[Binaural Fusion]

Hi there,

I am looking to make a sale outside of this forum to a fellow Canuck who would like to use COD (Collect on delivery). After the research I've done it seems pretty infallible, with the worst that could happen being the person not showing up and me getting stuck with postage.

Is anyone aware of any shortcomings of this payment method?

-Jeremy

 

[plainsong]

I don't what's wrong with it. We use it in this country a heck of a lot more than seemed to be allowed in the US.

 

[Lazarus Short]

With COD delivery, you must trust in the honesty of two people: the buyer, who you don't know very well, and the delivery person, who you do not know at all. I would hope that the delivery person is bonded, but people don't seem to care about the niceties as much these days. I think I would trust a Finn before I'd trust a Canuck [B or Q] or an Amerikan.

Ask yourself: why can this buyer NOT send a cheque?

Laz

 

[plainsong]

It doesn't answer the question though (and I'm not a Finn, just married to one). I still don't understand the risk although the system might be different in the US than here. I never used it back home. I don't understand the need to be "bonded." I can't send a check because checks became obsolete here some 20 or 30 years ago. Likewise money orders aren't accepted here because bank transfer made that obsolete with the advent of the first PCs.

I can't speak for the US, and I'd like more information about why someone needs to be "bonded" or why you even need a higher level of trust. How it works here is simple: from the buyer's point-of-view, if you don't receive the item, you don't pay for it. From the seller's point-of-view, if the buyer backs out, the item is sent back. It's true you loose out on the cost of shipping but in terms of business they account for that in the cost of the item.

There are a lot of online stores here that really take their sweet time processing an order. I once ordered a bluetooth mouse, and they never contacted me or anything, just sent out the order half a year later. Do you think I paid for it? Hell no. That's not a unique story. I guess there are a lot of people in Finland who think it's easy to run an online store and don't pay much mind to things like current inventory or timely customer service. In fact, in my 10 years here, I'd say that in e-commerce, timely customer service and accurate inventory are new ideas. The bigger sites seem to be big because they deserve it and understand how this works, it's the smaller sites you have to be sure to use COD with because who knows when or if you'll ever get anything sent to you.

I've had one buyer back out on me on buying a PDA at a local version of ebay. He was all jazzed about it, and then it got to to his local post office, and when we kindly asked if he was going to pick it up, he said, "SORRY!" , and then we had to wait two weeks to get it back.

When it works out, the buyer pays the post office, who has your bank account number linked to the package, and you automatically get paid.

Other than the time involved if the buyer backs out, and the out-of-pocket cost of shipping (which could be factored into the price if you're clever), it's a good way for neither party to loose out.

Does it work differently in the US?

 

[GlendaleViper]

Sorry to the OP, but having never arranged a personal transaction via COD, I can't offer much. Just wanted to chime in on a couple of points. I have received items on COD from companies once or twice in the past, but obviously this is a different situation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus Short /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ask yourself: why can this buyer NOT send a cheque?

An excellent question and one to be heeded. I'm not a mistrusting person under normal circumstances, but in cases like this it often pays, literally, to ensure any little nags in your intuition are sated before going ahead.

And regarding bonding, I don't understand why you wouldn't want a bonded employee in positions where absolute trust - and accountability - should be mandatory. I don't want to derail the thread here, but my curiosity is just killing me: Plainsong, is there any particular reason you hold such an opinion on bonded service workers?

 

[plainsong]

I don't hold any opinion one way or the other - I just am not familiar with the COD system in the US, not ever having used it myself, and no one I knew used it either - but here it's seen as a win-win situation for both parties.

I don't have anything against anything, I'm just wondering what all the fear is about. If someone would actually explain it, then that would clear everything up.

I am from the US, but have not lived there in 10 years. I left when I was about 22, and I suppose in my work experience, the word "bonding" never came up. Likewise here in Finland it's not something I've ever heard of, or why you would need it in order to complete a transaction outside of professional life.

 

[GAD]

I've been told that "Cash" OD means a check is OK to most companies. No direct experience, but that's what I've heard.

Obviously if this is true, then there is a whole lot of risk.

GAD

 

[plainsong]

But wouldn't the company taking the money be the postal service, and then they transfer that to your account?

Or is it more simplistic than that? Considering that we don't use checks here, but the post office will take bank (kind of like debit cards) cards, or cash, and that money goes right into your bank account, the only risk is the time wasted if the buyer backs out.

 

[tusk]

I hear it is a bad deal. You have to sign and pay when the item comes, but if you give them a check that will work too. Then if you are dishonest all you have to do is bounce the check.

This is not a good deal. Why can't he just pay before you ship it out?

 

[plainsong]

Now I see the problem in the US at least. It's dead easy to bounce a check on someone.

Just know that if someone living in another country requests COD, it's not because they want to cheat you but rather because they're not aware of the culture against it in the US.

I'm not saying you should say yes to it, because international COD could take forever if it goes wrong, but just know that it's just something whose popularity varies from place to place.

 

[Binaural Fusion]

Thanks for all the replies folks.

I decided it was a pretty safe transaction. In Canada (I don't know about the States) you can specify which payment method ie. cash or cheque. Since I selected cash there's no way for him to bounce a cheque on me or anything so if worst comes to worst the only negative foreseeable consequence would be that I am out the cost of shipping.

 

[plainsong]

Problem solved.

 

[uzziah]

i personally would never do it