Lost money order

[megasupermagnum]

I sent a USPS money order to a gun shop on 1/2/19, and as of today it has not been received. I sent it in a stamped envelope, which should have been a 2 day trip, 4 days tops. At this point it is safe to say it was either stolen or lost by the USPS. I went into the post office I sent it, and was told nothing could be done. Envelopes cannot be tracked, which I figured, but the money order cannot be canceled. I need to wait 60 DAYS before I can open an inquiry. I can't believe that is right, some guy could have cashed that check last week, and I won't get to know until March. The money order was for a firearm I purchased on Gun Broker. What do I do now? Should I wait and pray the envelope shows up? Should I send another money order, and pray the first doesn't show up, and the gun shop is honorable enough not to cash it? Neither I or the shop is OK with waiting until March.

I had always heard USPS money orders are as safe of payment as can be had. Is it better to send them in an envelope with a tracking number? I think I would rather pay the CC fee than deal with the post office from now on.

[shooter93]

It doesn't help you now but I always send such things Priority Mail because it can be tracked. Good luck too you though and I hope you find a suitable solution.

[Outpost75]

I always send Money Orders via Priority Mail Envelope which can be tracked.

They can track the MO serial number, but being sent ordinary First Class mail you need to check with your postmaster to see how long you must wait to put in a claim for replacement.

With an MO sent Priority Mail with tracking the last time I had one "lost" they wanted 30 days for it to turn up.

I once sent a handgun Priority Mail with tracking to an FFL which was "lost" and the USPS gave me that same song and dance, so I contacted ATF, emailed them the response from USPS and the package turned up and was delivered the next day.

Overall has less lost stuff from USPS than from the Brown Truck.

If I must send something valuable and not replaceable I use FedEx. or Registered Mail, if allowed.

[megasupermagnum]

I will definitely be sending them in a traceable package from now on. 30 days when you can prove it's lost? That's bogus. Why can't they cancel the dang thing and send another? I'm willing to pay the $1 it cost in paper and ink to print a new one. They want a full 60 days in my case, that is unreasonable. Is a bank money order a better way to go?

Back to my current dilemma on what to do. I have not called the dealer since I went to the post office yet, so I'm unsure what their response will be. I'm basically left with two options, wait until march 4th (assuming they count weekends and holidays), or fork out the money a second time and hope I get it back eventually. I'm not excited at all about either option, but may just have to send a second check.

[NyFirefighter357]

This or at least certified with tracking
I always send such things Priority Mail because it can be tracked.

[megasupermagnum]

This or at least certified with tracking

Still, if it gets lost they make you wait. It wasn't until now that I realized you couldn't cancel a USPS money order. Can you cancel a bank money order, or does it vary from bank to bank? How about a personal check? Surely in this modern day there is a way to send money without danger of theft, without waiting 2 months when it gets lost.

[SciFiJim]

I will definitely be sending them in a traceable package from now on. 30 days when you can prove it's lost? That's bogus. Why can't they cancel the dang thing and send another? I'm willing to pay the $1 it cost in paper and ink to print a new one. They want a full 60 days in my case, that is unreasonable. Is a bank money order a better way to go?

Back to my current dilemma on what to do. I have not called the dealer since I went to the post office yet, so I'm unsure what their response will be. I'm basically left with two options, wait until march 4th (assuming they count weekends and holidays), or fork out the money a second time and hope I get it back eventually. I'm not excited at all about either option, but may just have to send a second check.

The first thing to do is contact the dealer and let him know what is going on. Communication with him is key at this point. You don't want him to think that you are a flake and just blowing off the deal. See what he wants to do. He may be willing to wait or he may want you to send payment again.

You can issue a "stop payment" on the first money order. There is a $5.95 fee, but it's better than losing the entire value. The instructions are here: https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm

[megasupermagnum]

Ok after doing more research it seems my post office was not entirely correct in that they did not have me fill out PS Form 6401. They were right in that there is nothing that can be done for 60 days. Some guy could have intercepted that check and cashed it, but that has no effect on me hopefully. It looks like I need to fill out PS Form 6401, turn it in to the post office with photo ID, all receipts filled out, and that form will be turned in. After 60 days from 1/2/19, there will be an inquiry. I can't tell how long it will take, but it sounds like it takes some time. Eventually I should receive a letter in the mail that my money order was lost. Either that or I have to dispute a faulty signature. At that point I take all the receipts, ID, and letter in again, the post office does not offer refunds, but I can have a money order made in my name, that I then cash at the bank. Thankfully I have all my receipts, but if I didn't that's an instant game over. It could be summer time before I see that money again.:groner:

As I've come to find out there is nothing safe about USPS money orders at all other than with enough time you have the chance at seeing that money again, provided you keep the receipts. There's no way I'm ever using these again, none of this is right. I'm going to ask at the bank tomorrow about their money orders. If they can be canceled, I will be using them from now on. A 60 day wait wouldn't be acceptable back when mail was delivered by horse. The things I learn the hard way, all I can do is shake my head.[smilie=b:

[fatelk]

That stinks, sorry to hear it. I imagine it's lost in the inner bowels of the postal system. We once had a lost mortgage payment, years back, and just sent another check. Months later we received the cover of the original envelope, returned to us wrinkled and torn. It looked like it had been jammed inside a sorting machine for a few months, probably had.

[Tripplebeards]

That’s sucks! At least you can follow the above link and cancel it for six bucks. Never knew you could cancel it. Not going to help but lesson learned to never use money orders and the us postal system without any type of tracking. When I have used money orders in the past I paid $4 for a priority 2 day envelope with insurance and tracking. It will save an ulcer. I pay the extra credit card charge normally so I can dispute the charge if things go wrong. Hopefully it magically shows up.

[megasupermagnum]

I'm sure you just canceled your check, or whatever payment you had used. It's just sad that you can't do anything at all for a USPS money order. It has a serial number on it. There is not one reason at all that it can not be canceled, and a new one issued. None. Just a bonehead move on the part of USPS.

It should be common knowledge that a USPS money order is not a good form of payment. I'd just as soon send cash in a priority envelope. The fact that this bogus waiting period is not mentioned at the post office, not on the website, nowhere, it is a shady way to do business.

[megasupermagnum]

That’s sucks! At least you can follow the above link and cancel it for six bucks. Never knew you could cancel it. Not going to help but lesson learned to never use money orders and the us postal system without any type of tracking. When I have used money orders in the past I paid $4 for a priority 2 day envelope with insurance and tracking. It will save an ulcer. I pay the extra credit card charge normally so I can dispute the charge if things go wrong. Hopefully it magically shows up.

That's the thing, you can't cancel it. There is nothing that can be done for a full 60 days, and then it's a mystery how much longer after that where I actually get money back. Tracking is completely irrelevant. Even in a priority mail envelope, with proof the package is lost, nothing can be done until 60 days when they start the "Money Order Inquiry"

[snowwolfe]

If I want to buy something and the seller insists on payment with a USPS MO I will not buy it. Personal checks can be monitored so much easier including stop payments

[megasupermagnum]

If I want to buy something and the seller insists on payment with a USPS MO I will not buy it. Personal checks can be monitored so much easier including stop payments

Until today, I had no idea. I had always heard USPS money order is one of the safest methods. Sure, I'll get my money back eventually, but that is a weeks pay sitting out there for months, for no reason. Safer for the post office is more like it. I'd rather not go to personal checks if I can help it. Hopefully a bank money order is better. For the most part I prefer to buy guns in person, with cash. In some cases, like this one, online deals are just too good to pass.

[adcoch1]

The PO lost a box of parts for me in the last hub before it got sent to my PO. Had them search, they know where it went missing tracking wise, but there website wouldn't let me download the form and their phone system put me on hold for a few hours before I gave up. Gotta go to the local PO and get the form to fill out. This is with insured priority shipping. Believe me I know how you feel...

[megasupermagnum]

The PO lost a box of parts for me in the last hub before it got sent to my PO. Had them search, they know where it went missing tracking wise, but there website wouldn't let me download the form and their phone system put me on hold for a few hours before I gave up. Gotta go to the local PO and get the form to fill out. This is with insured priority shipping. Believe me I know how you feel...

Isn't that a trip? You call USPS, go through their answering machine until you get on hold, not an easy task. "approximate hold time... more than one hour". How many people could be calling them in a day?

[adcoch1]

I think it is just a loop. I can't seem to find a single person who has ever gotten through...

[EDG]

I once bought an impact wrench on ebay.
I sent the money order and it never arrived. I emailed the seller.
He had no idea what happened. After a few more days I sent another USPS momey order. I got the impact wrench promptly. Three weeks later my first money order came back. I had transposed 2 numbers and sent it to an address that did not exist. The post office took a month to return it. I took it to the PO and got my money back.

[Petrol & Powder]

I agree with the advice to communicate with the seller so that he doesn't make false assumptions.

After that, come up with a plan to send a second payment.

Chances are fair that the original payment will eventually either arrive at its intended destination or be returned to sender.

If it was stolen en-route that's done and its unproductive to dwell on that now. If it was lost forever en-route, that's done and it's unproductive to dwell on that now.

I would concentrate on what you can do at this time, which is pay the seller. After that issue is handled, THEN you can address the lost or stolen MO which will take months to resolve, if it can be resolved at all.

[owejia]

I'm with Snowwolfe on this if a business will not take a personal check they don't get my business. Checks are electronically processed now it doesn't take two weeks like the old days.

[Handloader109]

The PO lost a box of parts for me in the last hub before it got sent to my PO. Had them search, they know where it went missing tracking wise, but there website wouldn't let me download the form and their phone system put me on hold for a few hours before I gave up. Gotta go to the local PO and get the form to fill out. This is with insured priority shipping. Believe me I know how you feel...Wrong, you can fill out form on line for lost priority mail. I did one last year and received check in about 10 days....

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Plate plinker]

I went through this myself. You have your papers you will get your money. The PO employees are nearly useless. Now I don't recall the timeline as far as when you can file the claim but you will receive a phone call from somebody and will be paid. File ASAP and then jump through the hoops ASAP. My local postmaster was great but they can do very little for you. Just be patient and when its all done you will also have learned a valuable lesson don't trust the PO.

[megasupermagnum]

Yep, nothing to do but send the money again.

There is a lesson to be learned here, but I'm not sure what it is yet. Bank money orders are worse, they are a 90 day wait! Again, tracking has no bearing on this, unless you have the check in hand, there is nothing you can do for 60 days (or 90 for the bank). Screw that. I'm using the credit card in the future, the fee is barely more than shipping.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Mega,
Thanks for sharing this experience. It will surely be in my mind, the next time I consider sending a large payment via snail mail.

[Smoke4320]

yes First Always send via a trackable manner .. Priority mail when possible.
Second Contact dealer immediately .. send whatever documentation you can to prove you tried to send payment. you want him on your side too.
like Outpost I had PO loose a Classic handgun (actually sold to a member here) .. PO said there was nothing they could do for 30 days. As a FFL I HAVE to notify ATF of a lost handgun .
Told the Postmaster that and she blew me off
So I immediately called the Local Police AND the ATF.... Funny thing. the next day (Saturday) the handgun was located and somehow magically made it thru (tracking entered at each PO) 3 *** and 3 states and was delivered to the customer
Sometimes pressure is required

[georgerkahn]

This thread has been an "eye opener" to me. I have had, on two occasions, personal cheques I posted not received in a timely period. One was for less than ten dollars for a piece of sheet music eBayed from a seller in New Hampshire -- this before eBay bought and start mandating PayPal as only payment means -- so I wrote and posted a second cheque. Bion, about eight weeks later, I got an eMail from seller that she had just received my initial cheque, inquiring if (my choice) I wished her to mail it back to me, or, destroy it. I elected the latter. The second lost cheque was in the several hundred dollar range, which I put a (cost me ~$20.00) stop payment on, before again writing/posting a replacement cheque -- this one going across CONUS to Washington State. Must be more than ten years, and I reckon this cheque is STILL missing. (Perhaps it was mis-delivered to someone who threw it out?)
Regardless, I had few worries re the small cheque, BUT WAS ABLE TO PLACE A STOP PAYMENT on the several-hundred-dollar one, for a firearm. MOST troubling to me is you cannot STOP your payment -- and, no mention has been made re the hopeful recipient? In my case, the gunshop owner who made the sale to me was quite firm, and NOT unpleasant, in that he had a business to run and will continue to hold the Remington for me for fifteen more days, before either receiving my payment or returning it to the sales rack. (I had no ill feelings -- he just had rhetoric from a stranger 3,000+ miles away that a FFL copy and a cheque was sent.)
I wish I might think of something you can do, but it surely sounds like you're both in limbo -- I include the seller -- and can only wish your resolution is similar to mine with the sheet music, and recipient gets it in a few extra days. BEST wishes!
geo

[megasupermagnum]

yes First Always send via a trackable manner .. Priority mail when possible.
Second Contact dealer immediately .. send whatever documentation you can to prove you tried to send payment. you want him on your side too.
like Outpost I had PO loose a Classic handgun (actually sold to a member here) .. PO said there was nothing they could do for 30 days. As a FFL I HAVE to notify ATF of a lost handgun .
Told the Postmaster that and she blew me off
So I immediately called the Local Police AND the ATF.... Funny thing. the next day (Saturday) the handgun was located and somehow magically made it thru (tracking entered at each PO) 3 *** and 3 states and was delivered to the customer
Sometimes pressure is required

A handgun is one thing. When it comes to a money order, from my perspective you are paying for NOTHING with a tracked package. Even with proof the money order was lost somewhere, there is nothing that can be done. It's 60 days until they will look into it. No compromise. I couldn't even get them to go in back and check the floor if it got dropped.

That is not a safe form of payment if you ask me. A personal check might do, but it's credit card or online payment in the future for me.

[megasupermagnum]

I have talked to the gun shop, they are more than happy to hold the gun for me. I did try to source the gun locally, but it is a Lew Horton exclusive, and has not been in stock for a long time now. Thankfully I am in a position that I can dish out the price a second time, and not have to resort to ramen noodles, so no worries there.

[Smoke4320]

megasupermagnum Cant disagree with CC payment. Both you and the seller know its made.
its done quickly and efficiently .. nothing to loose in the mail.
Also have to agree the PO sucks for lost mail and even worse on claims

[RED BEAR]

I will say don't give up hope it may still get there. The area postal hub around here was rated one of the worst in country. For some things i will send with tracking but for others it doesn't make since to spend 7+ dollars for envelope with small payment. Postal money orders are safe you can get your money back it just won't be quick.

[TCLouis]

I think you will also be out 10 bucks to get your money back!

[Petrol & Powder]

There's a good chance that MO will actually be delivered to the intended recipient, just not quickly.

[nawagner]

Hope you get it sorted out. I agree with others as well. We had an issue with a bank ordered cashiers check once, over $100k just "lost" by the USPS!! They didn't even get as far as to having a tracking number. The number the PO gave him was "not a valid number." Same thing, we could wait 60 days and hope, or pay $3000 for a stop and re-issue. Worst part is, they could have transferred it electronically but my guy thought the cashiers check via USPS with tracking was "safer."

In today's world I see no reason to send any type of payment via mail. There are at least 5 different ways of reliable, safe and efficient transfer of money I can think of off the top of my head, and that doesn't include credit cards. PayPal, Venmo, Popmoney, Zelle, Square, etc.

[kingstrider]

I had the same thing happen in November for a gun part I bought on another forum. It never showed up so I had to go through all the hoops to get a refund which took nearly 2 months. In the interim I also paid for the part a second time because I wanted it but eventually got my money back. Now I won't even send a money order unless it is certified or priority mail but prefer using PayPal or a cashier's check from my bank if I have to send it snail mail.

[megasupermagnum]

I'm sure in time it will eventually be returned, until then, there is nothing left to do but wait. PO was closed today, but will fill out the form tomorrow. What I want to know is what happens to a money order when shipped priority. That's the thing everybody keeps telling me, and yet is it just a feel good? At that point you have proof the money is lost, but it's still 60 days before anything is done. nawagner's story pretty well confirms that.

In the grand scheme of things it's not a big deal. It's not even the most expensive mistake to happen to me in the last year. Hopefully people will reconsider mailing any kind of payment now, there are just too many better options. I think any notion of a money order being safer is out the window at this point.

[nawagner]

My understanding is that the money order and the priority shipped are two separate things. Sending by priority means they get it there faster and can track the package/envelope. It doesn't protect the MO. Although I wonder what would happen if you insured it for the amount of the MO?

[Wag]

Paper payments are the least secure of all payments. Even you hand a check to a guy and he puts it in his wallet, there is a long list of problems that can happen with it before payment is made on the item.

Debit card payments are just about as bad.

Always use credit cards to make payments. If you're using PayPal, link to a credit card to initiate payment, not your bank account.

In a Face to Face transaction where the recipient can't take credit cards, use good old fashioned cash to make payment. Write a Bill of Sale with serial numbers if it makes you more comfortable but at the end of the day, he walks away paid and you walk away with product, end of transaction, no matter what.

--Wag--

[megasupermagnum]

Absolutely. Every single gun I have purchased private sale, or gun dealer, I paid in cash. There is no good reason to do it any other way. As for online sales, unfortunately people are divided on Paypal. There is a large group that has boycotted them for their anti-gun stance. They still haven't changed, probably never will. I still use them, I wish more people would. I don't put anything in the comments, I could care less what Paypal thinks. I'm not sure what could go wrong with a debit card, unless you are talking about giving out the info to some random guy over the phone. It should be as secure as a credit card, but I'm wrong most of the time it seems.

[nawagner]

As I mentioned previously, PayPal is not the only game in town for electronic transactions. Debit card issue is that the protection is on the card owner, not the card company like it is with credit. Thus if someone gets your debit number the account can be wiped out then you have to fight for your money back from the bank. With a credit card the company fights to get the money, not you. Most of the time credit is better for online purchases.

[Wag]

nawagner is right about debit cards. Further to that point, with debit cards, it is YOUR money at risk. With credit cards, it is the bank's money at risk. Even worse are those Visa or M/C "check" cards. So much easier to steal your money if your debit card has a credit card number on it.

Many times, if your debit card is compromised and you lose all your money, the bank can take a couple of months to get your money back to you, if they agree to get it back to you at all. In the mean time, your auto pay is failing, any paper checks you use (did I mention how bad THOSE are?) are bouncing all over the place, fees are stacking up from all of these problems and your credit score is going to pot.

Ugh.

Just don't use plastic linked to your bank accounts, please.

Over the years, as a finance guy, my career has been focused on minimizing and managing risk. In terms of payments, in order of most risky to least risky:

paper checks
money orders
debit cards, esp the m/c and visa check cards
cash
ACH payments
PayPal, depending on how you set it up and use it
FedWire payments
credit cards

Depending on how you use of some of those payment methods, the list can change. And you could be corralled into one payment method or another depending on your circumstances. For example, you're not likely to be able to use a credit card or a personal check to buy a house. (But who knows?)

I'm still debating on how to squeeze your bank's online bill pay into that list but I've never had any problems with mine over 20 years or so with two different banks.

So, keep a couple of credit cards and watch those statements and never ever let a company auto debit your checking account.

--Wag--

[snowwolfe]

Don't for a second think priority mail is any faster. We were on vacation a couple of months ago and I forgot to mail in the house payment before we left. When we got home it was the 3rd. If payment is received after the 10th a late fee applies. So I went to the post office and sent in the check via a priority flat rate envelope just to be safe thinking it would take 2 days. Bank did not receive it until the 9th. It normally took 3 days via normal snail mail.

[megasupermagnum]

Don't for a second think priority mail is any faster. We were on vacation a couple of months ago and I forgot to mail in the house payment before we left. When we got home it was the 3rd. If payment is received after the 10th a late fee applies. So I went to the post office and sent in the check via a priority flat rate envelope just to be safe thinking it would take 2 days. Bank did not receive it until the 9th. It normally took 3 days via normal snail mail.

When I went into the post office to turn in my inquiry form, I asked about priority mail. The lady said about what I had already figured. Very recently a guy had sent a money order in a priority envelope, and it had gotten lost. It did not do the guy one lick of good. It's still a 60 day wait whether it's a stamped envelope, priority mail with proof it was lost, or outright stolen. Unless you have the money order in hand, there is nothing to do.


I know Paypal isn't the only name in town, but it is the most widely excepted. I've never known anybody who has ever used anything else. Paypal works fine, it's just that you can't write firearm or gun in the comment section. Sure they're anti second amendment, but the joke is on them. I've bought thousands of dollars of gun stuff using them.

[blackthorn]

I do not know about the US, but if I have a crucial piece of correspondence I get the paper, money order/cheque and send it by courier (signature required).

[nawagner]

I know what you are saying about PayPal. They currently have the market but are losing share quickly, for reasons you stated. The others I mentioned are relatively new and if you run across anyone 25 years old and younger they use Venmo on a weekly basis if not more regularly. They look at us older folks and ask why we don't have Venmo. Hell, my daughter even has my wife using it now. And if anyone I hang out with knew what I was talking about I'd use it. Simply open the app and click send money to, enter their email and they have it.

I pay my monthly rent using PopMoney. One time set up and it send the money via electronic transfer the same date every month. I'm also involved with the banking/credit union industry and any institution that does not see this change coming and is preparing for it, is done.

[megasupermagnum]

If it makes you feel any better, I'm 24, and never heard of Venmo until now. I've never used Facebook, Twitter, Instragram or any other of the social media garbage either through, so I'm not a good representation of my age group.

After doing some research, it appears Venmo is owned by Paypal, and as a result, also does not allow sale of firearms, parts, or ammo. I couldn't find an online "cash wallet" type app that isn't.

[Traffer]

I am sorry about your dilemma. I hope it was not too much money. I have lost all confidence in the USPS. Don't like to use them a bit. But as long as they are the cheapest solution I use them with proper caution. A few years ago I sent Carl, my sisters boy-friend who was a retired gunsmith an copy of "Small Arms of the World" because it had an article about James Paris Lee, the inventor of the Lee Enfield Rifle. Lee lived in our home town back just after the civil war. Probably developed the bolt action during that time. Carl didn't know that Lee lived in Stevens Point WI. Carl used a Lee Enfield as his primary deer rifle. So the book had a lot of sentimental value...Post office lost it. Or so they say. I'll bet it is in one of the sorters librarys right now. Sorry, had to vent. Forgot to mention, Carl was dying of cancer at that time and I sent it to cheer him up. I did manage to find a different article about James Paris Lee that spoke of his time in Stevens Point. Sent that to Carl and he was delighted to see it.

[Chev. William]

If I send A USPS Postal Money Order in payment, i send it Priority Mail or Certified Delivery, Return Receipt. Then I Follow it via the USPS Tracking until I see it delivered via the tracking info.

I have Had three Shipments "Misdirected' in the USPS system, one went from the East Coast Seller to my Regional West Coast Distribution office then back to the East Coast and return to my Regional Distribution office before Finally being routed to my Local Post office for Eventual home Delivery. Three Weeks instead of the nominal one week. The USPS never Could explain to me Why.

When I send items I always Insure The Shipment for its Current RETAIL Value, not what I originally paid for it perhaps years earlier.

Chev. William

[KenT7021]

Postal money orders are safe.The USPS delivery system is NOT.I have had a number of letters with bill payments just disappear.

[megasupermagnum]

I got a letter that my form has been received. Still 30 days until they will investigate.

The gun shop asked around at the post offices, and it seems that mine wasn't the only one to go missing. He said the post master and many employees were very recently fired, but no idea why. It probably got stolen by an employee.

[Tripplebeards]

My mail normally use to come around 11:30 am. It now shows up after dark between 5:30/6:30 pm....every two to three days. I believe our post office is extremely short handed and they don't deliver mail every day anymore. It's getting rediculous. I don't use USPS for anything of value, and if I do i OVERPAY for tracking and insurance so I can get reimbursed not if, but when they loose it. I had two claims In The last six months with damaged, insured packages. About the only thing I mail out anymore are Christmas cards and about a third of my relatives tell me they never received them. USPS is a joke. It use to be a military background required job when I was a kid...not any more. No wonder why they have stated about the troubles they've have.

[Petrol & Powder]

My local post office is awesome and I'm thankful for the folks that work there. However, that office is just the last link in a very long chain and we all know that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Failures of the system are generally not failures of the people at the ends of those chains. The failures often occur somewhere in the middle of that chain.

I think everyone knows this already but it's worth repeating - be polite to the people you have contact with, they are often doing the best they can.

[megasupermagnum]

Finally the USPS issued a new check to me, and I just got it in the mail. I had about forgot the whole thing. I will now be avoiding money orders as much as possible.

[Handloader109]

30 days.... not bad. And as an aside, systems such as venmo charge you money to move that payment you received into your bank. Owned by PayPal anyway. And at least PP doesn't charge to move your own money..... yet.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[lightman]

I've gotten away with mailing small money orders by standard mail. I do fold the money order into a blank sheet of paper. On larger MO's I'll use priority mail for the tracking ability.

Sorry to hear about your problem.

[mold maker]

The trackability feature only works when everything goes well. When they go south it is no comfort to find out it's lost.

[trebor44]

Paper payments are the least secure of all payments. Even you hand a check to a guy and he puts it in his wallet, there is a long list of problems that can happen with it before payment is made on the item.

Debit card payments are just about as bad.

Always use credit cards to make payments. If you're using PayPal, link to a credit card to initiate payment, not your bank account.

In a Face to Face transaction where the recipient can't take credit cards, use good old fashioned cash to make payment. Write a Bill of Sale with serial numbers if it makes you more comfortable but at the end of the day, he walks away paid and you walk away with product, end of transaction, no matter what.

--Wag--

This is pretty reliable advice, but no matter what you have to determine how much money you are willing to gamble and possibly loose with ANY financial transaction. Payment for a product that is in the wind does not guarantee you will get the product. Take multiple steps or methods to protect your funds. The USPS tends to be the lessor of several evils and depends on its organization and employees, but as always human traits and behavior factor in. Having dealt with both digital and analog processes NONE of them are foolproof or a guarantee of successful completion. Note that Paypal does not certify you won't receive a box of rocks instead of the product you bought!

[bedbugbilly]

This is why I HATE USPS Postal Money Orders. Yeah, it would have helped to send it in a way that there was tracking on it - but if THEY loose it . . . .. why the 60 days before anything can be done. If you sen a personal check and it doesn't get there - you call you bank and put a stop payment order on it - might be a service charge but at least you know it can't be cashed.

I have sent things "overnight express" with the guarantee that iw would be delivered the next day - didn't happen - went to the PO and pitched a complaint . . . "sorry". Sorry doesn't cut it . . . especially when you pay the high overnight express fee. Sorry for the rant . . . but the VA isn't the only "guvment" entity that needs and overhaul . . . . if the PO is going to be a bank and do postal money orders - they each have a unique MO number - why can't a "stop order" be placed on them by the sender if it is lost - by the PO - and a new one issued so it can be sent? Meanwhile . . . the customer's money is tied up for at least 60 days if not more. Not good for those on tight budgets and who pay their bills that way . . . . as I've seen many do while standing in line waiting . . . usually while a PO employee is too busy to wait on the next customer because they are engaged in a personal conversation.

[rr2241tx]

Glad it worked out as quickly as it did for you, msm.

In case any of you mistakenly think ANY method of payment or delivery service is materially better than their competition, I'm happy you're happy but the truth is all methods of payment are unreliable and all delivery services are roughly equivalent in the disregard with which they treat individual pieces in their delivery train. Back in the pre-internet days, remember those?, I mailed, UPSed, FedExed and DHLed thousands of mostly small parcels on a monthly basis and it was a fairly safe bet that most of them would be delivered on time and in good condition but I could be absolutely certain that 2-3% would either never be delivered, destroyed then delivered or delivered months late. If your volume makes you a priority customer, they all do a reasonably good job of delivery but you really need to watch your billing statements. Average Joes, they could not care less about your stuff even if they tried to. Trucks are unloaded by untrained gorillas who entertain themselves by competing to see who can throw stuff the farthest to avoid walking, automated sorters are serviced when they quit working and not a second sooner. If your letter or small parcel gets caught in the machine, too bad, maybe when enough pieces get jammed in that the belt stops someone will put the remains back on the belt for you, or not. Forty rolls of Fragile stickers does no good when a freight gorilla making himself deaf with rap music blaring in his ear buds throws your box 80 feet and sets a personal best for the night.

Recently I had a shipment of ammo from the CMP sent FedEx to my home. Sure wish they'd not do that, but that's their rules. The first 3 days that the packages were scheduled to be delivered and someone actually waited all day for the delivery, nothing. No FedEx truck even entered our cul-de-sac. I have large windows and multiple cameras, they did not come. The fourth day, the tracking app said No Delivery Scheduled, so I called and waited the two hours for a customer disservice drone to attempt to resolve the delivery issue. I was assured that the shipment was, in fact, in the permanent delivery exception bin an hour away and that I could present myself at their facility between 7 am and 7 pm that day and claim my package. About 4 pm my son texted that he had just signed for "lead in two big boxes" from the FedEx driver at home. At 8 pm, FedEx texted that someone named CThomas had signed for my package. At least they didn't send it back to Anniston, AL this time.

[Chev. William]

I had one Heavy Package addressed to "8376 De Garmo" delivered by UPS to "8306 De Garmo" and promptly 'disappeared' form the World according to UPS. After Two months of trying to get UPS or My Vendor to accept it was Missing/Misdelivered/ stolen with no luck, I ordered A Replacement with the Request my Vendor multiply place my Delivery address in the Shipment.
This time my Axle and Hubs Were delivered properly to my address.
Chev. William

[megasupermagnum]

30 days.... not bad. And as an aside, systems such as venmo charge you money to move that payment you received into your bank. Owned by PayPal anyway. And at least PP doesn't charge to move your own money..... yet.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

It was 54 days from when I finally came to terms that the envelope was long gone. If you needed that money bad, you would be really hurting. I'm lucky I didn't, but I'm a firm believer that the CC fees are well worth it now.