posted on June 6, 2001 10:14:48 PM new
BEWARE OF BIDPAY:
I have been selling at eBay and Yahoo for over two years now and sometime ago I started accepting BidPay in addition to several other payment methods. I shipped as soon as I got the BidPay money order in hand (without waiting for the money order to clear in my bank account) because according to the Westen Union website (https://www6.westernunion.com/webmt/jump.asp?SRC=faq_mo.xsl#q8) "Stop payments can not be placed on money orders."
This should mean that whatever happens, should you get the money order from BidPay, you are guarantedd payment, right? WRONG.
A few days ago, I deposited a Money Order from Bidpay for an eBay transaction for $500 and as usual, sent the goods to the buyer, by courier, he received the goods, and even left positive feedback for me on eBay. A few days later, the bank returns the $500 Money Order from BidPay with a big red stamp saying "PAYMENT STOPPED".
I freaked out and wrote immediately to BidPay.
It has now been four days and I have been writing to every bidpay email address I know, as well as to their contact us page, and so far, they have not sent me a replacement MO. In fact, now they don't even reply to my emails anymore. All they said (initially) was that they had stopped the original money order AT THE REQUEST OF THE BUYER. Imagine that, someone goes and buys a money order from Bidpay and you ship goods based on the fact at their website that says money orders cannot be stopped, this same buyer after receiving the goods, asks BidPay to stop the money order. What does the seller do?? The buyer obviously doesn't want to know because he's got the goods and as far as he's concerened, he's sent me the payment.
I am writing this so that people who use BidPay know that untill the money order clears into your bank account, you should not part with the the merchandise. In effect, this means you are better off asking for a regular Money Order, as I don't know of a single instance that a regular money order has got payment stopped.
More than that, I would like to know what steps I can take to recover my $500; BidPay are not responding, and I would like to know if there is an association or authority that can step in at this point and help me. This looks like fraud to me, and I am thinking of writing to the FBI internet fraud division, and the USPS postal fraud division. PLEASE HELP.
Western Union money orders can be stopped at the request of the buyer. Call this number, 800-999-9660 to find out if a money order has been stopped, or to find out if the money order has cleared the issueing bank. When in doubt, wait for the money order to clear the issueing bank before shipping the item.
posted on June 8, 2001 04:06:23 PM new
ceylonweb
Sorry to hear about your problem. However bidpay did not screw you, your buyer did. Bidpay only buys the money order from western union for the customer.
Any money order can be stopped, but only the buyer can do so if it is lost or stolen.
I wish you luck with your attempt to recover your funds. Go after your crooked buyer.
posted on June 9, 2001 09:35:23 AM new
i just want to add the following-
someone reported that a customer bot a money order from a convenience store and the money order bounced.
it turned out that the issuer of this money order went out of business,there is not enough in their account to cover the money order.
posted on June 9, 2001 10:52:18 AM new
I thought BidBay was the Buyer of the money order---the auction buyer gives Bidbay the money and they do the purchasing----so if it got stopped, Bidbay would have been the party to do so.
posted on June 9, 2001 11:49:32 AM new
Yeah! What Zazzie said! How can the buyer stop the money order if HE didn't purchase it? I'd like to hear what BidPay has to say about THAT.
posted on June 9, 2001 12:54:03 PM new
Buyer orders mo thru bidpay, fine but later on buyer contacts bidpay and says please cancel mo. So back to where it's the buyer who screwed the seller.
Now buyer can also contact western union and claim mo was lost or stolen. Please cancel mo, thats it.
posted on June 25, 2001 02:33:04 AM new
What you can do is file a mail fraud complaint at the post office, the amount of $500.00 plus yoour shipping and handeling cost, dont be greedy. The standard cutoff for petty theft is $499.99, so this would be considdered grand larceny with conspiracy to commit fraud in most states, the process is slow but the results are usually good as the postal cops take screwing with the mail seriously, as well as the fact if the transaction crossed state lines you may request a criminal complaint in the bidders home state, contact the state police in the state to get the details on how to proceed.
every 20 seconds in america a woman is giving birth:SHE MUST BE FOUND AND STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................................................................
