Advice about a trade

[bg4533]

I'll start off by saying I don't trust anyone I don't know personally. I am not trying to imply anything bad about anyone and I am not saying I am being scammed, but it would be stupid not to consider the possibility.

I am in the process of selling my AKG K501. The buyer is in Canada and says he sent me a money order. He PMed me today asking me to let him know when the headphones ship. I told him the MO had not arrived and he PMed me back a tracking link saying the MO was delivered yesterday (Monday,7/11) around 1pm. I got the mail yesterday and today and there is no MO. Now I don't know what to do...

All the tracking link says is that something was sent, left Canada and was delivered. It doesn't mention an address, name or even a zip code. A letter could have been sent to anyone anywhere. I really don't have any reason to distrust him yet, he seems honest so far. On the same note I really don't have a reason to trust him. The buyer has been on Head-Fi for about 1 month and has 2 positive feedback. Most likely the MO was just lost in the mail somehow. Or maybe it is just marked as delivered when it reached my local post office?

ugh...this is why I prefer Paypal.

I plan on waiting a few days for the MO before I do anything, but the options I see:
1. Ship the headphones to the buyer now. The money order can be reissued if necessary and I will eventually get my money. If the buyer is trying to scam me I am screwed.
2. Get the MO reissued now and wait to ship the headphones until I recieve it.
3. The buyer and I go our separate ways. The buyer can get the money back for the MO but will probably have to wait a while. I could find a new buyer who will pay with paypal.

I sold the headphones because I need the money. I just got a new car and no longer have lots of free cash. I don't need the money immediately, but I need to pay tuition and put a security deposit down for an apartment soon and that will pretty much clean me out.

What should I do?

 

[socrates63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bg4533 1. Ship the headphones to the buyer now. The money order can be reissued if necessary and I will eventually get my money. If the buyer is trying to scam me I am screwed.

There's no reason for you to send the buyer the headphone if you haven't received the money. As you already reasoned, mail tracking doesn't prove anything. If the buyer really wanted to make sure the money was delivered properly, the money should have been sent via registered mail where someone would have to sign for it.

In any case, you, as the seller, are not responsible for proper delivery of the money to you. You should probably tell the buyer to cancel the money order (can you do that?) and either send you another one or just call off the deal.

It's prudent to be cautious, but there's no need to think that you're being scammed. Like you said, most likely the payment got lost in the mail (I've had it happen to me a few times in the last six months to know that this sort of thing really does happen).

Likewise, the buyer may think that he is being scammed. If that's the case, he should just cancel the money order. And everyone returns to square one. He may have to pay a fee to cancel the MO but that's the cost and risk of doing these sort of deals.

 

[gpalmer]

I wonder if that delivery date/Time was when the Canadians turned it over to the USPS...

 

[socrates63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer I wonder if that delivery date/Time was when the Canadians turned it over to the USPS...

That makes some sense, considering the Canadian post probably doesn't track items past the border.

 

[bg4533]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer I wonder if that delivery date/Time was when the Canadians turned it over to the USPS...

This is what is listed online. Maybe someone who has experience with Canada Post can comment.

2005/07/11 13:25 Item successfully delivered to Receiver's address
2005/07/09 02:07 International item has left the origin country
2005/07/08 22:07 International shipment dispatched from Canada
2005/07/08 12:54 MISSISSAUGA, ON Item accepted at the Post office

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Quote:

What should I do?

This is very simple; do not send the phones until you receive the money in your possession. Period!

 

[mightyacorn]

Out of courtesy I'd wait a few days and if it hasn't arrived, suggest number 2 to him.

 

[acs236]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer I wonder if that delivery date/Time was when the Canadians turned it over to the USPS...

yes, it would seem odd if the Canadian post could track mail in the US border when the USPS doesn't even do that.

 

[Jahn]

If you dont have the cash, dont send the goods.
That said, the buyer can't cancel the MO - a MO is the same as cash, it's not like a check.

Therefore, you have nothing to lose and the buyer is the one up the creek right now. The only thing to do right now is wait a bit longer, and if it never shows up, tell him sorry but you have to move on to a new buyer and you hope his MO eventually shows up somewhere.

 

[bg4533]

I just PMed the buyer the link to this thread to see what he thinks.

Canada Posts website says that the money order is replacable so no one is completely screwed. The only issue would be if someone intercepted it and tries to cash it in their own name. If this is the case it would be best to act quickly.

 

[mbriant]

Quote:

2005/07/11 13:25 Item successfully delivered to Receiver's address 2005/07/09 02:07 International item has left the origin country 2005/07/08 22:07 International shipment dispatched from Canada 2005/07/08 12:54 MISSISSAUGA, ON Item accepted at the Post office

I've always found Canada Post's tracking system to be less than stellar, and for this "item" to be delivered so quickly...and tracked, it must have been sent by some sort of priority method. Did the Buyer say what method of postal delvery was used? Can he scan and email or fax the receipt with the tracking number he got from the post office to you? That way you'd at least be assured it was something sent to you and not simply some item shipped to someone else in the U.S. I'm not accusing the buyer of any wrongdoing, but since there seems to be a problem here, he should have no problem giving you all the info he has.

 

[Daroid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn - a MO is the same as cash, it's not like a check.

Are you sure ? - http://www.ebajacalifornia.gob.mx/re...er00010001.jpg ?

As a buyer from one of those few countries where it's hard to use paypal - at least impossible without a credit card - i thought that MO was a good alternative. It wasn't. It costed about $18 to just print out the money order "check" (or what you call it).
Payment methods is like third world country sometimes...

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daroid Are you sure ? - http://www.ebajacalifornia.gob.mx/re...er00010001.jpg ? As a buyer from one of those few countries where it's hard to use paypal - at least impossible without a credit card - i thought that MO was a good alternative. It wasn't. It costed about $18 to just print out the money order "check" (or what you call it). Payment methods is like third world country sometimes...

Yep that looks like a US Postal Service Money Order alright. Doesn't it cost like 10 cents to have them make out a money order for you? I thought that once you got it that's it, it's just like cash. Well at least they scanned it so you can show that they made an MO for you, but it still doesn't show that it ever reached its destination. If it was insured at least you can file a claim and in 30 days they should get the value back for you.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRESCENDOPOWER This is very simple; do not send the phones until you receive the money in your possession. Period!

Ditto.

 

[archosman]

I've sold items to Head-Fiers in Canada twice and had no problems whatsoever.