Canadian customers caution.

[trini]

Canadian shopping for parts or anything in the US must be careful sending cash in the mail. THE BANKS IN CANADA WILL NOT ISSUE US MONEY  ORDER TO ANY ONE WHO DOES NOT PRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL ADDRESS.  ABSOLUTELY  NO PO BOX NUMBER.  I had the experience 3 days ago. If American vendors want my business please give me a substantial  traceable address Thank you.

Edited November 3, 2021 by trini
ERROR (see edit history)

[Terry Bond]

Kinda confusing. Wondering what a "substantial address" is. Also not clear who has to have one. Us or Cabadian buyer or seller? If an American seller uses a PO box address are you saying a Canadian bank won't honor the payment?  Lots of US companies use PO box addresses.

Terry

Edited November 3, 2021 by Terry Bond (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

If you send AMERICAN CASH  to someone in the USA, what is the problem?

[TTR]

If you do business, whether domestically or internationally, with any seller/vendor that can’t provide a safe/secure way, i.e. bank or PayPal, etc. account for direct deposit, credit card processing or old fashioned check via mail, to accept payments, you probably shouldn’t be doing (remote) business with them in the first place.

Or if you do and something goes wrong, it’s your own fault.

[trini]

When I say substantial address I mean an address that can be traced by the issuing bank in case something go wrong.  (missing in PO while in transit) The bank will do a tracing and refund money. The Bank of Nova Scotia  will not sell me US money order  with a name whose address is a PO box #. It needs a house or business address. It also does not recommend  sending cash through  mail unless the package  is registered  but again the post office will not  register a package with  a PO Box number. Yes, the P Office will send a package or letter to a P O Box #  but will not register it. That is the difference. Amazon or Federal Express will not deliver to a P O Box. In the past I sent cash in unregistered envelope to US  D B members with no issues. I had guys from this club send me parts without payment  and I sent  money later. I have had bloggers send me parts and would not take money when offered.   People are people regardless of country of origin.   I am not in any way suggesting people with P O Box numbers are dishonest. But that is the way Canadian institutions do business. Integrity is becoming a scarce commodity these days.  

[Billy Kingsley]

There's a trick to get around that. I don't remember the exact details but if I recall correctly you put the address of the post office and your box is suite number.

 

Have had to do this a couple of times from clueless sellers who don't trust po boxes for some brainless reason. Have had the same Po box address since 1995. 

[TAKerry]

I sent a guy in Canada a US post office money order. He returned it to me and said it could not be cashed. I checked with the post office I bought it from and they confirmed. USPO money are no good there. I was quite surprised.

[Skvitt]

40 minutes ago, TAKerry said:

I sent a guy in Canada a US post office money order. He returned it to me and said it could not be cashed. I checked with the post office I bought it from and they confirmed. USPO money are no good there. I was quite surprised.

As far as I remember it must say "Negotiable Internationally" in order to be accepted outside of US

[John348]

What happened to to using PayPal? or if he is a vendor a good old credit card? But mailing cash? no no no no 

[Peter Gariepy]

1 minute ago, John348 said:

What happened to to using PayPal? or if he is a vendor a good old credit card? But mailing cash? no no no no 

 

My thoughts too.  And countless cash apps.  (Venmo, Cashapp, ApplePay)

[J.H.Boland]

There are still some old timers out there that accept nothing but US cash. It's like playing Russian roulette . I sent him cash on two different occasions with no issues. The third time (about $200) it went missing. I can't recall what registration cost but as I recall he only had a PO box number and had to come to town once or twice a week to pick up his mail. 

 

[Bloo]

1 hour ago, TAKerry said:

I sent a guy in Canada a US post office money order. He returned it to me and said it could not be cashed. I checked with the post office I bought it from and they confirmed. USPO money are no good there. I was quite surprised.

 

Unless there has been some dramatic change, USPS has an international money order specifically for Canada. Ask for the pink one.

 

 

 

[trini]

Yes. the pink one.   It should say  INTERNATIONAL  MONEY ORDER. Off course, some folks lives so far away from town with no mail deliveries so a Box is necessary. but Canadian  banks do not care. You may not believe this. Recently  about 50 miles from my home in the farm area. There was a roadside stall selling corn and other vegetables. There were no attendants.  The sign said "put  money in box and take change "  

[Ed Luddy]

A

4 minutes ago, trini said:

Yes. the pink one.   It should say  INTERNATIONAL  MONEY ORDER. Off course, some folks lives so far away from town with no mail deliveries so a Box is necessary. but Canadian  banks do not care. You may not believe this. Recently  about 50 miles from my home in the farm area. There was a roadside stall selling corn and other vegetables. There were no attendants.  The sign said "put  money in box and take change "  

A common sight in SW Ontario for decades. This was premium quality sweet  corn your's for the taking at maximum .05 cents per cob. Then .10 cents, then .25 cents. per cob. Just leave some money in the box, Thank you!

[trini]

We must also remember we in this club are not millionairs , just poor folks having some fun in a hobby. Let us says some guy want to sell a distributor  for 20 dollars.  A one time deal. He is not going to register with Paypal or visa for that. They charge a fee for  every transaction . We have to find a way  to do business with each other  in a way whereby we will all be winners

[Ed Luddy]

I'm glad to give people parts they need to get a car mobile for free if they need it for a personal car.

 When I see it listed for sale on eBag for big $$ a month or 3 later......., not so happy.

 

[Bloo]

8 minutes ago, trini said:

They charge a fee for  every transaction . We have to find a way  to do business with each other  in a way whereby we will all be winners

 

Money orders over an international border are not that way in my opinion. It almost makes sense for USA>Canada if there are no other options available, but definitely isn't worth the time compared to a typical paypal fee.

 

[TTR]

Well, perhaps some here don’t know or realize it, but most of the modern/western world societies abandoned use of checks/money orders and like over half a century ago.

 

And after advent of these gizmos like these computers, etc (I’m told) handling/managing financial transactions has only become easier, faster and safer.

Besides, PayPal fee on that $20 distributor sale is less than 60 cents.
How much is a $20 money order + postage + envelope ?

 

Perhaps it’s time to grow up, leave that 19th century horse & buggy mindset behind, step up to the brave new world of motorized machinery of automobiles, airplanes, space flight, …

 

… and did I mention computers/internet/etc.

 

Edited November 4, 2021 by TTR (see edit history)

[John348]

2 hours ago, trini said:

We must also remember we in this club are not millionairs , just poor folks having some fun in a hobby. Let us says some guy want to sell a distributor  for 20 dollars.  A one time deal. He is not going to register with Paypal or visa for that. They charge a fee for  every transaction . We have to find a way  to do business with each other  in a way whereby we will all be winners

 

I am not questioning that, but dealing with cash in the mail was never a good idea 50 years ago. Now the poor folks are $200 poorer and have a little less fun for the sake of a few bucks. 

[TAKerry]

12 hours ago, Bloo said:

 

Unless there has been some dramatic change, USPS has an international money order specifically for Canada. Ask for the pink one.

 

 

 

Thanks, I will keep this in mind the next time around. I dont think I have ever bought something from someone in the Great White North. This one time a fellow sent me a gift, and I obliged by paying him for it (although he expected no money in return). I did not tell the PO it was going out of the country, had no idea it made a difference. I did end up sending the guy a box of parts instead though. 

[trini]

This is a good conversation.We all learned something.

[hook]

10 hours ago, TTR said:

Well, perhaps some here don’t know or realize it, but most of the modern/western world societies abandoned use of checks/money orders and like over half a century ago.

 

And after advent of these gizmos like these computers, etc (I’m told) handling/managing financial transactions has only become easier, faster and safer.

Besides, PayPal fee on that $20 distributor sale is less than 60 cents.
How much is a $20 money order + postage + envelope ?

 

Perhaps it’s time to grow up, leave that 19th century horse & buggy mindset behind, step up to the brave new world of motorized machinery of automobiles, airplanes, space flight, …

 

… and did I mention computers/internet/etc.

 

I agree 100%, so many people dealing with old cars think their still in the old times with their cars. Me too at times. We just have to wake up and get our kids to teach us how to deal with this new world!

[JACK M]

14 hours ago, Ed Luddy said:

"put  money in box and take change "  

 

This is how I remember the good old days.

There is a honey stand near me that still does this, I stop in there on occasion to buy.

[1912Staver]

Lots of places near me with flowers and eggs doing this. It lets them make their " farm status " for property tax purposes without staff costs.

 Shipping to Canada is a " obstacle " at the best of times. Delivery time , a ton of extra cost, and a fair number of sellers simply don't want to do it at all. 

 Pre covid I just used a U.S. address and picked the item up myself at my U.S. package place. I only live 15 minutes from the Canada / U.S border crossing so as easy as pie. Covid has brought my hobby purchases to a near stop. I sure hope things are resolved soon. 

Edited November 4, 2021 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[John348]

Most likely it is not the guy dealing with the parts, or you sending the cash, but in the back of both parties minds now there is a level of mistrust of each.  How many times did that envelope come in contact with different people and machines with cash in it? Where the opportunity to get "lost" can occur? Things just happen, and when it does it creates an unnecessary level of mistrust that could have been easily prevented if somebody just did their homework or just went out of their way just a little bit.

Would you mail $2000 cash? or could you afford to take a chance with $200 cash? You are dealing with postal systems in two different countries, and I am sure there are subcontractors involved somewhere in between      

Edited November 4, 2021 by John348 (see edit history)

[Gangster]

15 hours ago, TTR said:

Perhaps it’s time to grow up, leave that 19th century horse & buggy mindset behind, step up to the brave new world of motorized machinery of automobiles, airplanes, space flight, …

 

… and did I mention computers/internet/etc.

 

I buy and sell things occasionally on Marketplace and Kijiji.  If it is not a cash porch pickup, I use bank etransfer which has become the most common way to do small purchases in Canada. 

 

BTW don't get me started about US postal money orders, a few years I got one for around $600 as a payment for my services to a customer in US.  My Canadian banks would not cash it, so on my next trip to the US I tried to cash it at a post office in the north Detroit suburbs.  I had to visit at least eight locations before I found a teller with enough cash in their drawer to cash it.   Just sayin..........lesson learned.