eBay

camrynscloset · ‎08-20-2005

OK, I seriously HATE BidPay. Receive MO FINALLY after almost a full month. Day before payment was received, I get this email in response to my buyers email asking if item was sent. My reply was, no shippeee without money, which I have made very clear to her since day one. (I don't even offer BidPay, she used it without any contact from me, and I only knew she had used it because I emailed her 5 days after EOA asking about payment)

Alright....here is her email:

I will check with bidpay as they said it was sent. I will have to void the charge on my credit card since you say you did not get this and I guess bidpay will have to deduct the charge from you ebay account and then we can start all over again with a regular money order that I get at the bank. In the meantime, let me know if it arrives... if I do not hear from you by tomorrow that it finally arrived I will call my credit card company and have the charge reversed and then I will advise you how I will proceed.

Thank you, XXXX

Now, I emailed her as soon as it arrived and explained that I went to the post office, who would not cash it. Same with Western Union. Bank wanted to hold it like a check. Have not heard back from her, it has been a couple days. Because of her indication that she was going to do a chargeback, I do not want to deposit this and then get some sort of NSF fee. In fact, I do not want to keep this at all. If she was going to use BidPay, why not pay with Paypal? The item is not expensive (around $15 USD w/ship) but I am still not planning to be out that money.

Arggggggggg....any suggestions? I am going to try giving her a call tomorrow or Monday, but she is a newbie with 0 FB so I doubt she will have any light to shed....

zarzuella · ‎08-20-2005

Sorry, but I think you have been handling this badly.

if you have been reading these boards you will know that Bidpay has been having some logistics problems - not fun for sellers waiting for payment but certainly no fault of your buyer, who has paid for a money order in good faith. but a month later has no goods to show for it. If you do not want to accept Bidpay you need to make that very clear in your auctions - a reference to accepting 'International postal money orders only' is probably not specific enough for a new buyer. Bidpay is international and it is mailed to you.

Bidpay is Western Union. You should be able to cash your MO at any Western Union depot - try your local grocery store.
I do not believe a buyer can chargeback Bidpay - the best she can do is try to chargeback her credit card. Bidpay's only recourse at that point is to cancel your MO if it is still uncashed. Bidpay cannot access your eBay account.

We need more paying buyers on eBay - please don't turn this newbie off. Your suggestion of a phone call and an apology is a great idea.

Ann

catalystpaintball · ‎08-20-2005

Why do I get the feeling that something was deleted here, hmmmmmm.....

Anyway as zarzuella said Bidpay has had some issues as of late, at least for the past 6 months anyway. I don't mention in my listings that I accept it, but if a buyer asks to use it, I will. I have had some buyers in Europe that have had issues using Paypal and Bidpay is a good alternative. However it takes forever to get the money order from them. I had them cancel my first transaction and reissue it, only to have it arrive after 8 weeks. I have no problem shipping and item paid with Bidpay once I get a confirmation from them that the payment is sent. it's just not realistic to expect a buyer to have to wait that long to ship there order.

Steve

recped · ‎08-20-2005

The BidPay problems seems to be resolved. The issues have been going on since the end of May and the delays in receving money orders has been about 4 - 5 weeks (much longer if you had the orders cancelled and replaced).

The last two I received (this past Thursday) were issued on Aug 7 + 9, received in Toronto on Aug 18.

While this topic has been debated ad nauseum here on the boards the fact is that buyers expect immediate shipment when using BidPay, sellers who accept BidPay should do so on that basis. Any Western Union agent will cash these money orders although if they are made out to a business name you could have a problem.Post offices will only cash POSTAL money orders they are NOT banks, any bank that puts anything more than the standard hold they put on any cheque should lose your business.

BidPay will not put a stop payment on a money order unless the PAYEE requests a replacement, you can call BidPay to confirm if the money order is still valid, BidPay's phone number is 800-350-5952.

BidPay offers a good service, totally free for sellers and very secure. I have received over 500 payments this way and will always offer it as a prefered payment method.

Ben

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

camrynscloset · ‎08-20-2005

I gave her a call, but the number provided rang as a fax machine. I will try later in case they just plugged it in or something.
"Bidpay is Western Union. You should be able to cash your MO at any Western Union depot - try your local grocery store."

I went to my local WU teller. It is a lottery stand in the mall. They flat out refused to cash it. Said they only cash ones they have printed. I asked if they get alot of people sending money orders to each other in this part of the city. Can I insist they cash it? I will go back today, they are in the same mall as my bank. My bank wants to hold it. I am very frustrated with this situation, and no, not due to the buyer.

"Why do I get the feeling that something was deleted here, hmmmmmm....." Nope. Nothing. That is her email, except I removed her name. Not really sure what you mean there. But I just put my mom and sister on a plane this morning and am sad grouchy and upset, so maybe I should just ignore that.

zarzuella · ‎08-20-2005

I went to my local WU teller. It is a lottery stand in the mall. They flat out refused to cash it. Said they only cash ones they have printed.

Sounds like you have an inexperienced teller. Call WU and tell them of the problems you are having. With proper ID, you should be able to cash it at any WU outlet - I go to my local A&P store with MO's from all sorts of bizzare places (Latvia & other Eastern European countries for example) and they are cashed with no questions asked. Good luck!

camrynscloset · ‎08-20-2005

OK...talked with BidPay, and this money is mine no matter what. I am going to upgrade her to air shipping, include some freebies, and send her the most butt kissing email ever. I did not realise that BidPay so closely protected the seller.

And you all were right...I did handle this poorly. Well, at least I learned from it.

whoscloset · ‎08-20-2005

Western Union outlets in Canada WILL NOT cash U.S. Western Union money orders. Doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense but it is true. The only way you can cash it is at your bank and they will hold the funds for 30 days as they would a U.S. cheque.

Monique

Monique

javax.swing · ‎08-21-2005

Well they may not hold it depending on your current account balance and your perceived ability to cover it if it bounces. I've never had a money order for under $100 held. Then again, you should always deposit at your home branch too since they have supreme power over your account.

catalystpaintball · ‎08-21-2005

When I said

"Why do I get the feeling that something was deleted here, hmmmmmm....."

I was referring to zarzuella's reply. To be more specific, the last line.

"Your suggestion of a phone call and an apology is a great idea."

I see no mention of this in your first post and it looked to me as if she was referring to a reply that had been deleted.

Steve

montrealmaps · ‎08-21-2005

I accepted hundreds of BidPay cheques - never had any problem. The WU outlets NEVER ACCEPTED the BidPay money orders - I deposit them on my checking Royal Bank account.
They were never hold - I get the cash IMMEDIATELY (one of the "hidden" RBC rules says, that the check with 400 CAD value (or less) DON'T NEED TO BE HELD). I don't know how it works in another canadian banks.

Greetings to all

Andrew

crazy.laptops · ‎08-28-2005

I have received over 100 bidpay mo's in last couple of years.

#1) You will get MO once Bidpay sends you "approval" email. But can be several weeks before you see it. I ship as soon as I get bidpay "approval". Least I can do since buyer pays a fairly high bidpay fee AND saves me paypal transaction fee

#2) Never had problems with chargebacks (unlike paypal)

#3) You don't get ripped off on exchange rates like you do with paypal since you can cash it at most banks and get competitive rate. I used TD and Royal and NEVER had problem cashing them, most of my mo's are $300-$500 range. (OF course you need to have an account at said bank)

Just my 2 cents...