Topic: I hope all internet businesses go bust

[Rocking-M]

Yep, that's my hope.

Just got an email that Amazon no longer accepts checks or money orders.
To hell with them. 

[Dbarker]

bleh... paypal for the win....  sucks they wont take m.o. anymore though...

[CBGhia]

Why would you want to pay with a check?  That is one of the most insecure methods of payments.  If a check gets lost in the mail someone has your name, address and all of your checking account info.  Bad idea.  Debit/ Credit cards are a much better option.  If that number is compromised you can cancel the card immediately 24 hours a day.  And you are not held liable for fraud.

[Rocking-M]

yea i know I don't use checks but money orders are the most secure way to pay.
probably the reason lots of folks don't want them anymore. Well armed postal inspectors
will track down dead beats. 

[CBGhia]

Money orders are good for you, very bad for the seller.  Postal money orders are secure if you go to the post office to cash them, but big companies can't do that.   Money order and cashiers check fraud is HUGE right now.  They make them look so real that if you don't know EXACTLY what to look for you will be fooled.  I work for a large bank (about the only one doing well right now) and although I'm not a teller (I work on the business side of banking), I get to see and hear about the fraud just about daily.

[eldar]

Who uses M.O. for internet orders anyways? I mean talk about adding an extra week onto your order!
I prefer to make my order and pay in 5 minutes and get it in less than a week in most cases.
As opposed to: making the order then having to drive to a bank or gas station to pick up money order, THEN filling it
out and having to cram your info into those small spaces, Mailing it and hoping the Post office does not lose it.
Then having it get to the company and hope an employee does not lose it and processes it correctly for your order.
Then still having to wait for the package to come. 2 weeks after you sent the MO. OH and NO real recourse if something happens to the MO or package!

 

[Raul CB750K1]

One thing I couldn't believe when I lived in US was how widespread the payment with checks and money order was. In the most developed country in the World, payments were made with a method more than one hundred years old.

Paying by credit card or checking account is fast and secure. I can't understand why companies have accepted checks or money orders that long. It takes somebody handling the piece of paper, processing the payment and archiving the checks. An electronic payment doesn't take human time in the process, and it is a considerable save.


I just hope this slight criticism won't be taken as "US bashing" -you reading Mystic?-   

[tramp]

credit cards are too easy and you don't really see the money going away

[Rocking-M]

credit cards are too easy and you don't really see the money going away

exactly, and lets see, wasn't there just a big credit card ascam here in the States? Y'all know the one, 40 million bucks worth.
I'll stick with MO's until they are no longer accepted, Eldar your of the modern mindset, got to have it yesterday eh?

There is nothing I have to have right now, a weeks wait doesn't kill me, and if I use paypal it takes
longer since I use a bank account and do not transfer the money to ebay's hands till I need to use it.
Which means 5 days to clear. I can have a MO in California in 2.

[BobbyR]

One thing I couldn't believe when I lived in US was how widespread the payment with checks and money order was. In the most developed country in the World, payments were made with a method more than one hundred years old.

Paying by credit card or checking account is fast and secure. I can't understand why companies have accepted checks or money orders that long. It takes somebody handling the piece of paper, processing the payment and archiving the checks. An electronic payment doesn't take human time in the process, and it is a considerable save.


I just hope this slight criticism won't be taken as "US bashing" -you reading Mystic?-   

It is traditional and many people won't change especially the older generation like my parents. We have had a very good Postal system so sending a check was not very risky. People also liked the fact they could send a check on Wednesday and they got paid on Friday and the money would be in the Bank before the check was cashed. You also have solid proof that they cashed the check. This came in very handy for me when the IRS told me I had not paid my income taxes. I simply went to the local office with the cancelled check with their stamp on the back. Case closed. People are migrating to electronic payments quickly. Most checks are electronically read in batches so there is very little hand work involved.   

[333]

Never, ever use a debit card online.  Your money(what you pay the rent/mortgage/food) will be gone in a heartbeat, and in most cases, you have no recourse.  And if you do, it's usually not timely enough to make those payments.  And when using a credit card, use one that has some fraud protection.

[754]

I use MO,s and drafts..

 fifteen yrs ago you could not get bike parts without, at least not used stuff a lot of the time..

You have recourse, insurance and money order refunds, but it does talke time..

The reliance on instant paying makes some miss out on stuff.. That and try scoring deals in the wild.. and not use cash...lol..

[CBGhia]

Never, ever use a debit card online.  Your money(what you pay the rent/mortgage/food) will be gone in a heartbeat, and in most cases, you have no recourse.  And if you do, it's usually not timely enough to make those payments.  And when using a credit card, use one that has some fraud protection.

That is a very common misconception.  While I agree that credit cards are better, if someone uses your debit card for fraud the bank has 10 business days to either resolve the claim or give you provisional credit. The longest you will be without money is 2 weeks. Federal regulation E (I believe).

 I have 2 accounts,  one for bills and one for my daily spending (gas, lunch, parts) so I can't be drained to the point where I can't pay my mortgage. 

[techy5025]

Can anyone explain to me any advantage of a debit card over a credit card? Cash back maybe? 

Jim

[CBGhia]

The only advantage of the Debit card is that you don't go into debt.  You will get better rewards from a credit card, and if there is fraud, you can just make the min payment until they sort it out.  I do my best to stay out of debt, so I don't use my credit card often.

[74cb750]

Well let me put in my 2 cents worth.

Having received bogus money orders for $thousands over the selling price (Nigerian scammers), fake USPS money orders, fake Western Union money orders I now hold off on sending the buyer parts paid for with money orders by 10days.
If someone pays via credit card or paypal etc etc I send the parts within 24 hours.

The subject of internet businesses going out of business is bogus. Most of us small companies try hard to make the customer satisfied, but we have to protect ourselves also. I know if it wasn't for the internet I would have gone out of business 7 years ago.
peace,
michel

[eldar]

The reliance on instant paying makes some miss out on stuff.. That and try scoring deals in the wild.. and not use cash...lol.

What do we miss out on? The unlikely barn find? Sorry but in my area, not likely to find anything worth having cash on hand for.

Eldar your of the modern mindset, got to have it yesterday eh?

Why wait if you do not have too? MOs are out dated and are a bigger risk than any credit card is. It is also more convenient for both seller and buyer.

Maybe we DO have a good postal system but what about these companies? Do I need to mention old bike barn? More than just one place that is questionable.

There is NO real reason to use an MO or check unless that is all the company takes?

[Rocking-M]

MO are NOT a bigger risk. As I've repeatedly said, a postal inspector will track down the MO
and make damn sure either the item is sent or the money is refunded in full.
I've used this benefit a couple of times at least.

[eldar]

But is it always effective? No it is not. Especially if it is not a postal MO. Some people get them from their local gas station.besides, the fact remains, it is slower and is no more safe than using a cc. And if there is fraud, many cc will gredit the amount to your account and that is the end of your involvement.

[Rocking-M]

Never used any other kind than a US Postal Money Order. I guess your happy with your way,
just don't join the Klan to force it on me.

[eldar]

The klan is southern thing as you should know, besides, what does the klan have to do with this? Are you racist in some way and just take it out on credit cards?

You bet I like my way. On top of that, MOs are on the way out. There are less and less places accepting them.
Yes they work, yes they are ok BUT they are NOT better.

[rhos1355]

I also used to be a pay-with-plastic man, but with the impending recession/credit crunch/end -of-the-world-as-we-know-it, cash is king. I now know exactly how much I'm spending on the little things (the ones that make a BIG dent in your current account). Also I've noticed alot more people paying in cash at the shops. I would be interested to hear if this is also happening in the states.

[eldar]

Cash in shops is one thing, we are talking about online orders. Cant use cash for that, at least not in the US. I like to use cash though in a store instead of plastic unless  the amount is going to be large, then I use plastic instead of having a couple hundred in cash in my pocket and hoping no one knows it.

[754]

I have sent cash MANY times to US for purchases..

I never worry about a few thousand dollars cash in my pocket, but I dont advertise it either.. I would worry more about using a cash machine at night than packing lots of cash..

Eldar, as far as I know you live in one of the Dakotas.. as far as a few active buyers are concerned it is still a happy hunting ground, there is lots of goodies coming out of there.. I have probably bought at least 6 items off one seller there and would have gladly bought more if I was able.... you think a CB 750 is hard to find, they are still finding Harleys in the wild and really nice vintage signs and pumps..

Some people dont look very hard for stuff..

Myself I have no credit cards, the stuff I collect more often than not is sold and traded by old school buyer/sellers that are used to older forms of payment..

[eldar]

Do you live here? No, then you do not know know do you. You bought items from 1 person. Sorry but signs are different than motorcycles. Yes there may be some finds out there but if you think they are common, you are WAY wrong. You might find signs, cars and other things like that but given the more practical nature of the older generations here who suffered more during the great depression more than many other states, a motorcycle is not a must have item. If you look at ND history, it is one filled with more hardship than almost any other state.

Also given the attitudes of people here, you ARE more likely HD here than a cb.

Seeing as how I have LIVED here for 30 years, I think I know more about it than you do having just BOUGHT a few items from 1 person.

That is like me saying I know more about Canada cause I have bought a few cases of beer there.

Your average business in the US will not accept cash in the mail. Ebay does not really count as many sellers are private and seems to operate on its own rules.

Maybe old school works for you know, but it is changing. Do not kid yourself. Many hotels here in the US(bigger chains) only accept credit cards. Hey I like cash too but the fact is things are changing and you should at least be familiar with it instead of denying it.

I know you like to think the way you do things is perfect and the way things have been in the past is perfect(the it has worked for 100 years, it is good enough now), it is not perfect.
A business that runs like that closes, proven fact. The business that can be flexible to meet changing times is the one that will be successful.