From: Andrew Webber (awebber_at_wwwebbers.com)
Date: Mon Feb 04 2002 - 19:09:10 EST
When I saw all those responses, I feared I would be flamed for
posting I had a HD for sale. Luckily not, let's see how much
trouble I can get in this time...
On Mon, 4 Feb 2002 08:40:43 -0800 (PST), Steve C. wrote:
>why is it that all the sellers from Canada want
>some sort of international payment when I try
>to pay them for something that I won in their
>auction? Shouldn't they have some way to accept
>American money in Canada? Each time they want
>an International Money order, bank transfer or
>some such thing that doesn't exist here! I've
>checked with the post office and they don't have
>International money orders, just domestic ones
>that are not good outside the country!
There are two types of USPS money order, those that say "Valid only
in the US, its Territories and Possessions", and others that are
labelled as international. Sorry if your post office hasn't heard
of them. I can't find them on the USPS website but they do exist.
If you win one of my auctions, you can pay by any of these methods:
US$ money order issued by a bank, including those issued at
Circle-K and many other convenience stores; USPS _international_
money order; PayPal; Billpoint (eBay Payments); or US$ personal
cheque (or check, if you prefer -- and now I'm sure you'll want to
boycott me for daring to spell it differently than you ;)) -- and I
won't wait for it to clear, which shocks most buyers, who are used
to American sellers who won't ship anything until the cheque
clears.
Since I can deposit any of these things into my US$ account at my
local Canadian bank, I have to believe the problem wrt USPS
domestic-only money orders is with the USPS (and see my other reply
below).
>Also, my bank doesn't have any sort of
>international transfer or anything like that,
>just regular money orders.
That's some bank you've got there! But I'll take a regular money
order from your bank.
On Mon, 4 Feb 2002 12:33:27 -0500, Jonathan Graham wrote:
>Personally I've never had a problem cashing a US Postal
>Money order at a Canadian bank. It takes a bit of time
>to fully clear though. Mind you I live in Toronto which
>is a major city. I wouldn't be surprised if someone
>who lived in a smaller town, at a smaller branch would
>have trouble cashing something like a USPMO especially
>when they tend to say in big block letters "Negotiable
>Only In The US and Possessions". I can see how an
>inexperienced teller might think that this means it's
>uncashable (Since we're not part of the former group
>and kicked your collective asses last time you tried to
>make us part of the latter. :-) )
Have you done this recently?
I used to deposit the USPS "domestic" money orders at Canada Trust
with no problem. I just figured CT realized we were one of the
US's territories and possessions. ;) But right after the CT
takeover by TD Bank, I had two of those USPS money orders rejected.
The (formerly CT) teller took them, but TD wouldn't clear them.
It may be that CT, being smaller (and much nicer), had a different
way of clearing these things, perhaps they shipped them all to
their sister bank in Delaware (CT's US$ money orders were issued by
a bank in Delaware, as I recall). Whatever the reason, they can't
clear them any more. Didn't even offer to do it "just this once
since we took it", not even hold the for 45 days or something while
it cleared, which implies a true inability and not just a bank's
rule.
So again I have to say it's a problem with the USPS, since I have
no problem depositing US$ personal cheques, bank money orders, Amex
money orders, etc., etc.
>Reminds me of the time I was in Kalamazoo, MI and the sign
>at the counter said "No Checks" and the girl wouldn't accept
>a travelers cheque - *grin*.
I lived in Lansing MI for nine months. I think it's something in
the Michigan water.
>Anyway I have just as many troubles with folk in the US who
>will not accept a Canadian postal money order. So I do what
>anyone with half a brain does. I go buy a bank draft drawn
>on a US bank. BTW: You can also try a cashiers cheque.
I used to have a supplier in MS who couldn't deposit US$ money
orders drawn on a Canadian bank. And the postmistress at his local
post office insisted there was no parcel post to Canada, so he
always had to send parcels by air mail (this was in the old days
when the USPS charged less for surface than for air parcel post to
Canada).
What really bugs me is sellers on eBay who say "Will ship to US
only" but if you email "how much for postage to Canada?" they're
quite happy to do it. Why they don't check the box that says
"Canada" when doing their listing I don't know (I accept that they
might not want the extra hassle of filling out the customs form, so
don't flame me for that; but either they will sell to Canada or
they won't, and they should say so!).
On Mon, 4 Feb 2002 12:59:13 -0500, Tom Trottier wrote:
>BTW, US sellers are even worse. They expect US $ only,
>no rubles, C$, Pesos, or anything else....
Why would they? I expect to pay in the seller's local currency,
wherever that is (GBP, FF, DEM, USD). The fact that I as a seller
choose to accept USD (including personal cheques) is up to me to
decide.
And hey, would _you_ want C$!? ;)
On Mon, 04 Feb 2002 12:08:20 -0600, Rob Bell wrote:
>I don't think that these people should be specifically
>accommodating Americans or the USA . Instead, they
>should be accommodating whatever group makes up the
>majority of the customer base. In this case, I'd say
>that English-speaking, dollar-wielding Americans make
>up the vast majority of the customer base on eBay.
>How successful would non-USA residents be selling
>things on eBay if they listed items in their native
>language? Do you think that would be wise? That
>would fit right in with your statements below. Why
>don't they do that? Because they want to reach the
>widest audience possible. So, if they want to be
>able to sell to the widest audience possible they
>should also accept payment from them in a convenient
>(and standard) manner. This isn't ethno-centric,
>it is wise business practice.
I see many eBay posts not in English. I have no idea what
percentage this is.
Most recently I've seen a lot of German posts related to Corel
Draw. If I'm selling a German version of the software, or a German
video tutorial, why would I post in English?
I would be happy to take US domestic money orders, so I agree with
you. But if the stupid post office chooses to issue payments that
aren't valid outside the US, what should I do, open an account at a
US bank for those few buyers who don't have a credit card (for
PayPal or Billpoint) and don't have a chequing account?
On Mon, 4 Feb 2002 13:05:43 -0500, Bill Morrow wrote:
>third, if a seller demands cash or equivalent before
>sending the goods, something smells and you better
>be very wary... (this is a tricky subject, not given
>to one line responses) and it IS an eBay matter..
>eBay does little to discourage crooks..
I agree with you about eBay attitude (but if they did more, might
they open themselves to legal action for "not doing enough"?, this
way they stay totally hands-off and can't be held responsible), but
I have yet to see anyone expect as a buyer (or offer as a seller)
that goods will be shipped before payment is sent. In fact as I
posted above, many buyers are surprised when I say "don't waste
time and money getting a money order if a cheque is easier, I'm not
going to wait for it to clear" -- most sellers, including Americans
selling to Americans, wait for the cheque to clear. This isn't
just an eBay phenomenon, back when I had a mail-order boardgames
business, most other dealers demanded money orders for immediate
shipment.
>> David Goldman
>> An American who is not always proud of other Americans
>
>I am SO PROUD to be an American words fail me!
>
>so please, let us NOT defame these united states,
>even a little bit...
Bill, I'm sure you have good reason to be proud, but are you really
always proud of all other Americans, which is what David denied?
...So that's the story of buying from Canadians, if the only form
of payment available to you is USPS Domestic money orders, you'll
have to look elsewhere!
andrew [awebber_at_wwwebbers.com]
------
for PGP public key, send email with "send public key" as subject
current local weather:
www.cnn.com/WEATHER/ce/Ontario/OttawaYOW.html
Photo album at www.wwwebbers.com
ICQ: wwwebber Yahoo: andrew0534
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Thu Jan 23 2003 - 09:58:15 EST