Sales Terms

Sometimes I sell on a piece of gear that I no longer have use for. Here’s what you can expect when dealing with me:

Pricing

  1. Prices are set to reflect a combination of the item’s condition, amount of use, what I paid for it, corresponding new retail prices, rarity value, and what similar items typically go for. Naturally I am trying to strike a balance between getting as much as I can for an item and making sure I sell it. All prices are negotiable.
  2. Where an item is only available new by import from overseas, I will set my price bearing in mind any import duties and admin fees that would typically be incurred if you were buying new.
  3. Before listing an item for sale, I research new and used prices online. I can’t guarantee that I’ve found every possible deal on the item I’m selling, but you should accept that I’m genuinely trying to find a price that the item will sell at and this will usually be aimed to be lower than anywhere else you can get it. Whilst I’m always happy to be made aware of better deals out there, this doesn’t mean I will be bullied into reducing my price. If you don’t like it, don’t buy.
  4. Prices will always state whether they are inclusive or exclusive of postage & delivery.
  5. Postage charges should be assumed to be based on a Royal Mail 2nd class signed for service unless otherwise stated.

Payment

  1. Payment is always by Paypal to paypal.me/matthewking . I am happy to accept a bank transfer in some cases but I will never require payment this way.
  2. I always assume payment by Paypal goods & services, and expect to bear the Paypal fees on the transaction. Sometimes when negotiating a lower price I may suggest the buyer covers fees or pays by Friends & Family to make the overall transaction worthwhile.
  3. I will generally only ask you to use Friends & Family if we’ve dealt with each other before, are actual friends, or to make the deal viable. In any case you have the option of paying Goods & Services and covering the fees yourself.
  4. Anyone who pays me by Friends & Family has shown a level of trust in me as a seller. This trust is usually rewarded with a speedier delivery service.
  5. I only accept Goods & Services payments from a Paypal account that enables me to benefit from seller protection. I am after all paying the fees that enable the buyer to benefit from protection, so why shouldn’t I too.
  6. If you underpay me and don’t respond to messages then I will cancel the sale and refund you. I don’t mind a genuine mistake that is quickly rectified, but please bear in mind that each payment you make costs 20p to receive as well as the variable fee, so the fewer payments the better.
  7. If you don’t pay me within the agreed time, or if we don’t agree a time then a “reasonable” time, and someone else wants the item, then I will let them have it.
  8. I will cancel a sale and refund payments from buyers not meeting these requirements. This means that I suffer the 20p fixed transaction fee, which I accept as cost of doing the deal. However, if a buyer attempts to make the payment again and it is still not acceptable, any further refunds will be reduced to ensure that I suffer no further fees.

Delivery

  1. Postage will usually be by Royal Mail 2nd class signed for. This means the buyer has to sign for the item on receipt, and I can see (and prove) that it has been delivered. I always share the tracking number with the buyer, and take a photo of the packaged goods before sending.
  2. I will happily combine postage if people buy more than 1 item, but buyers need to alert me to this as I generally pack and despatch quickly.
  3. Postage charges are calculated erring on the side of caution – if in doubt I quote a price on the next size/weight band up. If I achieve a saving on postage of any significance then this will be refunded, or upgraded to a faster service.
  4. I will use an alternative service (e.g. myHermes, Yodel etc) if the buyer requests or if the standard Royal Mail service doesn’t deliver to the buyer’s location (e.g. remote places). In all cases, the buyer is expected to cover the additional costs, and this must be a signed-for service. I will also generally only do this for larger, heavier or bulkier items.
  5. I always use a signed for service, except for small value items where this makes the postage unreasonable compared with the value of what I’m sending.

General

  1. In law my advertising goods for sale is an “invitation to treat” – meaning it invites prospective buyers to make an offer to buy. An offer is only accepted when I make it clear I have accepted the buyer’s offer to buy, and received the agreed payment as per Payment policies.
  2. I reserve the right to reverse any transaction where I have reason to doubt the buyer’s behaviour or trustworthiness. I generally vet buyers by looking at their Facebook profile, checking out their delivery address and their history on the site.
  3. I do NOT accept friend requests from buyers. I understand that some people like to do this as part of satisfying themselves that the seller is a genuine and trustworthy person, but my circle of Facebook friends is limited to actual friends and family. If my public record on the site is not sufficient reassurance for you then it is fine if you don’t want to deal with me.
  4. Please note that when selling gear I am NOT doing so in the course of a business, which is important to know in terms of your rights as a buyer.