Buying from Russia without PayPal.

mdjchat

mdjchat

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Mathew
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Hello all, I am attempting to buy an Iskra medium format rangefinder from a Russian guy from Instagram. He sent me a money request using PayPal which I paid but he told me to cancel because he couldn't accept the money at his end. According to him this is because of a new law introduced in Russia regarding PayPal.

Is there any other way to send the money that offers any level of protection or do I just have to risk it if I decide to go through with it? He has suggested western union which I haven't used before.

He has an active Instagram account, plenty of followers and takes an active roll in the film community on there. I realise it's tenuous but he seems like a decent guy from his public presence and from our messages. The cost isn't ridiculous but it's also noticeable if something goes wrong ($120 including p&p).

His account name is @gerdovsky
 
I far as I remember when I used Paypal,you were never able to send monies to Russia using this system.

I did one transaction with Russia and sent the guy cash after he sent me the goods.
 
Western Union is automatically a danger flag to my mind, well loved by scammers. As Nod says, a risk worth taking IF you can't fid the camera anywhere else AND you can afford to lose the $120...

Can you find any other transactions involving him?
 
It has been possible to receive money from PayPal in Russia since 2014

How do you communicate with him? There is always a risk that someone has hacked into his account.

They have Yandex.Money in Russia which offers buyers protection but only for purchases made from registered merchants as far as I understand
 
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Paypal can be difficult in Russia - to be honest, it's raising red flags with me. Unless it's money you can afford to lose, I'd steer clear.
 
Thank you all for your input. As I said he seems alright but there is no way to find previous sales or feedback on instagram so not something that I can judge. Sounds like one that is best left in that case.
 
Not sure about buying, however i sold something to a russian buyer on ebay and he took money off me saying he never received it. dodgy stuff! i would stay away.
 
i wouldn't post to anywhere on ebay where I cannot get a signature proof. Only UK and EU. I believe I could do US as well but I can't single out countries I think.
All it takes is someone to claim they have not received it and simply get their money back if you can't prove otherwise.
 
I too have been at the receiving end of a russian scam when I sold a camera on Ebay. I was lucky in that I realised what was happening at the last minute and retrieved the camera from the post office just before it was collected for dispatch. I too would steer well clear! Maybe your man is genuine, but the chances are that he is not.
 
eBay now has an international shipping programme that works very well - you post your item to a UK warehouse, then they re-address and send it out. The only risk to the seller is getting it to the UK distribution centre - much better than it used to be!
 
International Paypal fraud is rife - I work in ecommerce and have seen people open PayPal claims for non-receipt and once successful pick up their package from the delivery office!!

That being said it's hard to exchange money internationally without providing bank details which has it's own risks and added expense!!

I tend to avoid purchasing items internationally due to the risk factors, the duty and often the more expensive shipping and longer delivery times. If I were desperate I might take the risk but only with the understanding that I might quite possibly lose the money.

Particularly through other methods like Western Union - it's very risky business - I'd say don't do it.
 
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Isn't alibaba (the parent company) one of the biggest retailers in the world? Not quite the same as buying from a individual Russian.
 
steveo_mcg said:
Isn't alibaba (the parent company) one of the biggest retailers in the world? Not quite the same as buying from a individual Russian.
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Well no one told me when I was hesitating buying abroad not using ebay or paypal ;) ..and under aliexpress they sell film but no bargains.
Just thinking could the OP pay by credit card if over £100.....
 
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excalibur2 said:
Well no one told me when I was hesitating buying abroad not using ebay or paypal ;) ..and under aliexpress they sell film but no bargains.
Just thinking could the OP pay by credit card if over £100.....
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Unfortunately it was for sale by a private individual so I could only use a credit card to pay a money transfer company. Any problems and the money transfer company would have completed their part of the deal so there wouldn't be any claim against them.
 
mdjchat said:
Unfortunately it was for sale by a private individual so I could only use a credit card to pay a money transfer company. Any problems and the money transfer company would have completed their part of the deal so there wouldn't be any claim against them.
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Well you could ask him to send the goods first and if you have a VG rating on e.g. ebay that would help as reference...but I've learnt one thing:- in time another great deal always turns up h'mm but no telling when :eek:
 
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