Digital Invoice vs Payment Link - Which is safer?

[helvetica]

Hello,

What is the safest way to sell a high-ticket item on Reddit?

Which offers more protection against scammers or chargebacks: digital invoice or payment link?

I have 500+ positive transactions on eBay but am avoiding the platform for this sale b/c they'll take too high of a cut and many scammers are on the platform.

Any overall tips for selling on Reddit vs eBay?

Thanks!

[JJ_]

In this case, the safest way to defend yourself against disputes or chargebacks would be to establish communication with the buyer that would evidence them authorizing the transaction and possibly ask for ID to confirm that they are the rightful owners of the card being used. 

I would recommend processing the payment with Square Invoices because in the event of a chargeback you would be able to challenge and provide documentation that the goods were indeed sold and that the customer did authorize the transaction.

I hope this information is helpful @helvetica.

P.S. Welcome to the Seller Community

[helvetica]

Thank you, @JJ_ 

This makes sense.

When I called Square customer service, the rep suggested the exact same thing: 

An invoice shows definitive intention and thus it's hard to refute.

I just wanted feedback from experienced sellers.

I eventually did provide the link to the store, where the item is marked as hidden. This limits use of the link to one person.

I turned off payment options for CashApp, Google Pay and Apple Pay, which forces a credit card transaction.

I provided the link because it gives full access to all 10 pictures.

The invoice, unfortunately, does not provide access to pictures. (This is a feature Square could add.)

Interestingly enough, since providing this info communication has slowed.

Despite the buyer having nearly 2K karma points on Reddit, I know nothing about them:

- not their name

- not their company name (it's supposedly a replacement work laptop)

- no email addresses

- only that the company is in Austin, TX

I didn't provide my phone number on the invoice. Is that bad business? I did give full name, address and email address.

I'm trying to play devil's advocate and see things from their end.

I even provided a link to the Secretary of State to show the business was legit and in good standing.

(Funny thing: I duplicated the invoice and sent it as a test to myself. An alert came up indicating that high-priced items, such as this, are target for fraud. Square then linked me to a Best Practices page with tips, such as establishing phone contact. I definitely applaud this feature!)

Thanks for your guidance and reply!

[helvetica]

Also @JJ_, 

In what way would attaching a contract to the invoice help reduce risk?

How do contracts work for the sale of physical items?

(The concept roughly seems to apply to services.)

Would adding a contract complicate what should be a simple online purchase?

[JJ_]

While yes, a contract might complicate the sale, it would provide a signature attestation that they are agreeing to your purchase. You are able to include things as you agree to purchase the laptop as-is. But again this is a decision I cannot tell you to do as it could complicate the sale for you @helvetica. 

As I always tell everyone, internet sales are great but they do come bundled with having faith in the other part not pulling the rug under you.