Buyer wants to pay for auction with money order. Opinions?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I know eBay's now forcing us to take PayPal for pretty much everything. However, a guy who bought some stuff from me earlier in the week told me that his PayPal is screwed up because someone filed a chargeback against him and he can't use it to pay me right now. So he wants to send a USPS money order.

Will eBay get on my case over this? I don't want to get my account frozen or anything like that, you know? Got any advice? :|

[mobiusclimber]

I think a cashier's check from his bank would be better than an MO, even one from the PO. I could be wrong about that, but that's what I heard. Ebay has no control over whether or not you use Paypal. They only say you can't mention in your auction that you take other forms of payment, and even that I'm not 100% sure of.

[ryborg]

Buyers still ask my permission to pay via check/MO, and I always accept them, just not officially. I actually prefer them to Paypal, since there's no fee and no chance for a BS chargeback. If ebay doesn't know about it, they can't do anything about it.


Ebay has no control over whether or not you use Paypal. They only say you can't mention in your auction that you take other forms of payment, and even that I'm not 100% sure of.

Yeah, you can't say in your item description that you accept mailed payments. They will pull the auction if you say this. Ebay considers mailed payments "unsafe." Unsafe, as in, they don't get a percentage of the payment. I'd rather mail a large money order to a stranger than use some of their obscure, yet accepted, payment methods, like HyperWallet and Cash2India.

[JohnnyA]

A buyer wanting to pay with a USPS money order is most certainly a win for you.

[Krepticor]

eBay ensures all payment options, just don't send anything until you get paid, simple

[Cornelius]

I don't recall where I read it, but there somewhere eBay says that if a buyer asks to use a check/mo/etc, you are allowed to accept it.

Definitely try to get them to us a USPS MO. That you can cash the day you get it with no worries. Other methods, even cashier's checks, are easy to fake and even if legit still have to 'clear' just like a personal check. That can take quite a while and waiting can piss you and your buyer off.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I can just take a USPS money order to the post office anyway. Even if they don't cash it (the only reason they'd refuse would be if they don't have enough money to cover it on-hand - which has happened in the past) they can verify that it's real.

I've already told the customer to contact me via email so we can arrange payment. I need the money quickly... but eh. I'll have to deal.

Thanks.

[Baloo]

Ebay doesn't accept Money orders/Cashier's Checks anymore? They are now officially a truly gay site in it only for a chunk of the profits all the way around, trying to screw you over as much as possible.

[ryborg]

They are now officially a truly gay site in it only for a chunk of the profits all the way around, trying to screw you over as much as possible.

We don't use "gay" as a negative adjective here. Go back to gamefaqs.

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

Bad deals aside(bad sellers) I've done over 160 purchases on ebay with money orders

[Joe West]

As long as you get a postal money order, your good too go, I wouldnt fool with the 2nd party M.O from stores & etc

[b1aCkDeA7h]

eBay is very PayPal focused nowadays but even so, you can get around their regulations.

Before I got a credit card or PayPal account, I used to go to a local chain convenience store (Wawa) and later Wal-Mart to get money orders, sent them out, and never had a problem.

One seller and I arranged a local pickup and I just paid him cash. Logged on to eBay and marked as "payment sent." Left feedback, he did the same, no complaints.

I would inform the seller that you can't ship the item out until the money order arrives and clears.

[tubeway]

We don't use "gay" as a negative adjective here. Go back to gamefaqs.

I don't think he was using it as a negative adjective. Paypal no longer accepts my "hetero dollars".

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I don't have a problem with Postal money orders. Makes it easy for me to cash it and ship their stuff at the same time.

JY

[ryborg]

I don't have a problem with Postal money orders. Makes it easy for me to cash it and ship their stuff at the same time.

JY

I don't think anybody has a problem with postal money orders. Ebay went Paypal-only to collect listing fees and now Paypal fees on EVERY transaction. If they really cared about buyer's safety, they'd hire a staff to deal with the tens of thousands of bootleg auctions up at any given moment.


I don't think he was using it as a negative adjective. Paypal no longer accepts my "hetero dollars".

Look how dumb you are.

[tubeway]

Look how dumb you are.

You know you love me.

[rpepper9]

We don't use "gay" as a negative adjective here. Go back to gamefaqs.

Would it be ok to use "Not entirely Heterosexual" as a negative adjective?

[c0ldb33r]

We don't use "gay" as a negative adjective here. Go back to gamefaqs.
Maybe it's a local thing, but I totally do.

It I haven't used it on DP then it's entirely coincidental.

I think that most people that use it don't mean homosexuals are bad, instead it's just a colloquialism.

[tubeway]

I always find it funny when people get all holier than thou and irate over the usage of the word "gay" as a negative adjective. I live in the SF bay area, have quite a few gay friends, and organize events and club nights that bring quite a few gay people. I can't remember anyone I know ever getting irate over the use of the word. It's usually straight people that get all bent out of shape.

Maybe if it was some angry redneck in a wifebeater saying it, then maybe there would be a problem....

[Cornelius]

I always find it funny when people get all holier than thou and irate over the usage of the word "gay" as a negative adjective. I live in the SF bay area, have quite a few gay friends, and organize events and club nights that bring quite a few gay people. I can't remember anyone I know ever getting irate over the use of the word. It's usually straight people that get all bent out of shape.

Maybe if it was some angry redneck in a wifebeater saying it, then maybe there would be a problem....

I agree, although I'll add that it just isn't an insult anymore when said of a person (seems like I've said that a couple times now!). But, ahem, could we really be much more off-topic?

So, Kit? How's that MO workin' out for ya?

[Kitsune Sniper]

The guy hasn't replied to my emails since I sent him my address. So either:

A, he bailed
B, he won't pay, or
C, he'll send creepy stuff to my post office box.

[tubeway]

I guess C would be better than nothing.

[c0ldb33r]

Post your mailing address here. We could all go for some C :D

[Kitsune Sniper]

Well. Crap. I just got an email from eBay saying that this particular buyer was suspicious and may have screwed over several people. In fact, he's "not a registered user" anymore. He never paid for my items (I won the dispute) but he did get my post office box address.

I'm scared. D:

[Baloo]

Well. Crap. I just got an email from eBay saying that this particular buyer was suspicious and may have screwed over several people. In fact, he's "not a registered user" anymore. He never paid for my items (I won the dispute) but he did get my post office box address.

I'm scared. D:


Buy a new PO box at a different post office and close the old one?

[Kitsune Sniper]

Buy a new PO box at a different post office and close the old one?

I can't. It's the family PO Box, lots of stuff are tied to it so we can't change it.

Oh well. I expect severed body parts any day now. :(

[Baloo]

I LOLed at severed body parts.

It's probably not that serious though. What's the worst he can do? I doubt a bomb could fit into a P.O box.

Wait, forgot about Magnum Force. Just don't open it next time :p.

[ryborg]

I can't. It's the family PO Box, lots of stuff are tied to it so we can't change it.

Oh well. I expect severed body parts any day now. :(

I wouldn't worry about it. This has happened to me dozens of times and nothing's ever happened to me. It seems that fake bidders like to pretend they're going to pay just to try to waste the seller's time and as an attempt to prove to ebay that they tried paying (hard to do now, now that you're not supposed to be mailing payment and every Paypal payment is tracked). I doubt the buyer has any malicious intent, aside from wasting your time.

[VG_Maniac]

I talked to an Ebay employee on the phone awhile back ago, and he said you can still accept money orders if the buyer requests it, you just can't advertise it in your auction that you do (obviously, Ebay couldn't stop you from accepting a money order behind their back anyways).

[c0ldb33r]

Why does ebay care if I want to accept money orders, cash in an envelope or even sexual favours? As far as I'm concerned they can get off their high horse.

[Ed Oscuro]

If he was looking for a mark (like people on Craigslist...) he would have wanted your home address...sometimes, the PO Box pays for itself :)

[Baloo]

Why does ebay care if I want to accept money orders, cash in an envelope or even sexual favours? As far as I'm concerned they can get off their high horse.

They're trying to force Paypal on you so they can get you for Paypal fees. After all, they own Paypal. That way they can get the seller twice and the buyer for fees.

[Ed Oscuro]

They're trying to force Paypal on you so they can get you for Paypal fees. After all, they own Paypal. That way they can get the seller twice and the buyer for fees.
Incidentally, I rediscovered recently that I couldn't pay for a purchase on Amazon with PP - instead had to use Amazon's system. Was painless because I already had Amazon set up and thankfully didn't need to use PP for the balance.

[VG_Maniac]

They're trying to force Paypal on you so they can get you for Paypal fees. After all, they own Paypal. That way they can get the seller twice and the buyer for fees.

They actually get you three times. One for listing an item, one for selling an item, and one for accepting a payment.

[tubeway]

And if you offer free shipping to your buyers (but factor it into your asking price), then ebay even takes a cut of your shipping costs, too.

Still, selling something on ebay is still cheaper than the insane commissions Amazon tries to get out of you. Lose $4.14 on a $12 sale. Sheesh.

[unwinddesign]

And if you offer free shipping to your buyers (but factor it into your asking price), then ebay even takes a cut of your shipping costs, too.

Still, selling something on ebay is still cheaper than the insane commissions Amazon tries to get out of you. Lose $4.14 on a $12 sale. Sheesh.

Both companies are going to drive their marketplaces out of business at the rates they're charging. If eBay's fees get any higher, it's just not worth it to me to sell anything on there. I'll keep my stuff. Or *gulp*

...sell it to Game$top

[ryborg]

Still, selling something on ebay is still cheaper than the insane commissions Amazon tries to get out of you. Lose $4.14 on a $12 sale. Sheesh.

Yes, but with Amazon, there's no fees to list, so you can post something for a price you're happy with and store the item away and forget about it until it sells. I have been doing this with old sealed games, really old PC games and rare books and it works pretty well. You just have to figure in the commission when you name your price.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

OK, this just happened to me. And because I'm trying to sound like an idiot, how do you do this? Just mark the item as paid for? I'm only asking because, I haven't accepted a money order since ebay changed it's policy, and I want to be laughed at by everyone for asking this question.

[b1aCkDeA7h]

I marked it as paid once it came in and the order cleared in my bank account.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

I marked it as paid once it came in and the order cleared in my bank account.

Thank you sir.

[ryborg]

I don't even go that far. I just mail their item once payment clears. Unless the buyer is a psycho or the seller uses unpaid items as an inventory control, there's no point to even thinking about it.

[Joe West]

Money order is Good, but i would only except it from the Post Office.....:pimp: