posted on January 11, 2001 12:33:44 AM new If I traveled out of my city, let alone out of state, nearly 100% of businesses would not accept my check. Why is it expected to be different online?
I understand your point. You make sense to me. However, to buyers, their computer is on their desk, table or orange crate in their home or office. The buyers are not able to make that distinction, that the sellers are somewhere else. The buyers are in their own zone and the format of eBay is such to make them feel more comfortable, as if the seller is across the street from their house.
All I'm saying is if you understand your buyers instead of assuming your buyers understand you, you will get more bids and completed sales.
posted on January 11, 2001 02:46:36 AM new
The Gas Station 2 blocks from my house where I have lived for 10 years will not take my check. The grocery store will only take it if I have provided all my financial information to be pre approved and have the card to prove it.
I accepted checks on eBay for 2 years. Then an eBayer with 120 positives won 5 auctions. I recieved his check for $200.00 and deposited it. 10 working days passed and I mailed the items. 18 working days from deposit I recieve the NSF notice. That was actually 25 calander days.
This guy sent out 26 of these checks for auctions on eBay and left town. Money orders are very easy to buy. Most stores sell them as well as the Post Office.
posted on January 11, 2001 02:51:40 AM new
Also, when in an out-of-state retail store your usual payment options instead of a check are cash & credit card. The cash option isn't as attractive to most people when it has to go through the mail. So that leaves CC as the most convenient way to pay. However, since many people won't use CC's online and not every seller accepts CC's, in some cases it leaves NO convenient way to pay. Let's face it, the only person a money order is really convenient for is the seller.
posted on January 11, 2001 04:32:50 AM new
I accept money orders or cashiers checks only. It doesn't matter, about half the time I get checks anyway...they send what they want..is there a way to check to see if the money is in the bank? I know it would be a pain but at least you would no? Anybody have a comment?
posted on January 11, 2001 05:00:13 AM new
but Quickdraw, on ebay, if you pay with a check, the seller doesn't send the merchandise until the check clears normally.
if you go to another city, you would expect to walk out the door with your widget if you pay with a check, not come back 10 days later to pick up your widget.
posted on January 11, 2001 09:40:11 AM new
Can anyone find one of the threads were the dangers of (non-postal) Money Orders are discussed. If I remember correctly it is a simple matter to put a stop payment on a money order or to report it as lost. Clearly no safer than a check.
Bill
typo
[ edited by cdnbooks on Jan 11, 2001 09:40 AM ]
posted on January 11, 2001 09:53:59 AM new
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reddeer posted on November 21, 2000 09:14:45 AM
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Canadian Postal MO's, along with USPS MO's, cannot have a Stop Payment put on them. The only way the sender can get their $$$ returned is if they return to the PO with the MO in hand, or if it gets lost & after 30 days they file with the PO.
"Most" other MO's can indeed have a Stop Payment put on them & for some the process is very simple.
A good example is the Western Union MO's that can be purchased in the US at the local 7-11's. Person buys an MO, then later returns to the next shift clerk & states they lost the MO in the parking lot. As long as they have their reciept in hand the clerk will refund the amount & place a stop payment on the MO.
I had a high ticket item last year where the sender sent me a MO. I had asked for a Postal MO but they sent me something I'd never seen before. I phoned the 1-800 # on the MO & the second message I heard was "to put a Stop Payment on this MO please press #4"
I had to wait for over a week before the message came back that the $$$ had been deposited in my account.
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kidsfeet posted on December 4, 2000 12:55:12 PM
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OOOOOOh, be careful!!! ANY money order can have a STOP PAYMENT issued on it, except for a US postal money order. Every money order, western union included, has an 800 # in the back of the receipt, where you can call to stop payment on the money order. Your only real recourse is to cash the money order at it's source. Don't be fooled thinking money orders are completely safe. They are not.
posted on January 11, 2001 07:22:54 PM new
For some sellers it's that Postal Money orders can be cashed at the post office such that no bank paper trail at all exists for their unreported ebaY income.
For some sellers its a belief that their customers are scum and not to be trusted. (Some from experience with bad checks, others from general risk avoidance.)
Some sellers are too financially troubled to hold a bank account to easily cash checks.
posted on January 11, 2001 07:45:09 PM newFor some sellers it's that Postal Money orders can be cashed at the post office such that no bank paper trail at all exists for their unreported ebaY income.
For some buyers it's that Postal Money orders can be bought at the post office such that no bank paper trail at all exists for their purchases.
For some sellers its a belief that their customers are scum and not to be trusted. (Some from experience with bad checks, others from general risk avoidance.)
For some buyers its a belief that their sellers are scum and not to be trusted. (Some from experience with abuse of checking account information, others from general risk avoidance.)
Some sellers are too financially troubled to hold a bank account to easily cash checks.
Some buyers are too financially troubled to hold a bank account to easily write checks.
posted on January 11, 2001 08:53:14 PM new
I've had 1000 auction sales in the last month.
3 bounced checks (all items for $20-30)
(but my bank charges me $20)
3 stolen credit card orders (fortunately caught them before I shipped all orders over $300)
27 deadbeat bidders
5 paid by credit card and disputed charges with credit card company. (because they didn't remember the name of my company)
And today 1 person who bid an Neon Coca Cola Clock up to $150 called in before the auction to ask exact questions (which we answered) and now wants to send it back because she doesn't like it and says she is contacting her credit card company to get a chargeback.
I'm a professional and these 39 cases make me want to pull my hair out.
I have never given out negative feedback because it just starts Flame wars and wastes my time.
I can understand why someone accepts only one form of payment Money Orders and gives Negative feedbacks though.
I have 5% bounced checks every month and it is a real pain and I don't get paid to follow up on these people.
posted on January 11, 2001 09:02:57 PM new
As a bidder, I do not bid for any seller that won't take my check, amazing enough, I have only been screwed by sellers. I have had only 1 check in several thousand bounce, while I also like money orders, I really don't care how I am paid, as long as I am paid and yep, I would accept beads, (only) if they were made of gold.
posted on January 12, 2001 05:09:21 PM new
The horror stories I've heard on other threads about waiting for checks to clear...personally I take my chances and send the item right away and have been burned twice but I sell lower priced items that involves less risk. I don't take checks on anything over $50.
If it really comes down to customer service, then I'll have to start charging for it.
\"It's lonely at the top, but you eat better.
\"
posted on January 12, 2001 06:35:43 PM new
I just put my son's expensive Michael Jordan card up for bid and stated that I will only take postal money orders or if paid by check, I will hold 10 days or until clear.
When I sell my own stuff..I take all the online payments (except Exchagepath), plus I don't hold checks. But with this card being so pricey I didn't want a bounced check to contend with.
I understand taking only MO's. Bounced checks are expensive on the seller's end..you get charged a fee from your bank if you deposit a NSF check..for some it is not worth it. And when it happens to me, I will hold merchandise until check clears.
It only takes getting burned once to ruin it for everyone.
posted on January 13, 2001 09:49:06 AM new
Any seller who only takes money orders would never get my business ... too much trouble for me, I have better things to do then run somewhere and get a money order. With the multitude of payment services out there (PayPal, ExchangePath, BillPoint) that's what I prefer, and I will even mail a personal check if the seller wants, but if you want a money order, I'm not bidding.
As for sending cash, I would never do it, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it. One time I was selling an expensive piece of software, and the winning bid was $280 or so. The winning bidder was in the Netherlands (I had a feedback rating around 35 at the time, all positive) and he sent me $280 in cash through the mail. No insurance, no registered mail ...
I just sent the guy an e-mail telling him I received it, but he really should be careful about that!!!
