Safe ways to get Paid over internet

[Craig D Peltier]

I have this guy who wants to order a table for his wife.Its very unique it involves a stone for stability. Hes in LA. He wants it for xmas. He wants to send me a personal check I guess theres tons of time to let it cash since its a xmas present. My question is second and final payment.
I know paypal is safe. I have also heard from my dad that USPS money orders are safe, the scammers dont want to mess with federal so theres no worry.
Have you also heard this?
The person claims he is weary over payments over the net as well an he wants to do it the old fashion way with a personal check and that it was in the amount that I asked for which he stated.

Well as I typed I decided to search.This is what I found. So I guess my new question is what is guaranteed safe, obviously money in hand.

The Latest Scams Circulating the Consumer World. Be warned. Be informed.

June 2005
http://www.consumerjungle.org/content/view/299/553/images/stories/consumer_headerspacer.gif

Postal Money Order Scams


Be weary of accepting a postal money order especially from anyone in Nigeria.The U.S. has seen a huge spike in counterfeit money orders primarily originating from Nigeria, but also from Ghana and Eastern Europe.A postal money order is printed and issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS), and has always been considered a safe way to exchange money because it is one of the most difficult financial documents to counterfeit.No longer!Counterfeiters are producing high-quality, virtually undetectable, phony postal money orders.

Criminals are using fake money orders to buy items through classified ads, on eBay and from retailers.In most instances, the scam originates via an e-mail message or internet chartroom/forum.The criminals will convince the victim into accepting the money order as a payment for a purchase.Don't let this happen to you!

Play it Safe


Be skeptical if you are asked to wire money to an overseas bank account, or to cash money orders or checks, on someone else's behalf.
Never wire funds to anyone unless you're sure the money order or check they gave you was cleared by your bank and the funds released.
Familiarize yourself with postal money order security features.Genuine postal money orders have:




watermark of Benjamin Franklin.A counterfeitmoney order will not look genuine when help up to a light.
security strip running alongside the watermark, just to the right. If held to the light, a micro fiber strip will show the letters "USPS" along its length. A counterfeit money order will show a printed strip.
rainbow of inked patterns and tones.



To compare a genuine postal money order to a counterfeit money order, visit The New York Times' April 26 article, A Common Currency for Online Fraud:Forgers of U.S. Postal Money Orders Grow in Numbers and Skills (http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/mofeatur.htm).

[Lance Norris]

Before I started using Paypal, I used USPS money orders. Since he is in the US, he would be using a domestic USPS money order, which looks different than the international USPS money orders. Your post gives the security features to look for, dont release the item until you are sure the money order is genuine or has been cashed and you have money in hand.

[Lee Schierer]

Check with your bank, wire transfers are safe and sure that you have the money. Businesses use tehm all the time.

[Dennis Peacock]

My all time favorite way of payment over the internet???


I email you
You email me

We both meet somewhere and you give me the money. ;) :D

[Scott Kilroy]

Depends on the amount but Western Union can usually transfer the money so you'll have it as cash. Witch will be good for you but the buyer will need to trust you since once you have the cash it will be hard to collect if you don't ship the item.

[Chris Padilla]

Personal checks, I think, are fine as long as ample* time is allowed to ensure they clear and legitimate. As long as both parties understand good won't be released until such a time is reached, I think you should be fine.

*-not sure how long this is but if the first one goes through well, odds are decent the second one will and you should be able to discern the amount of time it takes to ensure things are legit

You can also use an escrow service (his or you bank might have the service available) to handle the money.

[Kevin Arceneaux]

Paypal - I have some friends who have been getting burned a lot lately. They sell addons for a simulator. People will use paypal, download the payware, and then reverse the charges. The venders have documentation that the person got what he paid for, but that does not matter to paypal. This has cost a couple of them 3 and 4 hundred dollars.

[Joe Pelonio]

With a personal check, make sure it's a bank that is also here, like Wells, WAMU or B of A. When it arrives you can call his branch to verify the funds.

Give the account number, and they will tell you only whether it is good or not, they will not give the person's balance. If it is good, go that same day to a local branch of the same bank and cash it. If you have no account there they may charge you $5 but it will be worth it to have the cash in
hand and not have to worry.

If you deposit it, there's a chance they will have other checks hit the bank that night that cause yours to bounce for lack of funds.

[Craig D Peltier]

Check with your bank, wire transfers are safe and sure that you have the money. Businesses use tehm all the time.
Does that require you to give the person your bank account number?

[Craig D Peltier]

With a personal check, make sure it's a bank that is also here, like Wells, WAMU or B of A. When it arrives you can call his branch to verify the funds.

Give the account number, and they will tell you only whether it is good or not, they will not give the person's balance. If it is good, go that same day to a local branch of the same bank and cash it. If you have no account there they may charge you $5 but it will be worth it to have the cash in
hand and not have to worry.

If you deposit it, there's a chance they will have other checks hit the bank that night that cause yours to bounce for lack of funds.

I thought ever since they passed some big law a few years back.you couldnt do that anymore. Call there bank. I forget the name but its one we have all heard of. For example the Brady Law. I think it happened right after 911. I called one bank and it was for a HELOC which he was able to tell me.I called on another one maybe BOFA (and thats where I bank), they couldnt tell me.
Maybe im having a senior moment at 34?

[Joe Pelonio]

I thought ever since they passed some big law a few years back.you couldnt do that anymore. Call there bank. I forget the name but its one we have all heard of. For example the Brady Law. I think it happened right after 911. I called one bank and it was for a HELOC which he was able to tell me.I called on another one maybe BOFA (and thats where I bank), they couldnt tell me.
Maybe im having a senior moment at 34?

The Brady Law had to do with firearms registration.

I have done it since 911, at least 2-3 times. Even if they won't tell you on the phone, go to the bank to cash it. If it's no good, they will tell you then!

[Steve knight]

a postal money order is simple just take it to the post office and see if they will cash it. if it is bad you won't get the money if it is good it's good.
of course those countries mentioned above I doubt you would want to do any business with them at all.

[Earl Kelly]

Craig,

I would not hesitate to take a check for any pieces of my furniture. I may be dense and old fashion, but consider business as a "Trust" issue. The client is trusting you to deliver as promised and you are trusting they will pay promptly as promised. If you encounter any problem with their deposit check, do not proceed with the work and just mail their check back.

CC's are pretty reliable, but they add another layer of bookkeeping and cost you approx. 2-3% And even those can be challenged and reversed on you.

Nothing is 100% save and secure, even Cash can be counterfeit. So do the best you can, trust your instincts and forge ahead.

PS- My nightmare is to be almost finished with an expensive piece and the client dies before final payment and delivery. I hope I never have to deal with that scenario.

Earl

[John Keeton]

Does that require you to give the person your bank account number?
If you have a checking account you distribute your account number to the general public every time you write a check, along with your name, probably address, and driver's license number if they take the information they should to protect themselves.