Payment methods on ebay

mini-me66

Hi

I have been selling on ebay since 2005 and in that time maybe have had 2 cheques and 3 postal orders as payment. This week i sold 5 items and received a postal order which i cashed and sent item (as presumed these cant be reversed) and now someone wants to send a cheque. Are people avoiding paypal for any reason now?

Regarding the cheques, i will wait 5-7 days for it to clear. The total for item only comes to £11 so i doubt the buyer would cancel the cheque as it would cost them £10 to do this (i believe). If the cheque were to bounce, would this happen quickly?

I would rather save the paypal fees and continue to have cheques but want to check what advice others would give.

Also, the buyer has received lots of positive feedback for 'quick payment' etc but has never left any for the many many items she purchased!?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

masonic

A buyer could cancel a cheque for free if they say it is lost in the post. The new 2-4-6 rules mean that on the 6th working day after you pay a cheque in, you know the money is yours. There is a calculator here.

Oliver14

I now only accept Paypal most buyers pay this way. Also it's not easy for me to get to a bank to put the cheque in. So few people pay via non paypal methods anyway I just find it easier now. Also with DSRs even though your waiting for a cheque to clear some buyers will still mark your dispatch time down.

When I used to accept cheques. Any cheque below £10 I used to send the item immediatly anyway as any bounced cheque would cost the sender more anyway. Never had a bounced cheque.

soolin

Due to buyers hitting the stars if items are posted 'late' on the rare occaisons I get a cheque I tend to post immediately like Oliver14 rather than risk my stars.

mini-me66

Hi
Thanks for the replies. I state in my description, and when the buyer asked for my address i stated that i would not send until the cheque had cleared..but i guess its very easy for them to leave low stars even if positive feedback.

Having a bad run on ebay at the moment so can just feel it going wrong with the cheque. I wish it could go back to when i first started out and actually enjoyed ebay. Funnily enough, nothing ever went missing in the post, or was faulty, etc etc. Anyway, must go and list the next 30 items i have ready

macfly

Oh you would? Postal orders are as good as cash, i.e. much better deal for the seller than paypal. I suggest you read more before you post.

shaun_from_Africa

I suggest you read more before you post.

Why?
jelderkin posted their personal opinion, (Personally as an experienced eBay seller I would only accept paypal) and their opinion is just as valid as yours, mine, or anyone elses, and they didn't state or imply that anyone else needs to do the same as them.
All they stated was for them, "postal orders etc are just more hassle then there worth", which if they don't live near a post office and can't get to one during the day due to family or working commitments, is a fair point.

Postal orders are as good as cash, i.e. much better deal for the seller than paypal.

Maybe not a much better deal if you have to take time off work or spend a few £s in petrol and parking fees in order to cash a PO worth a small amount.

Crowqueen

Personally I'd take anything that was offered to me. I've paid in mint stamps before when buying from collectors and living in a foreign country where access to electronic payments was very much in its infancy. I haven't received anything except Paypal since 2008, and would not pay by any other means than Paypal, but it actually pays to be flexible when you are selling.

I suppose it depends whether postal orders are crossed or uncrossed, but it is much easier for me to get to a PO than a bank, so I usually post off cheques and crossed POs rather than spend bus fare to go and deposit them, unless they are for an amount which makes £4.50 seem trivial...

George_Michael

Oh you would? Postal orders are as good as cash, i.e. much better deal for the seller than paypal. I suggest you read more before you post.

So someone doesn't like low value postal orders as they are too much hassle for them, and you don't think this is a good idea.
However, you are willing to offer a seller more than the price you won an item for (as stated on another thread).
A lot of people may think that you are stupid for doing this and might also suggest that you read more before you post.

Originally Posted by macfly
Today, I've won something for £2 as the only bidder, again collection only. As I really want this, I've emailed the seller and offered more.

martindow

macfly wrote: »

Oh you would? Postal orders are as good as cash, i.e. much better deal for the seller than paypal. I suggest you read more before you post.

Only uncrossed POs are as good as cash. Crossed ones are as good as cheques with the dilemma discussed above of whether to send immediately or not.

Crowqueen

martindow wrote: »

Only uncrossed POs are as good as cash. Crossed ones are as good as cheques with the dilemma discussed above of whether to send immediately or not.

Although they don't have the problems associated with them of whether or not they would be made of rubber, as they don't tend to bounce (unless the PO was in danger of collapsing itself).