Can you advise me how to buy and sell on the boards using a money order? 0

[H0RR0RSH0W]

Hi to all. 

I have bought and sold here on the boards a few times and been pretty happy and grateful to do so. I was hoping that for future reference if people could give me advice on how to buy and sell here using money orders. 

I know it might seem obvious to those who already know the ins and outs but how do I go about it safely? I mean sort of like who goes first type of stuff. Do I send it or do they send or ship first or whatever? 

I have seen some books here in threads that I would like to buy and money order is often offered. I also would like to be able to offer it as an option in any future sales threads but only if I can feel confident in it as a payment method. 

I hope this is an acceptable forum to post this topic, since I am hoping to buy and sell comics. FWW I paid my rent for 10 years using money orders because I always felt they were a very safe method of transacting so I am pretty familiar with them and prefer USPS MO's. Just saying.

Thanks.

Edited March 7, 2017 by H0RR0RSH0W

[Bomber-Bob]

With the exception of a trade(swap), I think all transactions assume payment is to be made first. Payments like money orders or Bank Certified checks yield more risk to the buyer. Personal checks yield more risk to the seller. Paypal is definitely a nice balance with protection on both sides. As savvy as our Board members are, I think Paypal is the preferred payment method. Sure, the seller has to eat a fee but that is his only fee. I don't like money orders.

[H0RR0RSH0W]

Just now, Bomber-Bob said:

With the exception of a trade(swap), I think all transactions assume payment is to be made first. Payments like money orders or Bank Certified checks yield more risk to the buyer. Personal checks yield more risk to the seller. Paypal is definitely a nice balance with protection on both sides. As savvy as our Board members are, I think Paypal is the preferred payment method. Sure, the seller has to eat a fee but that is his only fee. I don't like money orders.

 

 I feel stuck in a paypal conundrum where it is just plain the safest.  It limits me but it seems I may just have to live with that and keep it small. Money Orders may not be an option for me. On my end as a potential buyer though it is usually the  higher priced books that I am looking at here , so what you are saying is doing business that way is really REALLY going out on a limb as a buyer. I do appreciate that insight and also what you said about eating the fee, that being the only fee here as opposed to eBay where the fees just seem to multiply. 

 

[Readcomix]

Pre-Internet, checks and money order were the mail order options. Fortunately, this is a self-policing community that also does a great job of blowing the whistle on eBay scammers. I would think (barring the usual lists that most sellers caveat) that the actual burn rate on here is pretty low. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the regulars and semi-regulars seem a pretty affable bunch. I haven't been here long, but my first sale (through the let's get married thread) was via personal check, and I even sent it out before the check hit in that case, frankly, because I felt comfortable with the buyer and their reputation in the hobby.

Unless one is selling absolute whales, I don't see a lot of risk as scammers know they will be outed loudly and quickly. So now the scammer is down to one and done, so it better be a doozy to be worth it, no?

I'm sure many on here have met in person already and are fine transacting big books at a distance via check. Barring that, I can see wanting a measure of peace of mind in a first-time big book deal with someone you don't know.

But the camaraderie that underlies these boards also makes establishing that friendship part of the fun. If I transact a big book with someone on here. I'd certainly reach out via PM to determine logistics to see if in-person over coffee would be possible. 

Am I crazy?

Edited March 8, 2017 by Readcomix
Misspelling

[lizards2]

2 minutes ago, Readcomix said:

Am I crazy?

Nope. 

[OrangeNemesis]

it would have to be someone ive dealt with before or know pretty well on the boards before i used anything other than paypal.

[Robot Man]

I come from the money order/personal check era. I fought paypal but now realize and how quick and safe it is. Paper payment can get lost in the mail and has no protection. Bad for buyer. It has always been traditional for the buyer to pay first before book is mailed out. I have sent boardies that I know or dealt with their books before receiving payment on occasion. 

I don't mind receiving either. I don't however, like a buyer who wants to "send a MO" so they can stall paying. If you can't afford it, don't buy it. I also don't like having to remind buyers to pay in a prompt fashion. Paper payment sometimes gives the buyer a little time to raise the funds.