastly, what is the price she is selling to you? That's also something worth noting on your post...

Other things that have happened to people....she might be showing you a legit bag, but who is to say that is what you will receive? You might receive pots and pans, or a superfake.... or one that is nowhere near the condition of the one you thought you were receiving.
 
Yeah, why can’t you just pay the fee for goods and services? I bought a purse from a fellow purseforum gal in Singapore and I think we split the fee so both our butts were protected and I paid duties through dhl. It was a chevron reissue with the burgundy lining that I really wanted. But I certainly wasn’t paying friends or family.

I recently bought a cardholder from orchmelia because I couldn’t find it anywhere. She accepted Venmo so I just paid her with my cc and paid the extra 3% for my own peace of mind. Is that an option?
 
Yeah, why can’t you just pay the fee for goods and services? I bought a purse from a fellow purseforum gal in Singapore and I think we split the fee so both our butts were protected and I paid duties through dhl. It was a chevron reissue with the burgundy lining that I really wanted. But I certainly wasn’t paying friends or family.

I recently bought a cardholder from orchmelia because I couldn’t find it anywhere. She accepted Venmo so I just paid her with my cc and paid the extra 3% for my own peace of mind. Is that an option?

I said I'd be willing to pay more to cover the fees. She said paypal asks her for her suppliers and a bunch of info she doesn't have, as she's not a company, just a person. And that I could just say I didn't get it when I did and she'd be out of a bag. So I guess it comes down to we both don't trust each other enough and can't come to an agreement about how best to proceed lol which is fair bc we're strangers. Oh well..the quest for my HG continues. Thanks to all for talking me off the ledge
 
Definitely not. That is a super big red flag by itself and on top her not letting you pay the paypal fees is another burning red flag.
I have never sold on international via PayPal so I don't know what she means by suppliers/etc but if I was selling such an expensive bag I wouldn't expect the buyer to just send me 6k with no backup for them and I would definitely put in the time to fill out whatever I needed if the buyer was willing to cover the fees. There are way too many risks, I would keep looking.
 
I have sold many items through PayPal. I always do it as goods/services with an invoice, not as friends and family, and have never had PayPal ask me about my suppliers. I wonder if there is a dollar threshold where PayPal starts asking additional questions. Or as Kidclarke notes, perhaps it happens when you sell internationally via PayPal.