Has anybody used Proficent Billiards' escrow service? How long did it take from start to finish? I'm mainly interested in deals that involved an international party, but any input here would help.
Thanks
Thanks
Proficient Billiards Escrow Service
- Thread starter ToughRowToHoe
- Start date
Proficient Billiards
I have never used the escrow service. I can tell you though that Scott is a hell of a great guy to deal with and does super nice work.
ToughRowToHoe said:
I have never used the escrow service. I can tell you though that Scott is a hell of a great guy to deal with and does super nice work.
ToughRowToHoe said:
Scott is a great guy and one of the most honest people I've ever met. I have not used their escrow service, however, I have discussed it with Scott and can definitely recommend them.
The escrow is needed when two parties mistrust each other, or if a professional third party opinion is needed on the cue.
Scott will examine the cue and report to buyer and seller his finding on condition and originality.
My suggestion is, when dealing with international buyers, unless you know the buyer really well or can get references, accept only international wire transfers direct to a bank account. That means no credit cards, no certified or cashiers checks, or money orders.
Consider this: it can take a month or even more for an international check to clear, and possibly longer for a forged or stolen money order to be returned. It's easy to counterfeit with a scanner and a printer.
The other issue is shipping ivory or possibly other banned products. It is foolish to ship an expensive cue with ivory inlays overseas without checking customs allowances. Cues with ivory (without proper documentation) will be seized upon inspection in some countries.
Never use an escrow service without checking it out. Some are no more than an address to steal your cue or payment.
That being said, I've made some excellent sales to foreign buyers and have had many good experiences.
Chris
I am the person that ToughRow is dealing with. Is it really true that cashiers or international checks takes a month to clear? I remember when i was in canada and i did ebay transactions I had to wait a month, but i thoguth that was because i was in canada. Stupid question here, but whats the point of a Certified Check from the bank if it still takes a month - kind of defeats the purpose of paying those extravagant fees for it.
I don't "mistrust" ToughRow, I just feel rather hesitant about sending $1XXX one way, and having no way to hunt the guy down if things go astray. So I think with proficient its good, because both parties have to fulfill their ends with an intermediary.
However, if anyone here has dealt with ToughRow before and can vouch for him, I would be strongly swayed to skip that step and save me a $50
I don't "mistrust" ToughRow, I just feel rather hesitant about sending $1XXX one way, and having no way to hunt the guy down if things go astray. So I think with proficient its good, because both parties have to fulfill their ends with an intermediary.
However, if anyone here has dealt with ToughRow before and can vouch for him, I would be strongly swayed to skip that step and save me a $50
TATE said:
TheFish said:I am the person that ToughRow is dealing with. Is it really true that cashiers or international checks takes a month to clear? I remember when i was in canada and i did ebay transactions I had to wait a month, but i thoguth that was because i was in canada. Stupid question here, but whats the point of a Certified Check from the bank if it still takes a month - kind of defeats the purpose of paying those extravagant fees for it.
I don't "mistrust" ToughRow, I just feel rather hesitant about sending $1XXX one way, and having no way to hunt the guy down if things go astray. So I think with proficient its good, because both parties have to fulfill their ends with an intermediary.
However, if anyone here has dealt with ToughRow before and can vouch for him, I would be strongly swayed to skip that step and save me a $50
No, actually most checks clear really fast. The problem is forged, stolen, or counterfeited bank checks, drafts, and money orders, particularly international ones, can come back on the payee quite a while later. That's how the international con artists make their living.
What's wrong with a wire transfer? It's not that hard to do, you send the funds and the cue to Proficient, everyone's happy. The shipping is more, etc. I would say the extra cost will be roughly $100.
Or, you can try the direct way. Honestly, once I've checked someone out just a little, to make sure they're legit, I haven't had a problem.
Chris
I've used Proficient's escrow service on an international purchase. It was smooth, fast, professional all the way. Scot sent photos and inspection results to both parties, got confirmation from both parties to consumate the deal, shipped immediately upon confirmation. Excellent communication throughout the deal. Very trustworthy. No problems.
rayjay
rayjay
