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What is the best way to pay for,/ receive funds for an $8,000 Tuba Purchase?
PayPal states no fees for "Friends and Family" option if paid thru Bank Acct. Fees will be accessed if it is paid with a Credit Card.
Are their other options?
As I understand Checks and Wire Transfers can be reversed. I have received so many Counterfeit Money Orders and Cashiers checks over the years that I don't feel that is an option.
$8K is a lot to give PayPal IMO. Is Venmo Better? Zelle?
TY,John McKevitt

If you're buying, I would try to pick up the tuba in-person and pay by Zelle, Venmo, PayPal once you have the tuba in your hands and you shake on it. If you're buying from a reputable shop, they can accept card or wire transfer. Be able to attach a name, face, and verifiable online/in-person presence if you're buying through forums or FB Marketplace. $8k is a lot, so if you're paying online for a person-to-person purchase it's worth using Venmo/PayPal as a business purchase for added security (the seller pays a small fee).

johnmckevitt wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2026 5:06 pm What is the best way to pay for,/ receive funds for an $8,000 Tuba Purchase?
PayPal states no fees for "Friends and Family" option if paid thru Bank Acct. Fees will be accessed if it is paid with a Credit Card.
Are their other options?
As I understand Checks and Wire Transfers can be reversed. I have received so many Counterfeit Money Orders and Cashiers checks over the years that I don't feel that is an option.
$8K is a lot to give PayPal IMO. Is Venmo Better? Zelle?
TY,John McKevitt

Cashier’s Check is what I’ve always used. Never had a problem.

When I bought my YamaYork, I got it from Dillon, and I collected the full value into my checking account, then used my debit card to pay in full at the register. I set this up in advance with my bank so they would allow me to charge that exact amount without putting a hold on it or declining it.

I suppose - if you're buying - the best way to buy is some way whereby you can back out instantly with ease, and - if you're selling - the best way to sell is for cash money.

Did I misunderstand the question?

I sold a tuba to Chuck Daellenbach about 5 years ago, met him in person to make the deal. He handed me an envelope full of cash. I stuck it straight in my coat pocket, and didn't look at it or count it until I got home. I think it was $5k.

So I guess it just depends.

I've used PayPal with no issues, on friends and family mode. However, me and the seller stood together and made sure it was the right amount to the right account and that it cleared before I walked out with the horn that I had just playtested. I wouldn't do it digitally without being in person.

I definitely prefer that to carrying thousands in cash which makes me anxious - but that's probably because I grew up with digital payment being pretty common already.

Don’t use friends and family on PayPal unless you actually know the person. I got scammed out of a couple hundred dollars (thankfully wasn’t the whole cost of the tuba I was selling) and there was no recourse because it’s meant for…friends and family.

I was also sent a cashier’s check that was a forgery. Took it to the bank and they refused to cash it, and showed me all the ways it was bad, including the check number was the same as a check that had already been cashed. It was also a very persistent buyer who sent me more than I was asking for. Two big-time red flags.

I believe Zelle has a $2k limit.

Be careful of carrying cash.. An overzealous police office can seize it on the mere suspicion of criminal intent.. they're have been many cases where the police claim the present of a few thousand on cash is suspicion in and of itself.. Look up the laws around Civil Forfeiture... or the legal process that allows law enforcement agencies to seize cash, vehicles, or property suspected of being connected to criminal activity without ever charging or convicting the owner of any crime.

If at all possible, meet at your bank. Deposit the check right there, in front of the seller. I never accept personal checks.

Or, if you’re buying, have a cashier’s check made there in front of the seller.

I haven’t had a problem, but I always do tuba sales locally or within reasonable distance. I’m sorry to those of you who may have gotten burned by a bad individual. Our community is usually (in my experience) pretty good at buying and selling their stuff.

I used Venmo or PayPal for smaller purchases or sales. Anything over $5K or so is cashier’s check territory for me.

You could also use some combination of PayPal or Venmo or Zelle if there are limits on amounts. Food for thought.

I recently sold a tuba and the guy paid for it through Venmo. If going this route, I'd make sure they transfer the entire amount into their actual account balance before making the deal.

I asked $8,250, but the guy was only able to send $3,250 that day due to some unseen limits (even though Venmo says you have a $20,000 weekly limit...). I probably should've been a little safer and drafted up a contract of some sort, but I let him take it home and send me the rest when the other $5,000 transferred to his account balance. Took a week! Definitely don't do what I did, even if it worked out for me. If I had known, I would've had him transfer the money into his balance first before meeting up, even if it only began with a playtest. Just my advice if you're using Venmo.

When I sold my contrabone we did a bank transfer, I actually don't remember how I bought it (private party, not from a business). It was $5000 (~15 years ago), I think there was a $25 fee. Things have changed a lot in that time though, I opened up a new bank account this year and boy was that a pain.

bort2.0 wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2026 8:56 pm I sold a tuba to Chuck Daellenbach about 5 years ago, met him in person to make the deal. He handed me an envelope full of cash. I stuck it straight in my coat pocket, and didn't look at it or count it until I got home. I think it was $5k.

So I guess it just depends.

The band program grad student assistant at Purdue in 2002 was a tuba player, he told me he saw Chuck wandering around campus with a tuba, looking lost.
"Mr. Daellenbach, can I help you?
blank stare, "how do you know who I am?"
"Oh I'm a tuba player sir."

I sold a tuba a few years ago, and it was over the limit for all the different platforms. So I took like half through Venmo, a third in PayPal and the rest something else. All the rivers drained into the ocean eventually...!

Here's a pro tip though:
Set up a test transfer first, to make sure it goes through. Less than a dollar, some random amount. Make the other person confirm it was received, and tell you the amount. Better to risk 39¢ than $3900.

TY Everyone.
I was being paid for a Tuba.
The PayPal "Friends and Family" option went thru w/out any problems.
Shipping it has been s nightmare. All the time I spent researching quotes. Searching for appropriate sized cardboard to build a box for it. Scavenging a pallet. Havining to extend the length if the pallet to meet the size of the box. So much time away from my Horns,Not sleeping and showing up at rehearsals exhausted and ineffective in my role. I finally dropped it off at the freight Terminal . I finally got a good nights sleep. My playing has taken a few steps back because of this weeklong event of taking care of all the preparations.The week b4 that I was very sick too and not playing much.
FWIW I used "Freight Centers" to set up a carrier . The cost was $370 for Terminal to Terminal transport to Springfield MA. UPS and FedEx both wanted $1300+.
Shipping supplies came to almost $100.
Best Wishes

Shipping tubas is a hassle. You got through it, celebrate that, but yeah I think none of us would disagree that it's a hassle.

Time off of the horn can be a blessing though. The setbacks are minor. Find some good in having the time off. You'll bounce back just fine, and the first really good day you have since then, you'll feel like king of the world