Would you do it?? Ebayers...

[ChristyJ]

Someone Emailed me to ask if I would send an item (actually a 35 piece lot) to her grandson in another state. I've done this for people before-BUT, this person has 0 feedback, and I thought there was something about if the item is paid for via PayPal then there's a charge back and it isn't sent to the confirmed address on the bidder's account the seller is liable. The lot is currently at $72.00, so it's enough money that I wouldn't want to get burned...

would you be trusting or say no??

Thanks for the advice!

 

[ChristyJ]

What if I told her she needed to buy insurance to do it? Would that protect me?

 

[ChristyJ]

Problem solved...I Emailed the person and said I would ship to her grandson if she paid me via a Post Office Money Order or certified check-I hope I did the right thing...

 

[Colinsmom]

Problem solved...I Emailed the person and said I would ship to her grandson if she paid me via a Post Office Money Order or certified check-I hope I did the right thing...

Note that certified checks can bounce; only postal money orders are truly "safe". But I think that is the right approach - I certainly wouldn't take a Paypal payment and then ship it to a different (unconfirmed) address!

 

[ChristyJ]

I didn't realize that certified checks could bounce!

I'm still learning...

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Note that certified checks can bounce; only postal money orders are truly "safe".

Last I heard if a bank certifies a check they actually charge the account right then to guarantee that the money is there. Also, with any money order it is possible to verify with the iussuer that the order is valid.

 

[my3kids]

I would trust a certified check before a money order.

 

[seashoreCM]

A certified check is a check, usually a personal check, that the bank has processed specially, stamped, and taken the money from the account. A cashiers check is purchased by a bank customer not necessarily an accountholder and looks like a check issued by the bank as if the bank was a business paying its bills. Both will not bounce due to insufficient funds but the biggest hazard is being counterfeit or fraudulently obtained.

I always state that buyers must have a confirmed PayPal address in order to pay me with PayPal and the item will be shipped only to "the address showing in the PayPal transactions detail page which may or may not be the same" which is PayPal's rule for seller protection. Furthermore, since the approved address may be a post office box, I only quote U.S. Postal charges even though other carriers may offer lower rates. Other carriers cannot deliver to post office boxes. Once you quote shipping charges, you cannot change your mind. Herein lies one reason why there is this underlying complaint that shipping charges seem unusually high.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[lbgraves]

A certified check can also be a fake. The USPS MO is the only guaranteed method of payment because the PO will check the number against a list of fraudulent ones and if it is good, they will pay you the cash right then before you ship the item.

 

[jennifer293]

a certified check or cashier's check is paid for by either funds immediately withdrawn from the persons bank account or by cash. So a bank certified check will be just as safe as a money order.

 

[lbgraves]

Sorry, but a criminal can make a fake certified check as easily as a personal check now. There have been many threads on Ebay's boards about this happening.

 

[waspnest]

Both certified checks and money orders can be forged. Info from Clark Howard:

Beware of phony money orders! - April 29, 2005
Over the past four years, Clark has gotten lots of phone calls about phony cashier’s check scams. But over the past four months, those calls have been replaced by questions about a new counterfeit scam that has taken its place. Starting about Thanksgiving of last year, calls started coming into the show about phony money orders. Basically, criminals are using phony money orders to buy items through classified ads, on eBay and from retailers, and the phony forms look perfect. The New York Times published a comparison graphic recently that showed a legitimate USPS money order next to a fake one and they looked exactly the same. The reason cashier’s checks and money orders are so popular with criminals is that they haven’t changed much over recent decades. We need some type of electronic verification with these services before more people get taken.

Plus, cashiers checks take so long to clear the bank, that it can be months after you ship the item before you realize it's a fake. Someone above mentioned that you can verify a post office money order at the post office before you ship the item. So if that's true, then that's probably the way to go.

ETA: I just checked out the USPS site, and it doesn't mention that cashing it at the PO will guarantee authenticity, but it does list security features to look for. The Postal Inspector site doesn't really say anything more.

USPS Site

 

[tlbwriter]

The danger with certified checks and MOs is forgery, not bouncing. I only accept Post Office MOs because you can cash it right there at the post office before you send the item. If they won't cash it, you simply don't mail the item.