I'm starting this thread because some folks have concerns about sending money orders to people in exchange for mail-ordered goods. Hopefully I can clarify some of the reasons why MOs are a Good Thing if used right.
- Use USPS Money Orders ONLY. The money orders issued by the US Postal Service are a) cheap and b) better-backed legally than the ones you get at convenience stores, supermarkets, etc. Not only can USPS MOs be stopped just like a cheque, but the same people who investigate mail fraud (the Postal Inspectors) handle MOs.
- Faster than a personal cheque. Generally, I can send an item out the day or day after an MO is received. Personal cheques can take up to 10 days to clear if the bank's feeling uppity.
- More secure than a personal cheque.. If you send me a cheque, not only are your name and address on it but also your bank account number and routing details. Given the generally low level of protection afforded your personal information by the people on the other end of your bank's support line, you probably don't want this info being leaked.
Moving on to why I won't accept Paypal: a couple of years ago I sold roughly $700 in computer equipment to a guy in Ohio via a classified ad on a forum (not
). He Paypaled the money to me, I shipped the goods, and everything looked OK. Unfortunately, the guy had had me send everything to a drop address. Once the items were received, he filed a claim with Paypal that I had sent him goods other than what he had ordered. Paypal stopped payment to me, which is where I made my first mistake in dealing with them: I tried to fight it.
Here's the problem with Paypal: they are NOT a financial instution covered by the usual laws or bodies (such as the FDIC) that would apply; they're more of a third-party credit card processor. Long story short, despite sending them photographs I had taken of the goods that were being shipped, they still sided with the guy filing the false fraud claim and refused to pay. What's interesting is that he never filed a complaint (AFAIK) with the credit card company itself, just Paypal. Apparently this sort of thing is fairly common, but having dealt with Paypal's godawful staff and their attitude of, 'well, we don't have to give you any money', I'll never do business with or through them again.
For anyone curious as to some of the reasons to not do business with paypal, I'd recommend the following:
http://www.paypalsucks.com/
http://www.aboutpaypal.org/
http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=3186 (Paypal stops payment of charitable donations to Katrina relief)
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="paypal+sucks"&btnG=Google+Search (generic Google search for "paypal sucks")
- Use USPS Money Orders ONLY. The money orders issued by the US Postal Service are a) cheap and b) better-backed legally than the ones you get at convenience stores, supermarkets, etc. Not only can USPS MOs be stopped just like a cheque, but the same people who investigate mail fraud (the Postal Inspectors) handle MOs.
- Faster than a personal cheque. Generally, I can send an item out the day or day after an MO is received. Personal cheques can take up to 10 days to clear if the bank's feeling uppity.
- More secure than a personal cheque.. If you send me a cheque, not only are your name and address on it but also your bank account number and routing details. Given the generally low level of protection afforded your personal information by the people on the other end of your bank's support line, you probably don't want this info being leaked.
Moving on to why I won't accept Paypal: a couple of years ago I sold roughly $700 in computer equipment to a guy in Ohio via a classified ad on a forum (not
). He Paypaled the money to me, I shipped the goods, and everything looked OK. Unfortunately, the guy had had me send everything to a drop address. Once the items were received, he filed a claim with Paypal that I had sent him goods other than what he had ordered. Paypal stopped payment to me, which is where I made my first mistake in dealing with them: I tried to fight it.Here's the problem with Paypal: they are NOT a financial instution covered by the usual laws or bodies (such as the FDIC) that would apply; they're more of a third-party credit card processor. Long story short, despite sending them photographs I had taken of the goods that were being shipped, they still sided with the guy filing the false fraud claim and refused to pay. What's interesting is that he never filed a complaint (AFAIK) with the credit card company itself, just Paypal. Apparently this sort of thing is fairly common, but having dealt with Paypal's godawful staff and their attitude of, 'well, we don't have to give you any money', I'll never do business with or through them again.
For anyone curious as to some of the reasons to not do business with paypal, I'd recommend the following:
http://www.paypalsucks.com/
http://www.aboutpaypal.org/
http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=3186 (Paypal stops payment of charitable donations to Katrina relief)
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="paypal+sucks"&btnG=Google+Search (generic Google search for "paypal sucks")
uke: 
