Would you purchase from a member here....

It depends on the amount he was asking for. Don't think of PayPal as any sort of safeguard - a lot of people here have been ripped off and PayPal are no help whatsoever. The fact he has no iTrader is obviously a cause for concern, but every newbie starts off with zero and most are trustworthy.

As it goes this transaction had a happy outcome.

 

Use escrow. They will hold the money until the service has been completed.