Western Union

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pacerguy

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I received a Facebook request for someone who was interested in one of my old Invicta's. Its one I never wear from 2007. The buyer is in Canada.
They wanted to use a Western Union Bank transfer to pay me. He doesn't do Paypal.

How's that work? Should I bother?
It would be a $60 sale, plus shipping, and fees.
 
I generally wouldn't use Western Union for these kind of transactions. Paypal is supposed to provide some kind of protection for both buyer and seller. It's kind of strange. Usually scammers use Western Union to pay for transactions. The buyer would be taking more of the risk. Would it even be worth it? The cheapest way to send is $9.99. it would take 4 business days.
FYI Plus, the exchange rate is currently in our favor. The guy must really want the watch.
I once sold a watch to someone in Canada, It cost over $30 to mail. It was a pain in the neck.
 
i had a problem shipping my CREPAS CAYMAN to land of DANNY T.

-a fist sized hole got punched through the box...watch OK...but stressed-out watch flip...

-no insurance to CANADA


- i would not do it...international deals have potential for complications above the dollar amount
 
Good points.
I was responding to Bob's post in the wee hours and my brain was slowing down.

One more thing: Sometimes international buyers will want you to mark an item as "gift." That's to reduce customs costs. I don't have to tell anyone that it is a federal offense to falsify Customs documents.

All of the above reasons are why I never do international transactions.
 
Good points.
I was responding to Bob's post in the wee hours and my brain was slowing down.

One more thing: Sometimes international buyers will want you to mark an item as "gift." That's to reduce customs costs. I don't have to tell anyone that it is a federal offense to falsify Customs documents.

All of the above reasons are why I never do international transactions.


agree... i do not do that...nor have i - would i -will i - commit that fraud on PP

- re shipping...i.e. USPS does not go there with all it's excellent services - priority/insurance/signature
 
I wouldn't commit it without PP. Once i was even encouraged by a postal worker to lie about contents. (true story.) Their reasoning was that the package would be target for theft.

You think that with all of the business that comes out of Canada, someone would come up with a better way. Not to diss our neighbors to the north. There's still a lot of good there. :)
 
I don't know that I would go through with this Bob. Just my two cents on this.

I have sold internationally before, but it was through eBay's ship abroad service or whatever. I sent it to some eBay International Mail Center or something and they took care of all of it. Wasn't a bad transaction, but I had eBay and Paypal behind me.
 
I won't touch PayPal with a ten foot pole.

This rather strange attitude has resulted in my getting creative with alternatives. The buyer takes the risk with Western Union - the seller risks nothing other than negative feedback if the transaction goes pear-shaped. The funds are in hand before shipment of the watch.

Transerwise is good for international and cheap at the expense of not being too fast - generally around 4 or 5 days.

Bank wire transfer is my preferred method for international and again the buyer assumes all risk so I really, really have to trust the seller. Effectively, this means no feeBay. It also means no percentage hit for the seller so it's easy to get the wire transfer charge knocked off the price and then some.

There's nothing on the planet I want bad enough to be reminded of my PayPal pain, agony and legal bills. I thought I was close to the only one but evidently somebody in Canada has a similar issue. Some very few folks need protection from PayPal not by PayPal.

What baffles me is that most all PayPal options put the buyer, not the seller, at risk. Thus when I see sellers getting nervous about USPO MOs, bank wire transfers or Western Union (essentially cash) it baffles me. The last watch I sold I took a personal check - for 3,500.00 and all's well.

Think about it - the reason most scammers want payment via Western Union is because there's no way of getting the payment back - no risk to the seller. I suppose that's why IRS scammers prefer Western Union or Walmart gift cards or cash in a brown sack. If you walk into most Western Union offices you'll see signs warning people not to send payment to anyone that isn't well known. The "cash upfront origination charge" is a favorite of loan scammers.

There are some forms of payment that can burn the seller but they're rare and usually smell bad before hand. Just don't take a Nigerian MO for 400.00 and send the 60.00 watch along with 340.00 "change" and you should be OK.

And tell my Canadian brethren Buzzard says "Hi!" and convey that I suggest he stay the hell off eBay - it's enemy territory for the PayPal challenged.
 
PayPal all the way Bob, even for mail order brides. Always have had 100% positive experiences and I've done hundreds of transactions.


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Well with respect to foreign nationals as brides it should perhaps be noted that USCIS, DOS Visa services, the doctor and private hospitals for tests and vaccinations as well as visa consultant services don't require PayPal. Then again none offer refunds if it bombs.

But then I don't know about mail order. Happy coincidences while dealing with a local statistical analysis business in Bangkok are probably better - no associations to bars, self-sufficient, all that sort of stuff.





Conan, what is best in life?

I don't know but I never needed PayPal to get it.
 
No one needs PayPal, but if it isn't broken, don't fix it.

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Thanks all....I'm not gonna sell a $60 watch to Canada.
I've never had a Paypal issue.
 
It would be a shame if the guy is legit, you always want to help out a fellow collector but I understand where you are coming from, I stopped selling to other countries a long time ago on Ebay, had more problems than not but did generally have better luck with Canadians.
 
Heck , I'm a trusting sort , I think the guy is legit ......for 60 bones I probably would have just sent him the watch and asked him to send me a WU money order when he received it.
 
It would be a shame if the guy is legit, you always want to help out a fellow collector but I understand where you are coming from, I stopped selling to other countries a long time ago on Ebay, had more problems than not but did generally have better luck with Canadians.

From personal experience since 1996 I can definitely state that the common, albeit mistaken, impression is that someone without paypal rings alarm bells.

Which I suppose is why I stick with people I really trust and don't generally bother with small purchases. By the time I'm done making them feel warm and fuzzzy I've lost interest in the product. My last watch purchase sans paypal was a bank wire transfer of 4,100.00. You can bet I trusted that guy a LOT.
 
despite the interesting footnotes...agree with OP...not worth the hassle
 
I have done many good transactions with ppl of other nations such as China, UK, Greece, Germany, Canada, now Nigeria is another story!!!!!!!
 
I have done many good transactions wiith other nations, UK, Greece, Germany, Canada, now Nigeria is another story!!!!!!!

I just sent some cash to that nice Nigerian gentleman (that really needed my help according to his friendly email that was personally sent to me only) and *NOW* you warn me not to deal with him?! It's a little late for that! :mad:

Just kiddin'! :)
 
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