Money Orders ~~~~~ from Americans ~~~TIP to get the correct Money orders

[your-chic-shopper]

As a Canadian you know we can only take International Money Orders . I do use the ebay check out . However I do not place my address in it . If you do ~~~often American's will send you the wrong money order


Try this ~~~place your web site in the ebay check out , then state click on Money orders on the web site . If you click on my ( ebay me page) . Then click on my web site , you will see it goes to the front on the web page . At the bottom ias a button for money orders . It provides the customers with all the important info

This will save you huge time , and you will get 99.9% correct money orders . The others , well what can I say

[e-scrooge]

They charge 2.9% + $2.99 per item and their exchange rate is about 1% below the bank's. I just absorb it as cost of doing business. Most of my stuff has about a 500% markup over my cost so it doesn't hurt me much I guess.

[ajandjamie]

I have received maybe 5 of the green money orders (despite specific instructions that they need to send the pink ones) generally they are from newbies. So far i have returned each one to the buyer, and they have each promptly paid with an accepted format.

I have a US$ account with CIBC for depositing the rest of the personal cheques and money orders we receive as payment. They recently have added the feature that i can deposit them in any CIBC bank machine, instead of having to go in to the teller with a bank book.

[coastwindchimes]

I get a couple of those each month-- In fact, I just got another one today. At first I used to cringe, thinking my credit union would laugh me out the door. But, no problem. They have never looked twice at these. Knowing how they put through these (and also how an eBay customer cheque that bounced did not cost me a cent), I would suggest anyone who has any hassle cashing these go bank/credit union shopping.

[jaymor8]

I don't get it. I have had every conceivable color on MO even though I am very clear in my emails about what I will accept...and I have never had a problem depositing any of them. I called ahead to my Bank and told them that I would be receiving and depositing US money orders (now that I am J. Paul Crutty) and inquired if that would be a problem. They said "No, Sir!" and they were right. I deposit every thing I get and they have always gone through. Seriously kids...I'm not lying 😉

Jackie... Kay...are you up yet??? Is the tea ready?

[acurael]

It's too bad waterhouse and other virtual US banks don't offer services to companies - only individuals

My post auction emails make it extremely clear that green money orders are unwelcome. I find most people pay by credit card though 🙂

[treasure-pot]

I recently have got a little more obvious with my warnings about the green USPS money orders in my auctions. I see several other Canadian sellers are using the same images as I am now. Have a look at item 2194730905 and I'd like to hear your opinion as to whether the new images will get the point across.

I'll email the images to anyone that is interested.

[deltone]

Excellent treasure!!!! Do "I" think it will get the point across? Nah, you'll still get some of the green ones. People just don't read. LOL It is VERY good though but I somehow still feel you'll get some. Maybe not as many, but some.

[muminlaw]

Treasure - I love your money orders! Too bad you can't put them at the top where everyone will see them - I'm not at all sure that anyone actually reads the TOS, attention spans being what they are. In my after sale email, I mention all the alternative MO sources I know of, like Mini-Mart, 7-11, etc. where Americans can buy money orders that Cdn. banks will accept.

I guess I'm lucky, most of my customers are multiple and repeat, so they've all learned and I hardly ever get the wrong USPS MO - in fact I hardly ever get a USPS MO at all! Lots of Western Union, and I don't have a problem with personal cheques 'cause I know most of my buyers by now.

Glenda

[vesna123]

No matter what you do and how hard you're trying to explain that Canada is not in US and that a money order that says "negotiable only in the US and Possessions" is not cashable in Canada some US-ians will still not get it. For them the US is the centre of the universe and they can get really upset if you try to explain them the money order thing. I tried to do it several times and ended up being called anything form homosexual to terrorist for no real reason. So now i do not even bother, once i get one (and i get a few of them every week) i just go to money mart and cash them there (pay some fees but less aggravation). I mean what else can you do, they elected a president with an IQ of 70-80.

[deltone]

Part of the problem may be that some Canadians (like myself) have absolutely no problem cashing them. My Credit Union accepts them all the time and not one has ever been returned. I kno wI'm not the only one so obviously some of the Americans are aware that some can cash them.

[x-modz]

What's worked for me in the past is this:

I have a "Money Order Request" email setup in Shooting Star.

As soon as I receive a request for my address to send a money order payment, I send this email.

In the email, I lay out the steps for money order payment in step-by-step format. At the top I put in large capital letters (Yes, yelling, I know, but it seems to work) that "THESE STEPS MUST BE FOLLOWED OR YOUR PAYMENT MAY BE REFUSED OR RETURNED".

Step one ensures that they get the right money order, clealy laying out the fact that I can not accept "green" USPS money orders.

Step two ensures that they include their ITEM NUMBER (!!) with their payment. Nothings worse then receiving 10 money orders in a day, and 2 or 3 have no item number attached.

The rest of the steps are fairly basic...confirm once physically mailed, ensure postage sufficient for Canada, other common issues, etc.

I word it all very professionally and nicely so that nobody takes offence, and it seems to work - my instances of receiving money orders that I can't cash, or that I can't match to an auction (Due to lack of an item number!) has dropped signifigantly since I instituted this email system.

As for those cashing the green USPS money orders in Canada, I'd sure like to know how - the USPS will NOT honour these money orders (even from a bank!) outside of the USA. If a Canadian bank is cashing them, they are either getting stiffed on the payment once *they* try to cash it, or they are clearing them through a US division of their bank. I've been down this road a hundred times, and once a bank gets stung once, they usually smarten up and outright refuse the green MO's.

[finepro]

Hi,

This does not make any sense. I have deposited all types of money orders in my Canadian bank even the cashable only in U.S.A and green moneyorders and they all clear.