Maximum USPS Money Order is 700.

I believe that USPS MO's are .75 @. Cashiers checks run $25.00 at my bank. Any check can have a "hold" or "stop payment" placed on it and you won't find out until it doesn't clear. So you don't ship until it clears. A USPS MO clears instantly at the post office (if it's good) and they pay you at the window, providing you have photo ID. (Wait until the end of the day for a large amount) Then you ship the item. Some people hate PayPal, but it works for me, and really speeds things up. They do charge to receive money for you, but everything in life can't be free.

I also don't understand the negatives toward paypal. The 2 or 3% you pay to receive funds is the same or even less than you would pay to the clearing bank if you were a visa/mastercard merchant. The buyer says yes and a few minutes later you get an e-mail that tells you the funds are good and available. These are bad things? Am I missing something?

usps money orders are generally safer forms of payment then either cashier, "bank," or personal checks. while it may be difficult, in many cases, to stop payment on a cashier's check, it can, and often is, done by unscrupulous folks. other scammers make color copy or other reproductions and "replicas"of cashiers or bank checks; these perps frequently operate on a rather grand scale, engaging in multiple instances of the same crime. i once represented a bank, for example, that was taken down for tens of thousands of $$ by an organized ring of foreign nationals that used a check kiting scheme designed to take advantage of the friday after thanksgiving, when most bank officers are still on holiday.

tho i've bought and sold on audiogon, i've had many more internet transactions on ebay. unless i know my buyer well, i will not send any merchandise until the payment clears. the only exception is for usps money orders. i will not buy from ANYONE unless i have had prior dealings with him/her or have spoken to the seller after checking out feedback or, in big $$ transactions, references.

given the ease of deception in internet sales, i think it inevitable that sites such as this one MUST establish escrow services. audiogon sez they are going to do so. i applaud them.

some other random thoughts: you can buy usps MO's with a "true" debit card (i.e., one that does not have a "line of credit" associated with it); if you have access to a merchant account, beware the "chargeback artists" and sell on "credit" with the same skeptical eye as you'd focus on "cash" sales"; be prepared to have your claim denied if you send cash via overnite courier anywhere.

the bottom line here is rather simple: trust no one but your brother or best friend, tho set that limit of trust no higher than the amount you can truly afford to lose.

-kelly

where's the edit function? first line of last post "then" should be "than." sorry. -kelly

Kelly, is it not true that you can trust a lawyer, i.e., a member of the Bar?