le mandat cash

[mint]

As far as I can make out, this is the equivalent of our Post Office money order in the UK (not that I have paid for one of those ever).

Many on here will know that I am buying a mandolin online and the one I have now agreed to buy is too far away for me to go and pick it up.

The seller has said he would send it and he's found out that the cost of postage is going to be 20 euros.

So far so good, except that he has now said he wants to be paid by mandat cash.  This alone will cost me 8 euros as opposed to nothing by cheque or by virement.

Has anyone using leboncoin been asked to pay by mandat cash?  Should I be wary?  Should I refuse outright?

I really like the mandolin and I'd like to actually get my hands on it, not pay for it and see nothing for my money?

In all the years that I have bought things from leboncoin, I have only had one scammer whom I paid by virement.  Because it was by virement, he was traceable and, after the police contacted him, I got my money back.

But cash mandat means no trace, right?

I'd love to have your thoughts and hear what YOU would do?

I'm thinking I wouldn't even reply.....................

[NormanH]

You do have to give a name and town, but as far as I remember not a precise address, although I am hazy about this as I haven't sent one for ages, and that was to some one I know.

Is this possibly a case of 'a bridge too far'?

Reading a French forum someone wrote:

Pour info, Leboncoin est un site de vente de main à la main, en aucun cas un site de vente à distance.

Une fois que l'on sait ça, tout le reste est à vos risques et périls.

and here (look at the second one)

http://www.lci.fr/high-tech/leboncoinfr-5-conseils-pour-eviter-les-arnaques-1539177.html

[mint]

Norman, thank you, my true and trusted friend.

I have decided not to take the risk and I am buying a new mandolin from an online seller with 30-day return and 3 -year guarantee.

[mogs]

I think you made the right decision not to buy this Leboncoin one. A few years ago we saw a car for our daughter on it, thought we would like to see it but was asked for the money by the La Poste system before we had even seen it. Of course we declined.

Recently our daughter's friend was scammed with an apartment. She had seen it on the internet (not sure if it was Le Bon) and was sent many email messages from the so called "owners" asking her to pay up front and was told she would get a code that only she could see once she had paid. She paid the 800 euros, without even seeing the flat (yes, young and very naive) via the post office. She was given a code, but once she clicked on that online the scammers had her money! She went to the police to report it but there was nothing they could do so she lost her money. She learnt a very valuable and costly lesson.

[mint]

Thank you, Mogs.  Unsurprisingly, the man hasn't emailed again.  Must have realised that I wasn't going to bite[:D]

[idun]

I have racked my brains to think of when I last sent one of these things and it was a LONG time ago and for passports. And that is it, cannot remember using one apart from that.

I think that you have made the right decision.

[mint]

Id, I had to google it to see what it was!

Have now ordered from a German company, using my UK credit card.  The company looks to be a big outfit and the UK credit card people are very good when you need to contest a transaction.

Now, I can't WAIT to see OH's face when he unwraps the parcel[:D][:D]

Hey, I've just got smarter..................?[8-|]