I know that paypal offers the buyer and seller 3rd party protection......for lack of a better explanation. USPS money orders work great for those on this site.....I have used and excepted those a lot. Do USPS money orders offer similar protection?

If a firearm paypal offers no protection as they are against policy. USPS Money Order would only offer protection if someone other than the intended person was somehow able to cash it. If a scam but the intended person cashes it you wouldnt have any protection. My $.02 for what its worth.

USPS MO can be replaced if lost, but it takes a loooooong time.

I also believe that PayPal protection occurs only when you use it for goods and services, but not when you are sending money to family & friends to (avoid the fees).

Brain fart time......I was talking about selling a welder.

If you sell your welder by PayPal, the buyer has 6 MONTHS to file a claim against you.

There are lots of horror stories.

I'd just take a check, wait for it to clear. If a Postal MO gets lost, it takes 60 plus days to get a refund and then only if it doesn't get cashed.

There's always a cashiers check. That's probably how I'd roll... Too many problems with USPS money orders, I've all but quit accepting them. I still use paypal quite often, since I still buy and sell on ebay.

+1
One other thing I've done is have my bank call the bank of the check and verify the funds before I cash it. Although it's not 100% fool proof, it does help ease some tension if you are waiting on a large check to process.

Don't rely on Paypals protection. Not worth $.02

Something large AND worth a good sum (like a welder) is CASH for me unless I know the buyer well. Too much risk and cost to ship so if they're picking it up from me they bring green.

I use PayPal all the time but not because I trust it.

Only issues with USPSMO are it getting lost in the mail (could happen to any paper form), inconvenience, and having trouble cashing larger ones at a small town PO.

Cashier's checks are just about as if not easier to fake than a personal check so I don't take ANY kind of check unless the buyer agrees to wait until the check clears.

Simple enough.

Just my two cents...

I do not use pay pal or money orders...if a seller does not want my personal check then I obviously do not need whatever he is selling...I am perfectly content to wait until the check clears...

I have only had one transaction on this site and it was a sale...I offered to take a check but the buyer sent a money order...an unnecessary trip and expense on his part...

As I said, just my two cents...don't mean to offend anyone...

Cheers/bg

Postal money orders are fine. Send by certified mail for safety's sake.

You can bring your stub to the post office and they will look it up to see if it was cashed.

Over 10 years and nary a problem (knock wood).

HM

I'm for personal checks with time to clear.....more so nowdays.

A cashier's check can have a stop payment issued.

For big stuff that gets picked up-cash only.

For big stuff to be shipped, I will do a check or USPS MO, but I am holding shipment until it clears.

For small stuff, I will take pretty much paypal, cash, Check, or USPS MO. but I hold shipment until I see it clear.

I've had good luck with paypal's protection, including a bad transaction with a scumbag (sawcarver) on this site.

I'm hesitant to send a personal check to strangers since it contains all of the data for that account. I do it on this site, but wouldn't on others.

Personal checks clear in 1-2 days (i.e. I can pull up my check (that a seller cashed) on-line and see the signature endorsement)... and send it to the seller if he has any doubts that it has cleared).

Personal checks (or having my bank cut the check to a "Payee" is super easy and safe... and saves me a stamp... and they stay in my list of Payees for the next time... literally 10 seconds and done the second or third time.)

If the seller turns out to be a bum... dogg his butt and put him in jail.

I HATE Paypal and making the Ultra Rich even richer.

As for F2F... agree... CASH ONLY EVERY TIME.

I wonder why so many on a site like this use paypal with their clear position of being anti gun and anti hunting.

Cash is king... However, PayPal is instant and for small purchases works fine for me. Sending payment by PayPal "friends and family" eliminates costs on both ends and I do get some satisfaction using paypal's money to fund my hobby. USPS money orders are demanded by many people that believe they are so safe... News flash - most post offices don't have cash on hand to redeem and banks hold them to clear just like checks due to potential fraud. For large purchases, I get a bank check straight from the teller and go with that. If someone does not accept my bank check, just send it back to me and keep your stuff.

How anti-gun can PayPal be when you can use it to pay your NRA membership?

If a postal money order gets lost, they won't tell you if it's been cashed for 60 days. Then it takes a few more weeks to get a refund.

Because for most people it's the only way to easily take payments, or give payments, on line without using a credit card which most people don't take if they're not a business.

I sell puppies and I take deposits via PayPal but the remainder has to be paid in cash on delivery or by wire transfer 48 hours before we ship the puppy.

Well as long as it's easier we'll just overlook that other stuff. Gotta have easier...

I've use both many times, Paypal is quick and convenient. Seller gets the money RIGHT now. Protection is there depends however on what and who, and the type of transaction. M.O. is great but can get lost and it has happened to me.. A non paying buyer.. Guy got the M.O. about a week later.. Got an apology but. Like most things in life one makes a choice and takes the chance.

I'm done selling here for other reasons. But......just got done here selling 17 sales worth $12k. Most I shipped before receiving payment or before payment cleared.

Didn't get burned once. Took all transactions immediately to personal email as PM's and posts seem to get lost here.

All of my buyers were complete and honest, trustworthy gentlemen.......as I was.

Some sent me a check, and some a USPS money order.

But the best and quickest payment was $4,000 from a gentlemen who deposited a cashiers check from his bank directly into my Wells Fargo account after I gave him my account number. This would work ditto for Chase or B of A. Plus it builds trust on both sides.

A cash deposit into sellers account would work even quicker and be worth its weight in gold for both parties.

Paperwork CYA trails cuz of distrust blow. And USPS snail mail these days REALLY blows. No kidding!

When I sell I offer to take PayPal Gift,but take personal checks.I have never had problems with personal checks.What ticks me off is when some one wants a USPS MO for something under $50.00.