After getting into a bit of a problem with an item I sold on our favorite parts source, eBay, I thought I would pass on a little advise. This might be of help to all of us, even those who don't buy or sell on eBay, but who sell and buy parts from people from across the border, in my case I sold a part to a person in Canada. This is by no means a shot at our Canadian friends because I am sure they could have this problem on their side too.

In my case I sold a part to a guy in Canada and he paid with a Canadian Postal Money Order. I received the MO and took it, along with a couple of other checks I received for parts I sold, to my bank. The bank accepted the money order without a problem. The following day I sent the part via USPS, as requested by the buyer. Normally I wait for a personal check to clear my bank but I figured the MO was good, and the buyer had a long and perfect feedback on eBay, so I sent the item. The next day my bank called and told me they rejected the MO because it was drawn from a foreign bank. "Great I just got took in the old phony MO scheme". I bought the MO back from my bank and contacted the buyer. He told me I should have gone to the Post Office and cashed it there when I sent the package. The next day I went to the Post Office, when they inserted the MO into their computer it came back as "fraudulent". They took copies of the MO and my ID and gave the MO back. I again contacted the buyer. He said he had done this dozens of time without any problems. He contacted the Canadian Post Master who told him that if my bank printed their tracking number on the back of MO and they came too close to the MO tracking number it could come back as "Fraudulent". That is exactly what happened. I am 99.99% sure the buyer is legit for the following reasons; I talked to the seller, at length, on the phone, a call he initiated and paid for. He sent me paperwork with the MO that had his name, address and phone number, which I verified. Also, his good eBay feedback.

Now I am in the process of trying to get the Post Office to cash the MO. What a PIA! I had to call at least seven different numbers today and each one gave me another number to call. Finally, I got a snotty b**** (sorry but she was) who kept talking over me, I finally had to remind her she worked for me and not to talk over me. She didn't like that but tough!

Anyway, my bit of advise is if you deal with someone and they send a foreign Postal MO, take it directly to the Post Office to cash it. If you take it to your bank they might take it, and like in my case, disfigure it so you have a hard time cashing when they finally reject it and you have to take it to the Post Office. I hope this helps someone from going through what I am.

 

Bob -

I certainly do empathize with you for the troubles on that. But thank you for passing that info on to all of us. Very interesting stuff. Who'd a thunk it?

And yes, she does work for us, or at least a Postmaster somewhere. We all need to insist on customer service (a lost art, it seems). If we don't insist, we deserve what is passing for it now.

Thanks again...

 

I bought a limited slip spider from a guy that did not take paypal. I sent him a cashier's check, but screwed up his address. When it didn't arrive he contacted me, and I offered to do a paypal or even an direct wire transfer to get him his money. I emailed him copies of the check.

When the letter was a week late I went back to the credit union and cancled the check (stop) and drew another one, which I mailed while I was in town. I emailed him copies of everything that night.

Two days later he processed a complaint for non-payment through eBay - reported that I was refusing to pay.

I take pride in my feedback and always pay within a few hours of the end of the auction. Now I have a black mark - a strike, they call it. I sent eBay copies of everything and told them that if they put that in my feedback I would never again trade on their site.

Reguardless, I will never again buy from a stranger who does not accept PayPal. Electronic transfers are quick and easy, plus, if you use your Visa check card, also protected from fraud.

Look at my feedback - on eBay I am cwmadera - all positive, with most mentioning fast payment. Why should some low-life without a bank account be allowed to ruin that?

 

Yes, I pride myself on my good feedback on eBay. I don't accept PayPal when I sell stuff. I have never looked into it to what the charges are, I don't sell that much. I know I am more inclined to buy from an person who accepts PayPal but I really don't have a problem with buying from someone who doesn't. I take a look at the person's feedback and judge from there, whether they are a seller or buyer.

If a person has had 900 transactions and one has a bad feedback I check the person who left the bad mark. Usually it turns out the complainer has a really bad record themselves. I have never had a problem with an eBay transaction and this isn't a problem with eBay or the buyer, my problem is with the way it was handled by my bank and the USPS. I take 25% of the blame for not taking it to the PO right away, I can plead ignorance because I never dealt with a foreign MO before, but my bank should have known they didn't accept them, for that I give them 40% of the blame for the problem. I also give the USPS 35% just because if all they had to do to verify the authenticity of the MO was to make one phone call, like I was told by the last person I talked to at the USPS told me, when I first presented to them I wouldn't be going through all junk. I was adamant that I was sure the buyer was legit.

Hopefully I can get this all settled next week,

Bob

 

What bank you dealing with? I deal with a lot of foreign MO and checks.. And have never hav had a problem.. I would have had a word with the bank manger about the way his staff handled the foreign MO in the 1st place and in most cases he can handle it right than and there..

 

I've done business both ways across the northern border, with no issues except some customs delays. When buying from someone up there, you have to buy an International MO at the post office, or use PayPal.

eBay owns PayPal since about a year or two ago, and since they took it over, the emphasis has changed dramatically there. They used to promote their cash accounts, where you send them money from your bank electronically and ahead of any auction activity, and you draw against it. I never had any problems back then.

Since eBay bought it, they don't promote the cash accounts, and when you post an auction and list PayPal as an accepted method of payment, it automatically shows the MasterCard and Visa logos. This is because they want everyojne to use M/C or Visa thru PayPal, so they get their 3% (vs nothing with cash). Plus you have to be a Premier Member to accept M/C and Visa (more $$$ to them). I've had nothing but trouble with people winning and trying to pay with M/C and Visa, no matter how explicitly I explain in the auction that I only accept PayPal cash transfers.

 

Madathlon,

I went back to the bank this afternoon and went around with them for about ten minutes and finally gave up. They will not accept checks, MO or any other items drawn on a foreign banks. Otherwise, I have been using this bank for personal and business accounts with no problems. I really wish they would have told me they didn't accept foreign item before they missed my MO up. I am not in the banking business so I leave it up to the so called "Professionals".

 

Like I said, I like the security and ease of paypal. For me to use a money order or even a cashier's check requires a PITA 50 mile trip to town, same for anything special with the post office.

If it cost the seller 3%, why not give the buyer the option of paying for the service should he feel it worthwhile? Just tell him you will add it to the shipping.

 

We Bought A Computer On Ebay.used Paypal To Pay For It.never Got The Computer.called The Guy And Ask About It.he Said He Shipped It.7 Weeks Later Found Out He Never Even Sent It.called Ebay They Gave Us A Line Of Bull And Said To Call The Police.ended Up Letting The Police In His Town Deal With It.he Was Put In Jail For A Little Bit I Guess.we Never Saw The Money Or The Computer.don't Get Me Wrong We Have Bought Alot Of Stuff On Ebay With No Promblem.but Just One Bad Deal Makes You Hate To Buy Anything Over Ebay For Awhile.thanks For The Info .
Art

 

[QUOTE=bobj49f2]Yes, I pride myself on my good feedback on eBay. I don't accept PayPal when I sell stuff.


just to let you know paypal is free unless you want a business account to accept major credit cards.

 

Paypal is definately the way to go, I never do business with people that only accept checks. There is to much room for error and it's harder to get things done if a check is lost, they claim they never received it, or any number of things that can happen.

I've sold and purchased some big car parts on Ebay and when someone purchases through me I just add the 3% to the bill. Just let the person know that and they are usually pretty cool with it, plus if the part you bought doesn't work paypal steps in, and visa versa.

To bad you have to deal with all that nonsense though!

 

I think I'd start looking for another bank to deal with...and when I closed my account there, I'd tell them why...

Vern

 

Vern,

Other than this incident the bank has been pretty good. It's only located at the edge of the industrial park where I have my business and closest to my house, which is about three miles north out in the country. We have tried the other banks in town and their sevice stunk and they had fees for everything.

I will just take this as a learning experience and know what to do next time. Sometimes I find I learn a lot better by experience than being told something, it just might be more expensive.

 

I buy stuff from ebay (and have sold a few things)occasionally and I got burned by a nasty seller. I pride myself on fat pay and good communication but still got slammed by an idiot (i'd love to use stronger language to describe him). I had made the purchase and paint within minutes using paypal. I emailed the seller to confirm shipping addys, payment, etc. Never recieved a word, I waited about a week and a half, no word, no shipment. I emailed him again thorugh paypal, and ebay...nothing. I finally got a terse and rude reply suggesting preparation H. When my package finally arrived I left negative feedback describing the situation (something I do not like to do) and I got slammed by him. I did complain to ebay about him. It didnt do any good. He is a mass seller and has doen this sort of thing numerous times before...........aagg.

Generally though I have had very good experiences with ebay and the transactions I've made. Thanks for the tip on foriegn MOs.
Bobby

 

god-danged canadians...