Question
Someone in Germany won an auction of mine and in his e-mail correspondence said, "To send you the money I need to know the shipping costs, the IBAN (International Bank Account Number)of your account, the BIC (Bank Identifier Code) of your bank and the name of your Bank." Doesn't sound like any kind of information I want to be giving out. Maybe I'm dumb but I don't even know what an IBAN is....can anyone here enlighten me? I'm going to tell him paypal or Western Union only.
Thanks,
Nancy
Answer
I'm guessing those numbers are basically the numbers at the bottom of your checks. In Europe, and especially in Germany, this is the most common way payment is made for auction wins. So, it seems this buyer isn't out of line, at least he probably thinks he's just being normal.
On the other hand, you have no obligation to accept his preferred form of payment if it wasn't one of the options listed in your auction. Have you written him a standard 'here's how to pay' letter? If it were me and I didn't want to be paid via direct bank transfer, I'd just ignore his request and give him the info on how to pay with paypal, etc.
You might also want to check with your bank and see what they say about direct transfers from international banks. Do they accept them? Do they charge for them? I have no idea what my bank requires, but I think I'm going to find out.
Elaine
Answer
As Elaine notes, the bank wire transfer is a common method of paying thorought Europe. Banks there generally do it as part of their service. Here, the banks usually charge us, the sellers, $25-30 for this service. So I decline direct bank transfers.
However, I do suggest to buyers that they can use Paypal for bank transfers, and it only costs me the usual international Paypal fee. THese days, international sales are half my business.
As to the numbers the buyer wants, it is indeed just those on your check, which includes the interbank numbers, your account numbers, and the bank name.
It isn't the privacy issues that bother me about these kinds of payments, after all this information is on all my checks, but rather the extra fees that are geerated that keeps me from accommodating customers like yours.
Larry
Answer
I would not be alarmed by the request itself. That is the information I have been asked for by Germans doing bank transfers in the past (and I don't know what IBAN is, but my bank gave me the pertinent numbers under a different name). I accepted bank transfers from Germany twice about five years ago - the first went off without a hitch, the second took 23 days to show up in my account, and the buyer thought I was ripping him off. I have never accepted a request for a foreign bank transfer since.
Bear in mind that (a) I am in Australia, and (b) the process itself may have improved greatly since then. American mileage may vary greatly - but I would not be concerned by the information he is requesting, the buyer is very likely to be making a legitimate request.
Kind Regards, Kevin
Answer
I've been selling on ebay since 98 and this was a first for me!! Thanks for all of your input. I e-mailed the winner and he's sending me payment thru Western Union. Thanks!!
Nancy