How to safely buy a road bike remotely on Facebook Marketplace?

Hi everyone, I’m interested in buying a high-end road bike from a seller on Facebook Marketplace, but it’s not local — it’s in another state. This is my first time trying to buy something expensive remotely on FB.

I’d like to ask: • When should I send the payment? • What’s the safest way to pay (PayPal Goods & Services? Zelle? Venmo?) • How should the seller ship the bike to me? • How do I avoid getting scammed?

The seller seems legit, and communication has been good so far. But since this is a big purchase, I want to be careful.

Any advice or tips from people who’ve done this before would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance🙏