I'm posting this question on this forum because I couldn't on the Market Place one. I guess you have to have an upgraded membership. I mentioned in another thread that I was putting a bike up for sale and have had some inquiries. Although I have bought stuff through the Forum with good results, I have never sold anything and was wondering what criteria you use as a seller to determine whom you will trust the sell to. I read the posts enough to recognize established posters, plus it's easy to see, by the number of posts one has made, the people who have a reputation to uphold. But, would you be reluctant to sell to a new member with relatively few posts?

I'll sell to anyone that prepays me with Paypal. What have I got to lose?

Generally, if you have something to sell, you don't ship till the check clears. Buyer has to trust you.

I once had an antique dealer in Pennsylvania let me take a couple of items back to Alabama and then send him a check. I guess he didn't want the bother of shipping the stuff once I'd gotten home and sent the money. That was unusual but worked for both of us.

We all were new at some point. I think it's fine to require payment to clear before shipping the item.
On occassion, I've bought items here where the seller sent the item to me while my payment was in route (mail). It was nice of them - but not something I would have a set expectation.

Your concern is likely around issues in shipping a whole bike. Maybe you can require shipping insurance/signed delivery as long as the purchaser agrees.

+2 Risk is really borne by the buyer: will you ship the bike? will you pack it correctly? is it really as described?

If you are looking for a more formal rating system, ebay is the place to go.

Get the money up front, wait for checks to clear, then send it on.

This is how Paypal earns their living. They act as an intermediary between buyer and seller.

and you were never curious if that $100,000 vase was really worth that if he let you 'take now pay later'? *he he*

OK on a more serious note, as you can see I buy and sell quite a bit, well actually buy more. *blushing* i sometimes get too trusting but on here if someone has been around a few month and lots of post I feel I can usually trust them.

Trust me when I suggest that you are the best insurance to get what you want on Ebay, On-line or anywhere else. Start by understanding the environment and don't be shy about learning from the mistakes of others, me in this particular example. This article on Shopping On-Line for a Vintage Bicycle, might prove of interest, to both buyer and seller. The article is based on the hundreds of bicycles I have sold on-line, as well as the four I have there purchased.

Hope this is a help.

As you know, this is an uncommonly civil forum, so I have been inclined to extend trust here that I would not even dream of elsewhere on-line. I have traded things numerous times, and I suppose that shows a lot of trust since both parties have to believe that the other actually sent the thing. I even had someone send me a frame once merely on the promise that I would send something his way when I found something appropriate. !! How cool is that? And, I did a trade once with someone with only a couple of posts here. I have not seen him post since, but he sure sent me a beautiful frame. And then, there is the whole, pay it forward thread. That speaks pretty clearly to the tenor of the group. Come to think of it, I probably owe back into the community to post up something, I will post in that thread next.

I guess I cannot specifically answer your question, except to generally agree with you that an established poster on this forum is likely to be a good bet.

jim