Overseas buyer wants to send me a postal order

Hopelesswithmoney

I sold an item of clothing last night to a lady in Malta who has emailed me this morning to say that she is sending a postal order as payment.

I haven't come across this before - am I able to cash it here?

TIA

Hopeless

tom_and_barbara_good

So long as it's in pounds sterling it's OK

soolin

A lot of overseas issued postal orders even those in pounds sterling cannot be cashed in the UK, many have to be paid through a UK bank account and can take some time to clear.

Also, be careful as the Maltese use 'pounds' as their currency, but they are not pounds sterling so watch for that as well.

Did you show in your auction listings that postal orders were acceptable? If not, and if you are not happy with this method of payment then just refuse them and ask that the buyer pays by your accepted methods. You don't have to let a buyer dictate payment terms to you.

Soo

Hopelesswithmoney

Thanks Soo. Yes my auctions do state that POs are acceptable (as well as PayPal and personal cheques) but I assumed that POs applied to the UK only so it looks like I've mislead the buyer (and that I'll have to amend future listings).

If the PO is in UK Sterling how will I know if I'm going to be able to cash it?

soolin

Hopelesswithmoney wrote:

Thanks Soo. Yes my auctions do state that POs are acceptable (as well as PayPal and personal cheques) but I assumed that POs applied to the UK only so it looks like I've mislead the buyer (and that I'll have to amend future listings).

If the PO is in UK Sterling how will I know if I'm going to be able to cash it?

All you can do is ask at the Post office and see if they will cash them for you, if not pay them in over the counter at your bank and ask them specifically how long they will take to clear.

On my auctions as I list both in The UK and overseas I state (several times) that for non UK buyers I can only accept payment via paypal in UK sterling funds. I don't take postal orders anyway, and do not want overseas cheques arriving. I'm not sure that my terms would stand up though if a buyer complained as I do have the 'cheque' box ticked.

Soo

spottydog

I recently received a postal order from Italy. It came as a cheque from Alliance & Leicester and I was able to cash it at a post office or pay it into my bank. I cashed it at my local post office without to many troubles (new staff member was a bit confused at first).

My buyer had a completed form where he paid his post office X euro and this was the amount I needed in pounds. He left his post office with his receipt and the system sorted out my cheque in GBP which was sent to me from the UK about a week later.

payless

sounds like it will be ok

http://www.maltapost.com/page.asp?p=7083&l=1

British Postal Orders are issued mainly by Commonwealth countries.

plus


http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=19400182&mediaId=19900224

All British Postal Orders can be cashed in 47 countries worldwide (see below) and many countries also sell British Postal Orders - so you can send money home easily and securely when you are abroad.

So expressed in sterling just cashed over the counter at post offices
( BTW in Malta they now tend to call their currency Lira / LM , although the terms pounds is also used - would be better in Malta pound/ lira as each is worth £1.60 stl )

*** and therefore safer to seller than paypal !!

Hopelesswithmoney

payless wrote:

sounds like it will be ok

http://www.maltapost.com/page.asp?p=7083&l=1

British Postal Orders are issued mainly by Commonwealth countries.

plus


http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=19400182&mediaId=19900224

All British Postal Orders can be cashed in 47 countries worldwide (see below) and many countries also sell British Postal Orders - so you can send money home easily and securely when you are abroad.

*** and therefore safer to seller than paypal !!

Thanks payless, that's brilliant. I'm very grateful to you.

xx