A money order problem. What to do?

[Jerry]

I have been selling fishing tackle off a Fishing site called "All Coast."
I sold a buch of Rapalas a week agoo.  I sold them to a guy that used Pay Pal. no problem.
Now I hear form a guy that says he sent me a MO a few weeks ago, did i get it?

I told him no and the goods are sold.  Now he claims he will have to "eat" $50.00
Surely there is some protection, or is he full of it?

[Kittyzee]

Personally, I think he's full of it...of COURSE it could be lost in the mail, that's why you don't send money orders regular mail, he could have sent it certified mail, used a credit card, paypal, on and on.   

[Ky Kim]

The likely hood that is got lost in the mail sounds like a bunch of poo.  Yes, they could get delayed and they could get lost.  But, I bet it didn't.  Does he have a copy of the receipt, money orders have a receipt end.  Tell him to call the company that issues that MO and see if they will stop payment on it.  Then if he really did send it, he wouldn't be out the money and he can then send you money PayPal!

Kim

[Jerry]

I posted your info as well as my own on the site (All Coast)  the dude is annoyed.  he said "lets clear the air."
He is right, I did agree to sell him the 19 lures in an email, but the money never came and another buyer used Pay Pal.
I told the unhappy buyer that there is no way for me to know if he is an up and up guy.  How long am I to wait?

[Julles]

I think it was fair, after a certain length of time, to let the second buyer have the lures.  (Maybe you should put a notice in your sales info, of how long you will wait to get $ before releasing the item(s) to another shopper.)

Mail CAN and DOES get lost, and my neighborhood is living proof.  In fact, just today, a lady with my address but on another street drove over to drop off MY mail that has accumulated over several weeks at HER house.  And I often get her mail, too.

Anyway, money orders are protected, and the guy can easily get his money back, by following the instructions on the back of his receipt.  I've done it.  Takes a while for the company to go through all its procedures, but if he can prove the MO was not cashed, he will get his money refunded.  That's one reason why people use MO's, instead of cash.  Which can get stolen but canNOT be traced.

It's a sad situation.  If the other guy is telling the truth, he got the short end.  Didn't get the lures, and now has to dick around with obtaining a refund for the MO.  But he won't be out any money.  Let's just hope he doesn't write any negative comments re your selling reputation.

[karen J]

He says he sent you a MO "a few weeks ago"? And he's just asking about it now?  Sorry, I think he's trying to ply you into sending him free lures. I don't think for a minute that he actually mailed you a MO.

Like Judge Judy says, "don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining". 

[Bartman]

As people have said.  If it was money order the company that issued it can see if it was cashed and if it was not they can refund him.  Sounds like he is trying to rip you off.  If it was cashed and it has your signature on it then you are on the hook for it.  I doubt that will be the case.

Bart

[Esther]

Any reputable company that sells money orders will have a procedure already set in place to stop payment on an issued money order. That Money Order account is like a big checking account. Wouldn't want to balance that one. That is why there are numbers on the MO. That is why they keep a copy of that MO when they issue it. Now it may be a pain and a fee, but he can go where he purchased it and make a claim that the check was never received. If he was so smart, he should have sent it registered mail also. If he had, then he'd know you never signed for it. He probably doesn't even know where his copy is. LOL 

[Jerry]

Sure enough I am being slammed on the All Coast board.  It seems steve is a good poster and is liked.  Ok that is fine, but I still never got the money.  I made a post there and told him to persue the MO folks.
I sure didn't need to be told I was a crook.

[LeeAnne151]

Jerry
You've done nothing wrong. You never received the MO and you never cashed it.
You were certainly within your rights to sell the items to a paying buyer.

FYI
eBay is doing away with MOs and checks this fall. Though buyers can still ask sellers to accept. Sellers can't advertise them anymore. I'm glad. I won't ever buy online without the protection of a credit card after being ripped off on a bank transfer through PayPal.

Every one of the non paying bidders that I reported to eBay and left negative feedback for said they mailed me a money order. I do not believe the USPS looses that much mail.

The buyer can get his money back from the issuer.

[Jerry]

One critic said i should have PMd Steve.  It's new site for me and  i had no idea i could.
It would have been good. But the MO has yet to arrive. if an when it does I will of course return it.

Well said LeeAnne.

[Esther]

You know, everybody has an opinion and you have yours. Sure it doesn't feel good when people criticize something we've done but Jerry, I bet it has happened before to you and it will happen again. Sometimes on a forum, the people have been together for a long time and as what is happening on this thread, you are our fearless leader and we all are agreeing with you. Not that we are doing it to just make nice but sometimes I think that "crowd mentality" clicks in and everybody gets in line just to get in line. I suspect that may be what is happening on the other forum. It isn't always easy for some people to go against the crowd even when they have a different opinion. It sounds more like they thought you shouldn't have sold the items that quickly. I am surprised that someone over there hasn't had the experience of stopping a MO. But those lures were yours and if someone gave you the money for them then I guess they are sold.  That's the whole idea when things are put up for sale. Show me the money and it's yours.   

 My work experience since 1960- 2004 was for a bank and know first hand that we were putting stops on them often because they didn't show up where they were sent. It doesn't mean that the PO lost them necessarily. It they were sent to an organization/bank, sometimes credit was given to the wrong account or that organization/bank lost it in house.

[Jerry]

Thanks!

[Joyce]

Seems like on every forum there are the vultures and harpies waiting to drag you down for one reason or the other. 

[Jerry]

The buyer called today.  The envelope was mis addressed. Could be my typo.
He was very decent and will re send and I will deposit it and give him 50.00
He even made a nice post re the situation.
Many there posts the same MO info you guys did.
A few even commented that I was super to deal with and I always gave them a little extra.

This affair is OVER!
I will never take an mo again.

[El Jefe]

If he has the MO back All he has to do is take it back to the post office or bank he purchased it from and he could get his money back. Sounds like he wants to send it to you and have you cash it and then send him the cash...... Hmmm for someone who was put out with you before he now sounds awfully trusting. Sounds  a little sketchy to me. Did he say why he couldn't just redeem it himself?

Andy

[Jerry]

He said he bought at Von's a supermarket chain here.  And it would take a big hassel to get his money.  I tend to believe him.  he has a good reputatiom

[Esther]

I don't know Jerry. Why should it be a big deal for him. At the bank, we just made sure to determine that the number on the MO was valid and had been issued for what we were looking at and hadn't been cashed. It showed payable to somebody else but sent and purchased by him because he had the copy, right. So we had them write, "Not used for purpose intended" and then endorse underneath. But it's been 4 years since I retired and who knows what's going on now.

[LeeAnne151]

Jerry, don't do that! It could be fake. This whole thing could be a set up so he could shame you into cashing his fake money order.

I know for a fact that all he has to do it take it back to Von's. I worked at Safeway for almost eight years and a Thriftway for almost nine and while I was the florist in both stores I do know that he is not telling the truth about them refunding his money.

Please don't act as a bank for this man and cash it and mail him cash? Then he could say he never got the cash. Seriously. this is a bad deal.

[Jerry]

I would let it clear and then send him my check.   He does seem ok.

Thanks

[Jonna]

Yes, but WHY is he wanting to do it this way?  It seems rather ridiculous including costing more for postage.  He has the check, he bought the check, he can return it.  There are stories all over the internet of people cashing money orders and then, when it is found to be stolen, the money is removed from their account.  This whole thing was not of your doing, I'd say stay out of it and let him return the MO.

[karen J]

Jerry, please don't do that. Let him get his own cash back. Sounds really fishy to me. 

[El Jefe]

I talked to my BIL who is a Manager at Vons  It would not be difficult, not as difficult as some may make it out to be. I think it is big of you to trust him so. I hope it turns out right.

Say you don't happen to have any Thin Fins Do you (made by Storm)

[Jerry]

no Andy, but I do like them a lot. Very well made.

[El Jefe]

Dang well they are my favorite lure, don't know why Storm stopped making them. I do well at Bass fishing, Pike fishing, Muskies, walleye with this lure... Bass mostly now that I live in Florida but still I love it. Thanks Andy

[Jerry]

I think it's like Murphy's Law  Like it and the stop making it.
I had Levis that fit me prefectly.  At last!  Sure enough discontinued.

[LeeAnne151]

Jerry, him sending you the money order when you don't have the gear anymore is fishy, fishy, fishy. 

[Jerry]

If it won't clear the bank, I won't send a check.  The guy has a good rep so I am giving him the benefit of the doubt,
he won't get my check until his clears!