posted on July 18, 2001 06:15:04 AM
Bidpay is fine for the sellers...costs you nothing. All Bidpay really does is issue a Western Union money order for the buyer and mail it to you. I had some issues with not receiving one once, so I don't ship now until I actually receive the money order in the mail.
What I can't understand is why anyone except, perhaps, an international buyer, would use Bidpay. It's a friggin rip off, charging the buyer at least $5 for a money order. That's a high price to pay just to be able to charge a money order.
Gerald
"Oh but it's so hard to live by the rules/I never could and still never do."
posted on July 18, 2001 06:15:34 AM
Hi.
Yes, it's no big deal. You don't have to be registered as a Seller. Basically, the buyer pays BidPay with a credit card, and BidPay send out a Western Union money order to you, for the total amount they owe you. It's sent thru the U.S. Mail and you'll receive payment in about a week. I offer it officially now, after having a couple people use it. I figured I might as well register with them - that way I can track the status of the orders and see a history too. But you don't HAVE TO register with them, when you're the seller/recipient of the payment. If you feel comfortable doing so, you CAN send out the merchandise after the second confirmation email. But if you want you could also just wait until you get the MO in the mail.
I don't offer PayPal or Billpoint, etc., but if someone wants to pay immediately, htey have the option of BidPay - it costs the Buyer $5.00 to purchase the money order, which, if it's an international buyer, could actually be cheaper for them than purchasing an int'l. money order, envelope and stamp to send it to me themselves.
I've had a couple international people use it, and also have had a couple US people use it for convenience' sake, for higher dollar purchases.
[ edited by mar30 on Jul 18, 2001 06:16 AM ]
posted on July 18, 2001 07:27:37 AMtoph: BidPay is very reliable. Mostly my foreign bidders use it though a few in the US have as well (it costs the buyer $5.00). BidPay will send you two emails--the second one confirms that the buyer's payment. I always ship immediately upon receiving the second email. You get the Western Union MO within 3-7 days. I have never failed to get the payment.
posted on July 18, 2001 07:53:09 AM
I am Canadian and I really like having Bidpay as a payment option. It is a bit expensive, but worth it for the convenience, especially for larger purchases. Also, payment gets to the seller quicker as it is mailed from a US address. (Sometimes envelopes can take two weeks or more to get from Canada to the US.)
I recently used it to pay for a purchase made while I was on vacation and miles from my home town. I bid on something using a computer in a Community Access Centre in the city I was visiting. Since I didn't know where the nearest branch of my bank was, it was much cheaper and quicker to pay this way than to drive around looking for a bank.
Our banking system is different here in Canada than in the US. Some banks make it easier to buy US money orders than others. Also, if you haven't pre-purchased a blanket coverage plan of sorts to cover the cost of money orders, etc. it can get expensive. So Bidpay does give us a good alternative for certain purchases.
I also like it as a seller. Payment comes quickly. There are no hassles whatsoever with this service!
posted on July 18, 2001 09:41:13 AM
As far as "safe" goes, you can not beat this service. As a payment service, they are hard to beat.
For overseas buyers, Its great.
posted on July 18, 2001 10:31:51 AM
Bidpay is the only CC payment method I accept as a seller. They are very safe to use, their customer service is fast and friendly, and buyers seem to like it. I get anywhere from 25-40 bidpay payments a month. One customers money order dident arrive in 4 days, and they sent another no questions asked. NO chargebacks, No locked accounts, and NO spam emails like paypal. Try it you will like it!
