Hot take on the 'cash only' rule for fast sales

I've been flipping stuff on Facebook Marketplace for about 2 years now, mostly furniture and electronics I pick up at estate sales in Toledo. And I keep seeing people insisting you have to accept only cash to avoid scams. But here's the thing: I sold a vintage turntable last month for $400 and took a Venmo payment from a buyer with good history, no problem at all. Meanwhile, my buddy took a cash sale for a gaming PC and got three fake $50 bills. So which is actually safer, cash or digital payments for fast cash sales?

3 comments

3 Comments

tyler61mo ago

Used to swear by cash only for marketplace sales, but your buddy getting fake bills totally changed my mind. The counterfeit problem is way more common than people think, especially with those newer fake $50s that look real until you hold them under a light. I still take cash for smaller stuff under $50, but for anything big like your turntable I'll take Venmo or PayPal goods and services now. Gotta be smart about it though, always check the buyer's history and rating before accepting digital payments.

felixfisher1mo ago

@tyler6 I get why you switched but nah I still think cash is king for marketplace deals. Digital payments give buyers too much power to chargeback after they walk away with your gear. Seen way too many stories where PayPal sides with the buyer even when the seller did nothing wrong. Counterfeit bills are real but you can check them in like 5 seconds if you know what to look for. The security strip, the color shifting ink, rubbing it on white paper to see if the ink bleeds. Plus most people passing fakes get nervous if you actually check it right in front of them. I'd rather risk a fake bill once in a blue moon than deal with payment disputes and frozen accounts.

julia_miller241mo ago

Oh man, this is exactly what I've been saying! I had almost the same thing happen with a couch I sold for $300. Took cash from this guy who seemed totally normal, checked both bills and they felt fine. Later at the bank the teller said they were fake and I was out the whole thing. Since then I've done Venmo for anything over $100 and honestly haven't had a single problem. The chargeback thing people worry about I think gets overblown if you just look at the buyer's rating and how long they've been on the platform. Plus you can always ask them to send the money right there in front of you so you see it hit your account before they leave. Cash still has its place for small stuff where you're only risking like 20 bucks or something, but for bigger items digital has saved me way more headache.