OT: dealing with Canadians and postal money order

DeutscherGeist

I could not post this on the more appropriate open forum because most of my friends are here and not there. You have given me good advice in the past. This could apply to cards as well.

I am selling some Mercedes parts and advertised in WWW.RECYCLER.COM. I live in California.
This is an email I got today:

I saw your advert for (MERCEDES-BENZ 190 series passenger side headlight with orange corner ligh.)over the web in www.recycler.com and am much interested in buying it. I live here in the canada , I will be responsible for the shippment down to my location, so please kindly write me back with your last offering price. I will also need some of its recent pics, and will like to know its present condition. Note that payment will be made via postal money order,so pls mail me too with your details.....ok pls remain blessed in the lord .
Wolf benson


What is the catch on a postal money order? Also this seems fishy because he can find these parts on ebay. Why is he coming after my products sight unseen? He is asking for final price, condition of the item and information for mailing a postal money order to me all in one email? Very strange combination. Most people that buy from me via recycler come to me to pick up item and pay cash.

yawie99

I don't see anything troubling or unusual with the bulk of what he's saying, but I wouldn't trust anybody who tells me to "remain blessed in the lord."

DeutscherGeist

that line bothered me too. The last person that sent me a line like that was an alleged reverend from Africa who wanted to buy mercedes parts as well. He insisted on paying with a cashiers check, but I knew about that trick. I told him he must wait 3 weeks so it can clear thoroughly before I give up any item. I never heard from him again.

Sometimes a cashiers check can clear initially, but then the bank reviews it further and discovers a fault serial number. By that time, the crooks have already done their deed.

I just don't know what to look out for on a postal money order drawn from Canada. Will it be in US currency? Can it bounce?

Knuckles

I would accept a Canada post money order.. but let him know that you'll be phoning Canada Post once you receive the money order to make sure it's real. I looked and looked but couldn't find a scan of how they look like for you.. I did have one. Tell him to make sure he sends the international one as the one for within Canada only will be useless to you.

I don't know about the US but here in Canada we can cash postal money orders from Canada Post and USPS at our post offices (Canada Post).. You may want to do that as they should know right away if it's bunk or not..

phreakydancin

Canada Post will issue US $ money orders fully cashable at any US bank. Assuming you are advertising the price in US $, there should be no problem.

windcarver5

The Canadian issued postal money order may be U.S. bank cashable but, depending on the bank's policy, a surcharge may be applied.
Cash the M.O. at USPS, no fees and they have a current list of all stolen Canadian M.O. for your protection.

Just my 2 cents......

goudeygold

Tell him to get PAYPAL and tack the fees onto the final price. no issues with currency conversion, money orders and crap. This is one area where paypal shines.

Remember if your going to try to screw someone, nothing brings down thier guard like bringing in the Lord. Personally it makes me become really suspicious.

BTK was a church leader too... but ultimately he probably just can't find the part in the land of ice and hockey...

good luck,

GG

Thetruthshallbetold

Here is a scan of a Canada Post Money order. There is supposedly seperation of Church and State. It should also be seperation of church and business. If you're religious, keep it to yourself. I'm not forcing my religion or lack of religion on you, so keep yours to yourself is my philosophy on it. People who are like that with religion are trouble and usually commit a lot of crimes, but figure Jesus forgives them every time and they keep doing it. Keep yourself safe and stay away from this guy, or wait at least one month to 6 weeks for that money order to clear since it's coming from Canada.
[L=]https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/oldattachments/Canada Post A.jpg[/L]
[L=]https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/oldattachments/Canada Post B.jpg[/L]

DeutscherGeist

Thank you guys for all the input. That scan of a Canadian postal money order helps me alot.

I will use this opportunity to learn more about how transactions are handled between the USA and Canada. I will ask my post office to see if they cash CAN postal money orders.

Some of you are smelling what I noticed. That last line this Ben Wolf guy wrote about God did not rub me that well. I have nothing against someone giving me a "Christian greeting" but the people who have done this to me so far when it comes to buying something were later exposed as scam artists.

His email address is also strange. Its YAHOO france. I know the Canadians also speak French, but I am sure you guys have your own YAHOO. His email ID is WolfBenson2000, yet his name on the email is Ben Wolf. So, is his last name Wolf or is it Benson. He signed his name Wolf. None of it is consistent.

I cant use PAYPAL since they permanently closed my account--nice suggestion though.

Vincecarder

Canadian postal money orders are very freaking safe. I use to send those out when I first started on ebay....never had a problem. You can call up and check if it's authentic and everything. I wouldn't worry at all.

Thetruthshallbetold

No problem Geist. I'm not the bad guy some of the people here make me out to be. The US post office does not cash Canadian Post money orders. You have to go to your bank for cashing or depositing. As for this guy's email. Yahoo France sounds fishy. get his phone number and then look up the area code to where it is.





<< <i>Thank you guys for all the input. That scan of a Canadian postal money order helps me alot.

I will use this opportunity to learn more about how transactions are handled between the USA and Canada. I will ask my post office to see if they cash CAN postal money orders.

Some of you are smelling what I noticed. That last line this Ben Wolf guy wrote about God did not rub me that well. I have nothing against someone giving me a "Christian greeting" but the people who have done this to me so far when it comes to buying something were later exposed as scam artists.

His email address is also strange. Its YAHOO france. I know the Canadians also speak French, but I am sure you guys have your own YAHOO. His email ID is WolfBenson2000, yet his name on the email is Ben Wolf. So, is his last name Wolf or is it Benson. He signed his name Wolf. None of it is consistent.

I cant use PAYPAL since they permanently closed my account--nice suggestion though. >>

DeutscherGeist

When this guy Wolf Benson or whatever sent me that initial email via YAHOO France, I did reply to him immediately:


Dear Wolf,

Thank you for your interest! I know you live in Canada, so the item has to be shipped. The first step is getting you some photos of the items I have. They are in used condition, but nothing is broken. You will see from the photos.
Once you like what you see from the photos, then we can talk about the price+shipping.
I will get you the photos as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Andre

DeutscherGeist

So, I could not make the time to take pictures and then send them via email. I wanted to wait till the weekend.

I get an email today from this Wolf Benson:

Everything sounds well and I must commend that the MERCEDES-BENZ 190 is in excellent condition and am okay with the prize $100 and am willing to offer you $200 so I would want you to keep other buyer's off.Concerning payment I have a friend in the state who is ready to issue you a Certified Cashier's check in Usa funds since I don't have the funds in your currency. For onvinient and easy transaction, I have a liable shipping agent who'd be responsible for the shipping as soon as you receive payment for the MERCEDES-BENZ 190 .I will therefore need the following information of yours to forward to my friend before he sends the check.
NAME IN FULL...........
ADDRESS IN FULL..........
COUNTRY..........
ZIPCODE........
CELL/OFFICE/HOME PHONE NUMBER.......






Keep in mind, I did not send him photos so I have no idea why my Mercedes 190 is excellent. I am not even selling a Mercedes 190. I just have the headlight and corner light (far cry from a complete Mercedes). Why is he offering me $200 all of a sudden when my initial asking price was $100? (this is not a rare or high demand item). He wanted me to go down that price by the looks of his first letter. What a turn of events. Now he wants to pay by certified cashiers check and not postal money order (what a switch).


SCAM ARTIST SCAM ARTIST SCAM ARTIST SCAM ARTIST

I was suspicious from the get go. His email was bizarre. I have had scam artists buy Mercedes parts from me before and it all followed this similar pattern. It had to do with a cashiers check and the immediate turn over of the item. Plus, the other scam artists also had a friend where I lived to make the transaction and all.


I was not born yesterday!

Should I just cease doing anything else anymore?

What a waste of time.

jerster

Funny story...though probably a waste of your time so I'm sorry about that.

The scammers are out in force lately. In the past two weeks I've been offered to share lottery winnings from Nigeria, commit bank fraud not once but twice in China by acting as a beneficiary on some poor deceased guys life insurance....and numerous other Nigerian money sharing schemes. I didn't know Nigeria was so Westernized...from the sound of it they have millions laying around everywhere.

I especially like the 8 emails I received the same day that all wanted me to share in found riches of something like 8.5 million each. Man --- I should be rich by now with all these offers.

I like the guy in China who said he was a bank official who oversaw an account...who just so happens to have the same last name as me. Go Figure.

These are such a hoot and they often brighten even the bleakest of days.

My friend, you should be thankful you rec'd this offer about the car parts...

windcarver5

Hey GermanGhost

The "Truth" has no clue about Canadian Postal M.O.
The USPS is the only solid place to cash them with no hassle
and no fees.