seeking advise from experienced sellers regarding money order

Hidy Ho

Hidy Ho

Missed 4 rail hanger!!!
Silver Member
Hi,

There is one new member on the board whom I contacted about selling one of my cues. We came to an agreement in price ... he said he didn't have a PayPay account so I instructed him to send me USPS Money Order (clearly stated in my email that I'd take USPS MO only!).

Without prior discussion, he sent an email stating that he sent the MO and put additional amount to have the cue sent "Next Day Air".

He then sent the MO Express Mail (additional cost). When I received the mail tonight, the Money Order (including additional fund) is not USPS but a personal money order from some place called Tompkins Trust Company in Ithica NY. :confused:

I don't feel sending him the cue without converting the MO to real US dollar - of course fearing the MO scam.

I'm seeking advise on how to handle this? It would be nice to sell the cue but that money is not that important to me.

Should I return the MO? Will my bank cash the MO to dollar? If I deposit the MO, how long would it take for the "system" to clear it completely or reject as fake?

Seeking advise from wise ones on the board ...
 
Its always better to be safe than sorry. I think if you specifically told the guy you wanted a USPS MO for the cue he would understand, if indeed he's legit. I've never heard of Tompkins in Ithica but it sounds phoney. Who knows these days everyone is getting ripped off in one way or another. I'm interested to see how things progress. I hope everything is cool but its good to take precautions. You should be able to take it to any bank and cash it right away.
 
Definitely convert to cash first and tell the buyer what you're doing. If he complains, reiterate your statement about the USPS MO He should have no problem with that. If he does then that's tough shit. He should have followed the sellers initial instructions.

If the MO is legit, your bank will cash it without question.

FYI Tompkins Trust Company is indeed a legitimate independant bank.
http://www.tompkinstrust.com/
 
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If I were you, I'd go to your bank and explain to the teller the exact thing that you posted here. I'm sure that there are a few ways that your bank could verify the authenticity of the MO. Or, you should simply deposit it into your account; you'll know soon enough if it's a fraud. I really don't think that there is any wait involved with an MO, but if so, I would hold off on shipping the cue until it goes through.

One thing to keep in mind is that your banking institution is your friend; they make their money off your money. I'm sorry for the individual that paid for the overnight shipping; he's simply going to have to wait.


I hope everything works out good for you and your customer.

Take care,
-Shane S.
 
Jazz said:
Hi,

There is one new member on the board whom I contacted about selling one of my cues. We came to an agreement in price ... he said he didn't have a PayPay account so I instructed him to send me USPS Money Order (clearly stated in my email that I'd take USPS MO only!).

Without prior discussion, he sent an email stating that he sent the MO and put additional amount to have the cue sent "Next Day Air".

He then sent the MO Express Mail (additional cost). When I received the mail tonight, the Money Order (including additional fund) is not USPS but a personal money order from some place called Tompkins Trust Company in Ithica NY. :confused:

I don't feel sending him the cue without converting the MO to real US dollar - of course fearing the MO scam.

I'm seeking advise on how to handle this? It would be nice to sell the cue but that money is not that important to me.

Should I return the MO? Will my bank cash the MO to dollar? If I deposit the MO, how long would it take for the "system" to clear it completely or reject as fake?

Seeking advise from wise ones on the board ...
Click to expand...

The danger is it might be counterfeit or stolen. Does it feel like an engraved money order? Does it have watermarks or other counterfeit protection? A counterfeited MO could takes weeks to get kicked back into your account.

Even USPS Money Orders get counterfeited. You should be able to call the bank and verify it. If they say it's good - send the cue.

Chris
 
I get over $10,000 in money orders and cashiers checks every month. Never had a problem with any. Your request for USPS money order could make it a hassle for the customer. The reason is post office won't take a check. So he has to go to the bank, get cash and then go to post office to get money order. Plus post office has limits an how large of a money order you can get. But he can go into his bank write them a check and they give him a money order or cashiers check. This makes record keeping much better if you are in business as you have bank records of where the money went. If you are not trusting him call the bank and make sure it is good then get the cue to him as he is obviously anxious to get it since he paid for next day air.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
Thanks Hal,

I'll call the number tomorrow, discuss with my bank and then decide.

I'm emailing the guy tonight to explain the situation. Stay tuned ... either the buyer will be revealed with positive feedback or :rolleyes:
Hal said:
Simply call Tompkins Trust Company and verify the MO. Here's their phone number:
1-888-273-3210
Or email them:
info@mytompkinstrust.com
Click to expand...
 
Listen to this...my bank wouldn't take a dern USPS MO! I have the stupidest damn bank on this planet sometimes. My family sends me money all the time, and depending on the teller, sometimes there is a hold on the check and sometimes there is not. Literally...it depends on the TELLER! I am not being predjustice, but there is this one black lady that I flat out refuse to deal with PERIOD. She tried to put a hold on a 100 dollar check when I had over 1000 in the dang bank! I was like "Lady, I can cover the dang check!" Had to get her supervisor over there and she set her straight. She has done this to me before is the sad thing...so I flat out won't go to her again. She always treats me like I am retarded and never like I am a customer. Very be-littling, *grin*. I definately should take my business elsewhere.

Shorty
 
TATE said:
Even USPS Money Orders get counterfeited. You should be able to call the bank and verify it. If they say it's good - send the cue.

Chris
Click to expand...

Amen.....Real good advice.... ;)
 
MO handling

Jazz, it's my understanding that all banks are moving toward treating MOs like personal checks in the way the funds clear. If it's a larger amount, say $5000, they will clear the funds in stages, making the process draw out from 5 to 7 business days. I think overall they have had so many problems with counterfeit MOs, they no longer treat money orders as cash. My advice is if it's a new customer with no references is to explain that up front if its a bigger purchase. If it were me, on a smaller purchase, I would visually inspect the MO for what has been meniotned above and if there are any red flags at all, call the entity that issued the MO to validate it.
 
I called the number listed below and "ran" the money order .. the MO # and the account number on the check. Finally after verifying the amount, I was told the MO was valid.

I shipped the cue today to the buyer and sent him an email with tracking number. If he's happy with the cue, I hope he will "reveal" himself with a positive feedback on the trasaction.

I'm going to deposit the MO later ..

Thanks to all who provided valuable input/advise.

- Newbie
Hal said:
Simply call Tompkins Trust Company and verify the MO. Here's their phone number:
1-888-273-3210
Or email them:
info@mytompkinstrust.com
Click to expand...
 
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