Sending money order for an item

[winter5470]

I am looking to purchase an item from a board member on another forum(he has 500+ posts). He does not have a paypal account and wants a money order before shipping the item ($115 for a holster mag pouch by milt sparks). Since I am new to that forum - is that considered normal/acceptable? It seems strange to send money to someone you have never met with no recourse. On the other hand I have found people on gun boards to be incredibly helpful and honest. Any thoughts?

Kurt

[Dan Sierpina]

Paypal has frozen accounts due to firearm related purchases. Also, with the fee that they charge, a seller isn't getting what the item sells for. On top of that, Paypal has an anti gun stance.

A money order is commonly requested, either that or a check that must clear prior to shipping.

[G-ManBart]

It's actually pretty common from what I've seen people list in the classifieds. R,

[winter5470]

Thanks Guys!!!

[Rolex]

I have purchased many items-ON THIS FORUM-

and have used MO. Never any problems!

[Mitch Harrington]

Sending a USPS money order does afford you some protection. It especially helps if the transaction is across state lines. Make sure you write on the MO what it is for as well as your info and the seller's info.

This is a very common method for buying/selling on forums.

[Corey]

just get all the sellers information, name address, phone number, etc. i prefer USPS money orders as well.

[Pat Miles]

Believe it or not I usually send cash for most items under $100.00 to sellers who have a long history on this forum. Never had a problem. Surprised a few folks when they open the envelope.

CYa,

Pat

[bbbean]

If you pay via USPS money order and don't receive the item you paid for, they'll go after the seller for mail fraud. https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

[Tom S.]

I've bought, sold and given away stuff here without any problems. After all, we all own guns!!!!!

[Nik Habicht]

We've had relatively few problems on this board. We've been able to resolve most of the ones that got reported to the moderating team, if not all of them.....

Yep, the send me a money order or a cashier's check thing is common -- for me even on e-bay. On the other hand, it's not uncommon on this forum for a couple of members to have known of each other long enough, that item and payment get cross-shipped....

And other times you do a deal with someone who's been here almost as long as you, and you realize that you really don't know the person, because you post in different sections of the forum, for the most part....

Bottom line -- get whatever contact info you feel comfortable with and go to town....

[edison]

I never had a problem with sending MO. I usually get the stuff quick too. I wouldn't send staight cash though, because things gets lost in the mail, and sometime machines chew up envelopes.

[smokshwn]

I have done more than 200 "deals" on this forum with only one hiccup. Everything from $10 trinkets to $2000 custom guns. Best forum there is for reliable deals. Have had great luck using MO's, Cashier's Checks, Personal Checks, cash, and the occasional trade.

[G-ManBart]

Heck, I just tell them that if them hose me I'll get them added to the no-fly list

[Corey]

Heck, I just tell them that if them hose me I'll get them added to the no-fly list

mind if i use that one too?

"Dont screw me over on this deal or Ill have my man Bart 'no-fly' your a**!"

[aztecdriver]

If I'm nice and send you free stuff can you get me OFF the nofly list?

For some reason us airways claims my name is out there and must

validate my Id in person.

Guess that would be bribing a federal official -- NEVER MIND!!

[twodownzero]

Heck, I just tell them that if them hose me I'll get them added to the no-fly list

You'd best work it out if we get into a bind, because I don't fly!

That said, most of the guys on this forum are good people in my experience. Never a single issue on the classifieds for any deal in which I've been involved.

[Matt Griffin]

I've bought at least 6 big items on here, and dozens of small ones, and never a problem. You're right to go by post count, anyone on here for a length of time is going to be reliable.

[doc540]

fwiw: USPS MO is the most frequently counterfeited form of exchange.

True, you have some fraud recourse if they're authentic, but I don't accept them as payment because of the increased counterfeit risk.

I only use and accept bank cashier's checks. They can be counterfeited also, but few crooks use them unless it's for one, high-dollar transaction.

ymmv

[-JQ-]

The worst thing about USPS MO's is dealing with the USPS.

I have had the bank question me over the USPS MOs too. But I've never had any problems - here. Other boards - some ok some not.

I usually ask for USPS mos only because the convenient store MOs look less real to me...I'd take a personal check/trade/whatever from pretty much anyone here.

[Mitch Harrington]

The worst thing about USPS MO's is dealing with the USPS.

I have had the bank question me over the USPS MOs too. But I've never had any problems - here. Other boards - some ok some not.

I usually ask for USPS mos only because the convenient store MOs look less real to me...I'd take a personal check/trade/whatever from pretty much anyone here.

FYI, you can present a USPS money order at any post office and cash it with ID.

[DWFAN]

The worst thing about USPS MO's is dealing with the USPS.

I have had the bank question me over the USPS MOs too. But I've never had any problems - here. Other boards - some ok some not.

I usually ask for USPS mos only because the convenient store MOs look less real to me...I'd take a personal check/trade/whatever from pretty much anyone here.

FYI, you can present a USPS money order at any post office and cash it with ID.

If they have the cash. I had to beg them to cash my $600 MO one time.

[cuzinvinny]

I prefer to use USPS money orders, just for the little bit of extra security that come with them. Especially when shipping across state lines.

[Joe4d]

This is kinda a two way issue with me, On one hand I can understand the seller wanting to be sure he is getting money before shipping, on the other hand the buyer wants to be sure he is gonna get the item he is paying for. The way I look at it if I am buying you're getting a check if you dont have a credit card account. I'm not gonna waste an afternoon, going to post office standing in line an getting a MO, I have to trust you to send the product, you should trust me not to bounce a check. I understand some people dont want to do that and thats fine, I'll look for what I want else where. FOr BE'ers that have been around awhile I will generally ship items on an email confirmation the money is on the way.

Another way to check seller is do a search on the address see if the name/adress/ telephone number match.

[Matt Griffin]

fwiw: USPS MO is the most frequently counterfeited form of exchange.

True, you have some fraud recourse if they're authentic, but I don't accept them as payment because of the increased counterfeit risk.

I only use and accept bank cashier's checks. They can be counterfeited also, but few crooks use them unless it's for one, high-dollar transaction.

ymmv

Are you sure about that? The postal money order, if cashed at the post office, has to be verified through the postal system before they will give you the cash, which is perfectly secure. If the MO wasn't bought through the USPS, then they won't cash it. Cashier's checks, on the other hand, are easily counterfeited and used constantly in scamming, typically where someone will contract a high-dollar service, send a check for too much money, and ask for a refund of the difference. By the time the bank figures out the cashier's check was fake the refund is already processed and the person providing the service is on the hook for the amount of the cashier's check.

I used to live with a pro photographer, this was a fairly common scam. They've recently introduced more rapid information sharing at the banks, but as it stands I can still print out a cashier's check for $1,000,000 and your bank will gladly deposit it and let you draw against the funds.

Cashing a postal MO at somewhere other than the post office would present the same problem as a cashier's check, the problem being that the cashing/receiving entity has no way of confirming if it is real or not, but if cashed at the post office, there's no way to get burnt.

H.