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Buyer's safety/reimbursement on a cashier's check or money order?
contraband
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I'd like to buy something from somebody on another forum I frequent. He wants cash though, and I've never bought anything online not using a credit card or PayPal account. How safe are cashier's checks or money orders? He has a handful of positive reviews (there is a buying/selling subsection of the forum and a reputation system is implemented), but of course I'm still a little wary. Could I be reimbursed somehow by my bank if I payed via cashier check/money order, and he never ships the item or it arrives damaged or inoperable?
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Does he explain why he won't use PayPal? Pretty sketchy...
A cashier's check and money order are both basically cash.
With no recourse should he cheat you? No, absolutely do not do it. Not even if he has some "good recommendations".
I take it, then, that there is no sort of "sender protection" of money orders or cashiers checks? Getting back to the point of this thread :P
No, there isn't any sort of sender protection on this, which is precisely why he wants you to do it that way.
Money Order? No. Cashier's Check from your bank? Maybe? Ask your bank.
EDIT: Actually, no. Just don't do it. If it is a scam, the trouble you're going to go through to get your money back is not even going to be worth the time or effort. The bank isn't just going to go "Oh! Ok, here's your money back!", it'd be a long, arduous process if the refund was even possible.
we have to move these quick! there was a mistake at the warehouse but I'll give you a special deal if you buy with cash RIGHT NOW
The local hangout for them in Aus is http://www.gumtree.com.au
Common ones include the i am renting this apartment out for cheap since it was my wive/husband and they died. You just have to look after it. Sorry but I am overseas but send me the deposit by money order/cash and i will mail you the keys.
And the I'm giving away this expensive pure breed dog for free. All you have to do is pay the courier fees to get it to your house. Send them to me via etc etc.
I have ran into a couple of other oens with just random goods. Its just that these things can't be traced very well and if you do get ripped off, they WILL get away and you WILL be out of pocket. Just say no paypal no purchase.
Simple.
Also applies to many other things in life.
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I ran into a similar situation to this a few years ago. Guy had some really high-end car audio equipment, said it was a gift for his girlfriend he just broke up with, just needed to sell it quickly, etc. I agreed if we would use an online escrow service, transaction went perfectly.
Of course online escrow services are not all legit and you still have to be careful.
I agree with your assessment but both cashier's checks and money orders have problems from the seller's point of view. Forgery is common with each item and doesn't leave the seller much recourse. He could have a reasonable objection to using either of those forms of payment even if he's completely honest.
The only thing the OP could do is check up on those reviews. Find out when they're from, the time span they cover, the amount of the transactions and other's reviews of the reviewers. Even if he puts in all that work he needs to understand he's going to be facing a higher risk of getting screwed than in most transactions.
put the risk on him... if he's really in need, he'll go for it. if he blows you off, you've got your answer.
If anyone even mentions online escrow you can usually be assured it's a scam.
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It's true, don't be like ackbar..
Unless you demand it and are the one to choose the escrow site..
Just sayin', it worked fine for me.
I have never, and would never purchase anything for over about $10 with cash over the internet - unless it's an amount of money that you'd be willing to throw away, don't throw it away (I've purchased some 7" records and such when I was younger and credit-cardless where the cost of money orders or bank cheques is more than the cost of the item - that's then ONLY situation to use cash, and even then, be wary).
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If the seller requests online escrow, it is guaranteed to be a scam.
Sure the seller does, you wait until the money order is cashed or the check clears before shipping the item, and you state that ahead of time.
That said, no fucking way I'd send a cashier's check or money order to a stranger on the hope I might actually get some goods out of the deal.
It can take two weeks for a forgery to become clear and banks will typically release funds within 24 hours. Once it comes back bogus the banks do not accept responsibility for the issue and will be looking for their money.