posted on July 11, 2001 10:59:52 AM new
kiawok..............
I am amazed that you are a power seller and do not accept Paypal or Billpoint. I think that would hurt your sales since such a high percentage of them pay me by Paypal. FYI...I do not accept Billpoint.
I have wanted to jump ship on the 13th from Paypal but fear losing buyers. The main reason I want to quit Paypal, is the fees keep going up. It hurts my profits. Heck I even lose money on shipping charges too, since they even charge their 2.2% on them, as well. I know this is another topic but just wanted to reply to your being a power seller and not accepting these method of payments, I figured all power sellers accept as many methods of payments as possible.
Am glad to hear you only have had one bounced check and it was made good. The odds look good for accepting them. What a different perspective I have now.
posted on July 11, 2001 11:02:29 AM new
keziak............
I don't ship internationally unless prior permission has been granted. Have only shipped internationally three times and none of them asked to pay by check, but all paid by BidPay. But thanks for the advice.
posted on July 11, 2001 11:05:38 AM new
eleanordew.............
I understand your viewpoint, if it can bounce/come back after the ten day hold then a hold on checks makes no sense anyway.
posted on July 11, 2001 11:09:26 AM new
helnjo........
I can see that by telling your buyers to get a check on a small purchase would be appreciated by them. Since MO cost 90 cents now and are more inconvenient.
Since you have 95% pay by check, then you must not offer Paypal or Billpoint. Am I right?
posted on July 11, 2001 11:16:24 AM new
AHC3..........
Wow that is staggering odds. Blows my mind to think my worrying about getting burnt on bad checks was way off-track with your kind of odds.
posted on July 11, 2001 11:58:50 AM new
When you revise your TOS to include accepting personal checks, you might want to add something like:
"Items may be held pending check clearing."
The operative word being "may". I use something similar but, as I stated earlier, rarely hold for a check clearing.
Still, it gives me an option should I feel the need to hold based on a large check or for some other reason.
Some buyers even tell me they are sending a check & understand there may be a delay. Then I get to pleasantly surprise them by shipping faster than they expected.
posted on July 11, 2001 12:13:09 PM new
eventer.........
Thanks for the good tip, as I sure want to keep my doors open to choose to hold check to clear if I feel the need.
At least, then they can't dispute it, since it is stated in my listings.
posted on July 11, 2001 12:30:19 PM new
i'm also impressed with how few people have had trouble with bouncing checks.
i sell in what, according to the 'worst categories' thread, is one of the worst for npbs, so i'd assume it would be similar for rubber checks. i offer money order and pp as payment options, but of course i do get the occasional check. like others, i used to hold them; now i ship upon receipt. one check bounced. buyer was mortified, gave profuse apologies, and paid via money order, including my bank fees
posted on July 11, 2001 12:53:17 PM new
Usually I ship right away...sometimes I don't. If it's a really large check, I'll call their bank to see if it's cleared before I ship. That's rare though, because it's a pain.
One small caveat for what it's worth. We are in Mass., and have had an antique shop for over 20 years. Haven't had a bouncer in several years... Just got one, from a woman in an extremely affluent area. She's hiding out...telling her child to say she's not home, when we've called. Can hear her in the background...lol... Anyway, I think some of these folks in the million dollar houses are in trouble. Some other dealers have told us they're starting to get multiple bouncers.
I plan to be a little more careful...the economy may be causing some changes.......
posted on July 11, 2001 12:58:45 PM new
I accept checks. Have never had a single problem. I'm not a "Powerseller" by any means, but still have probably taken a thousand or more of them in the last 3 years.
I never hold shipping, I ship same/next day, depending on what time i get home and get the mail. Sometimes I ship before I receive payment.
Am I gonna get burned someday? Yeah, probably.
As for buying, I never intentionally bid on a "money order only" auction, nor one that forces me to pay for insurance and delivery confirmation. Last week I made the mistake of not reading a tos (stupid me) so i got stuck paying for insurance and delivery confirmation on a crummy $4-something item. Oh well, won't make that mistake again (til the next time )
posted on July 11, 2001 01:04:23 PM new
I've been selling on ebay for over 3 years and have always accepted checks. In those 3 years, I've had one check bounce but it was made good. I've never held goods until check clears either. As for buying on ebay; I will not bid on anything when the seller states that holds are placed on checks but if they take billpoint or paypal I'll go that route with them. I think flexibility is important.
posted on July 11, 2001 04:21:53 PM new
KIAWOK.............
I read the thread you bumped up for me concerning cc's versus no cc's. I have come to the conclusion, thanks to your help of pointing me in the right direction....that even if you don't accept CC's it is not going to hurt you in sales volume in the end as long as you are prepared to take checks since this is the way they most likely will pay when you don't take CC's. I guess bottom line is, if power sellers aren't taking cc's and still doing auctions with good ending prices then it should work just as well for me even though I am not a high volume seller. I think the buyers that buy most of their items that are low end priced, under $15 is the ones who like to use CC's most since they are usually the ones who live on a budget or just can't afford to shell out the cash...overspenders HUH!. These are the transaction that hurt the most (under $15) to accept CC via Paypal cause they are costly percentage wise in the end due to the per transaction fee.
I still believe Paypal/Billpoint is what buyers love to use to get their mdse. fast but I don't think if they want the item that is truly going to keep them from buying. It doesn't for me when I am the buyer. I just paid $3.25 for an international money order on a $16 purchase but I wanted what they had to offer and accepted their terms. I didn't pay by check because I didn't want it held for 14 days. Is my point made?
I will now start accepting checks and will soon stop CC's via Paypal. If I see a decrease in sales, I can always start up Paypal again. The 13th is nearing, and I can't accept the high fees, they (paypal) are putting the screws to us. They even charge when it is a direct withdrawal and not cc, is this proper. NO! It is a rip off and so is charging fees on shipping and insurance charges. This the seller loses on big time and when does the buyer lose?????????? Almost never, we pay for their convenience. They can wait a few days more for their mdse., it won't run them off.
posted on July 11, 2001 05:08:50 PM new
I sell a certain type of antique from the 19th century. From Day One I've never held a check and that has been since 1998. I've had three bounced checks in that time, two made good, one not.
I was a speaker at a conference teaching dealers and collectors how to sell their 19th century antiques on eBay. The room was crammed with people and overflowed to the hall outside, perhaps 200 people in attendance. I allowed lots of questions. When I told buyers never to bid on Money Order Only Auctions, all of the experienced buyers agreed. A lively discussion came about and the consensus in that room is that buyers won't risk the time and cost to bid on such auctions anymore, that no item is rare enough to have to go through the inconvenience of dealing with a seller who will not provide customer service and allow flexible payment options.
So there are 200 plus people right now who will not bid on sellers' Money Order Only Auctions. I imagine that is just the tip of the iceberg of lost bids, bidders who instead go to the auctions of sellers who appear professional and who provide the kind of customer service they demand.
posted on July 11, 2001 05:10:28 PM new
I sell a certain type of antique from the 19th century. From Day One I've never held a check and that has been since 1998. I've had three bounced checks in that time, two made good, one not.
I was a speaker at a conference teaching dealers and collectors how to sell their 19th century antiques on eBay. The room was crammed with people and overflowed to the hall outside, perhaps 200 people in attendance. I allowed lots of questions. When I told buyers never to bid on Money Order Only Auctions, all of the experienced buyers agreed. A lively discussion came about and the consensus in that room is that buyers won't risk the time and cost to bid on such auctions anymore, that no item is rare enough to have to go through the inconvenience of dealing with a seller who will not provide customer service and allow flexible payment options.
So there are 200 plus people right now who will not bid on sellers' Money Order Only Auctions. I imagine that is just the tip of the iceberg of lost bids, bidders who instead go to the auctions of sellers who appear professional and who provide the kind of customer service they demand.
And, as for the subject at hand, many of us do not accept personal checks and have been able to be just as successful using paypal, billpoint, bidpay, and money orders. I seldom have people asking me to take their check which is just fine with me.
Disclaimer: HOWEVER, before a certain troll jumps on me, I do not begrudge anybody else for wanting to accept personal checks and I sincerely wish you all the success in the world with it.
[ edited by Triggerfish on Jul 11, 2001 05:48 PM ]
posted on July 11, 2001 06:03:49 PM new
Now now Bill, if you keep that talk up I'll have to give your new friend a bib to catch all the dribble that's running off their chin.
I think ALL sellers should do what's best for them, period, end of story.
In fact I do occasionaly run POSTAL MO ONLY auctions, but those are usually on items that are expected to reach $750-$1,000, or more.
Did those MO ONLY auctions stop people from bidding, not likely. Most of those high bidders simply send their secretary to go fetch the Postal MO.
I take checks and have found much success.
I was waiting at least a week for the checks to so call clear. I see by this board that I am wasting my time doing that.
I will be shipping out same day check arrives from now on.
Thanks to all who gave superb answers. These boards are the best!
posted on July 12, 2001 07:44:34 AM new
KAYSAPPHIRE:
*You are not alone*
(kind of)
I don't accept Personal checks from bidders with under 50 FB (in my TOS).
I'm one of those, um, *blushing* PowerSeller people. 2 years and 2000 transactions.
Hasn't hurt my bids(that I can tell), my sell
through rate is consistently over 90%, my final values are higher than my competitors.
**Yes, we were all new to eBay at one time or another, I just prefer someone with a track history when accepting a personal check**
**My categories would more than likely attract bogus checks**
**I DO accept checks from buyers who ask prior to bidding**
As mentioned previously by a wise poster:
We all do what works best for us.
only ZOOMIN here
posted on July 12, 2001 09:38:16 AM new
KIAWOK..............
Thanks and you are welcome. This thread has been enlightening. I had never used the chatboards til I posted this thread and have found I was missing out on alot of information that can be very helpful. It has helped me to change my TOS to benefit all concerned.
Thanks again,
Kaysapphire
posted on July 12, 2001 09:48:29 AM new
ZOOMIN..........
I think that statement says it best "WE ALL DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR US".
I am changing my TOS to accept personal checks since I think most do. If it cuts down on the amount of people paying by Paypal then it will save me alot of money in the long run. I am going to keep Paypal but not strongly advertise it for the time being and see what happens over the next month. Time will tell, I plan on phasing out Paypal eventually but that is whole different topic that I won't go into detail over now. Except to say it is costly with constant rate increases.
Thanks for your input, much appreciated.
posted on July 12, 2001 11:48:32 AM new
readmond.....
WHO PEE'D IN YOUR CHEERIOS?
YOUR COMMENT IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTENT AND HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU POSTED AND WHAT IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS THREAD.
posted on July 12, 2001 12:27:14 PM new
My post has some content. Perhaps you mean context.
This issue has ben hashed to death on other threads. And no doubt will appear in another week.
The bottom line is - are you a rule enforcer or a seller- close the deal !
I don't sell to international buyers- but if I get an international buyer, I increase the shipping and sell the item to the international buyer.
I don't take checks- but if I get a check and it clears, the deal goes through.
I don't accept Paypal, Bidpay, C2It, etc etc., but if I can get the money from these services, the deal goes through.
I won't sell to those with negative FB- but if the buyer gets the money to me I don't care what his/her FB is.
Checks and MO's in US funds only- I'll convert to your currency and give you a total, and when your paper clears my bank I'll ship.
This isn't rocket science- it's business !
Do you desire to sell items or talk about ways in which you will not sell items ?
I think some people produce intricate and long TOS just to have something to post about.
WHAT IS YOUR OBJECTIVE ? Is it for someone to give you money for a good or service, or is it to see how many hoops a buyer can jump through to close a deal ?
75% of eBay transactions are with a check or MO. 25% are through credit card. Which percentage of your business do you want to cut out ?
Shouldn't even wise sellers up - the more sellers that thwart their own deals, the better it gets for the rest of us.
posted on July 12, 2001 12:34:42 PM new
reamond.....
I agree DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO CLOSE A DEAL. Being paid is all that counts.
Your 25% cc is way off though. I get 75% cc payments.
You know you don't have to read this, if it gets old to you, just don't open it.
I have said all I care to and am closing this topic.
Look for it come up again soon but by someone else.
