• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

USPS MO. Are they verifiable and is there reason for concern

Smith97z71

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 8, 2012
103
0
37
NW Ohio
Have another member on here that wants to buy my SWFA Scope. Long story short he wants to send a USPS MO. Ive never accepted one and know very little. Once the MO is in hand, can I take to the Post Office to verify its real and the amount. Can they cash them on site or must they be deposited into my bank account. I typically do the PayPal thing so Im ignorant on the subject of other forms of payment like this
 
Yes they are verifiable and they can be cashed at most post offices, your bank or credit union or deposited in your account if that's what you prefer. As long as you cash or deposit the money order before sending the goods, it's a more solid form of payment than PayPal really. PayPal can be reversed, whereas a money order is cash as long as it real and not stolen. The way to make sure it is good is to go to the post office and cash it.
 
Yes they are verifiable and they can be cashed at most post offices, your bank or credit union or deposited in your account if that's what you prefer. As long as you cash or deposit the money order before sending the goods, it's a more solid form of payment than PayPal really. PayPal can be reversed, whereas a money order is cash as long as it real and not stolen. The way to make sure it is good is to go to the post office and cash it.

Appreciate it. As long as I can verify funds before sending goods then Im happy. Especially if the PO can cash them on site. Thank you
 
US Postal money order is the safest way to receive money other than wire transfer. USPS MO can not be cancelled, unlike other money orders and bank checks. The PO will cash them if they have the money. Often time, small POs don't have enough cash in the drawer. If you cash over $3000 worth a day, you have to fill out a form and include your social security number.
 
Yes they are verifiable and they can be cashed at most post offices, your bank or credit union or deposited in your account if that's what you prefer. As long as you cash or deposit the money order before sending the goods, it's a more solid form of payment than PayPal really. PayPal can be reversed, whereas a money order is cash as long as it real and not stolen. The way to make sure it is good is to go to the post office and cash it.

If you use PayPal, as soon as he money is available, move it to your bank acct, then they cant touch it and yuore in the drivers seat.
 
Cash it at the post office, even if you have to arrange with the station supervisor to come back later in the day when they have a large enough sum of money. There ARE fake and stolen USPS MO's out there, and if you deposit one into your bank account and it finally bounces (days later due to bureaucracy), the USPS will withdraw the funds from your bank no questions/statements/appeal. You'll be SOL. It is the SAFEST way to /accept/ payment provided you get paid cash at a PO; all else is conditional on it being a genuine MO which cannot be confirmed electronically (because the USPS is too gdamn backwards).
 
"If you use PayPal, as soon as he money is available, move it to your bank acct, then they cant touch it and yuore in the drivers seat. " They still have access to your card and can do stuff to that I'm told, especially if it's a debit card (never use a debit card online!). I still use 'em because I'm guaranteed to get the item or my money back and most guys on here selling and buying expensive optics do it this way. I've spent thousands on here with no real problems to speak of. Most were done via Paypal. I do not, however, do the "friends and family". While I may consider some of you to be friends and family, I don't trust my own friends and family with that much money. Short of Paypal, Postal MO is the only way I'd go. That or cashier's check. Both are good as cash. I must say that all members I've dealt with have come through, only one was slow with some brass but he came through and included a bonus too, extra brass. I bought some good glass on here for killer prices, hell, half my scopes were owned by some of you at one point or another! Buying sight unseen is the biggest problem. But even if a scope comes fucked up, warranty unfucks it a week later like my latest Trijicon deal --$600 on Ebay with ARD and QD mount for a 3x30 5.56 ACOG. Provided they are a high end mfg. The prism or "caret" was all scratched up and damaged when last installed. I got it on day one, sent it back out day two and had a near-new scope by the end of the week.
 
Some wrong info here. Paypal can go back in to your bank account and withdraw funds. They can go after you if the money is not there. You agree to that in the terms when you sign up.

Cashiers checks are NOT good as cash. They can be cancelled after the fact. It actually takes about 10 days for deposits to clear. When the bank gives you access to the money, usually 1-3 days after the deposit, that is actually a loan because the deposit has not actually cleared. The buyer waits for you to ship, then cancels the cashier check. The money is then taken back from you by your bank. This applies to all forms of payments other than US Postal Money orders. USPS MOs can not be cancelled. When selling, I take nothing but USPS money orders or wire transfer.
 
Ok, you can go to the USPS website here - https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm and look under the section called "Accepting Money Orders." This section will give you a phone number -

1-866-459-7822 to verify that there has been a MO issued and for what amount. The information does not tell you who bought the MO but I do believe it tells you what amount a MO was purchased. I've found the USPS webpage very useful.
 
Some wrong info here. Paypal can go back in to your bank account and withdraw funds. They can go after you if the money is not there. You agree to that in the terms when you sign up.

Cashiers checks are NOT good as cash. They can be cancelled after the fact. It actually takes about 10 days for deposits to clear. When the bank gives you access to the money, usually 1-3 days after the deposit, that is actually a loan because the deposit has not actually cleared. The buyer waits for you to ship, then cancels the cashier check. The money is then taken back from you by your bank. This applies to all forms of payments other than US Postal Money orders. USPS MOs can not be cancelled. When selling, I take nothing but USPS money orders or wire transfer.

You are correct about the cashier's checks. I always wait 10 business days.

For the paypal I move the money to an account that they dont have access or know about, Coming after me is one thing. Getting it an entirely different situation.
 
Cash it at the post office, even if you have to arrange with the station supervisor to come back later in the day when they have a large enough sum of money. There ARE fake and stolen USPS MO's out there, and if you deposit one into your bank account and it finally bounces (days later due to bureaucracy), the USPS will withdraw the funds from your bank no questions/statements/appeal. You'll be SOL. It is the SAFEST way to /accept/ payment provided you get paid cash at a PO; all else is conditional on it being a genuine MO which cannot be confirmed electronically (because the USPS is too gdamn backwards).

Coming back later may not work at some of our smaller offices, I'd swear some of the small offices in my district might get 5 customers a day and are open <4 hours. You can get the office to verify that the money order is valid then take it to your bank.
 
USPS MO is solid. It is as good as cash. Just cash it at USPS office, then do whatever you have to do in line with the arrangement you've made...
 
after having a PMO lost in the mail and it taking 90 days to get it straightened out I would rather have a personal check and take it to my bank,,they can tell me in a couple days whether or not it is good,,
 
Postal money orders are great if your the seller. If you are the buyer there a joke. You might as well send cash. I was the one last week that sent money to the scammer. He wanted postal money orders because there is no way to cancel them. Once they have someone's name on them and there on the way there You have nothing. The only reason I did not get screwed was that someone here noticed it was a scam and I was able to get the certified letter redirected back to me. I went to the post office and they told me that sense they had the guys name on them that There was nothing I could do to get my money back if he got them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You are probably correct, but I am currently Bitcoin challenged so am an interested student. Seems like I should do a little bit of research.
 
While bitcoin is interesting, if/when it goes belly up, changes, or devalues, there is no recourse because it isn't backed up by either a government, or gold.
 
That's probably true, but makes little difference if you are just entering and leaving as you would with a simple transaction. Now, if you are investing in bitcoin and moving large sums of money, this would have some bearing.