It isn't just about the "gotta have it now" crowd, though. The problem I've had as a seller is that many people who insist on sending a money order (or check) don't do it right away. They often wait a couple of weeks to get it in the mail. I had a few sales where it took three weeks for a check to arrive, and one that took a whole month. My e-mails were always answered with, "I sent it today" or "I sent it yesterday." Baloney. To me, that's ridiculous and unreasonable. If you cannot send payment within a few days, then don't buy it - or use PayPal instead! That was extremely irritating and one of the reasons I will rarely take payment via the mail anymore.
I think that for sales in the thousands, it's just safer to ask for a wire transfer. Even though PayPal is great for many things, there is still fraud out there and it would really be awful to lose that much money. I wouldn't be the one to SEND that much via wire transfer, though. Although it would be good for a seller, a buyer would really have to know who he's dealing with. There's no way to get a refund if things go sour.
I don't mind paying the PayPal fees, to be honest. It's worth it for the convenience - and to know I'll actually get paid in a reasonable amount of time. It's all over and done in a day (since most people send the money quickly that way) and I don't have to worry about it anymore. I've found that PayPal is much easier, as both a buyer AND a seller.
Sheila Roger Beamon wrote:
Understand. I'm not suggesting that what i did would be proper for others. Higher profile buyers and sellers (and you even have a web site where you sell) probably must offer and use it to satisfy the lust for the 'gotta have it now' crowd. For me, it's fine, but ymmv.If I ever become a larger player, I can always do it again, but just knowing that that there's no way that my checking acct. can be accessed except with my blessing or, I understand, the IRS, I feel better.One way around the danger, even if only slight, would be to start another discrete checking acct. where you move funds back and forth and use it only for PayPal, but again, that's a PITA for such a small player, like me.It's interesting that when high end watches, let's say >$10K, change hands on the watch boards, more often than not, wire transfer is the accepted and often the only method used. Makes sense. PayPal fees on $10K become a fair hunk of change.
