Mail Order

[dammwoman]

With the growing trend of buying Mail Order at usually cheaper prices than the retail outlets, I thought that I would post my recent experience with Mail Order purchases.
Before I start I will state that neither of these companies were Queensland companies and I also know that a lot of the mail order companies give very good prompt service and don't want this to reflect on them.
Recently I ordered a Vortex Diatom Filter via a Mail Order Company in Sydney. The only reason I placed the order was that these filters are very hard to find, I have always wanted one & the price was reasonable ($398.00) so enquired with them on delivery time ect and then proceeded to place the order.
I will admit I took a week to post the Money Order as payment to them, but when I did post it I sent them message advising payment sent and gave them the money order number.
10 days later when I was starting to expect delivery I contacted them again to get a predicted date for delivery. I received an answer back 3 days later saying that they had only just received the Money Order in the mail and that the Filter would be sent by Express Post which is what I had paid an additional fee for.
I was a bit doubtful that the payment had taken 13 days to get to them in Sydney but we all know it happens sometimes and let it go.
5 days later it still hadn't arrived, contacted them again but received no reply.
It did arrive on Friday....8 days after it was supposedly sent Express Post, and 21 days after payment had been made.
BUT
At the same time I also ordered some punnets of plants which I intended to use in a planted tank in the RNA.
When I placed this order with a different company I was assured I would have them by 7/8/06. I had made it perfectly clear that if this date was not possible I didn't have any need for the plant and hence wouldn't have bothered placing the order at all.
As with the first order I sent Money Order on the same day to both Companies and notified this Company as well of payment sent and the Money Order No.
This 2nd company, 3 days after me posting the payment let me know that they had received it (they are in Melbourne) and advised that the plants would be sent Express Post to arrive on the 3/8/06.
On the 7/08/06 I got home to a phone message that the parcel had been returned to them totally mangled and that another replacement parcel had been sent. Too late for me to use at RNA which was what the order was intended for anyway, but todate I still havn't received the plants.
This is the first time I have ever ordered anyting via Mail Order and with 2 out of 2 having unsatisfactory delivery I doubt that I will use the Mail Order option again. These 2 orders totalled $515.00 including the express postage I had paid an additional fee for and, were was I stated earlier paid for with Money Orders so there as no time wasted waiting for cheques to clear ect.
Just my experience.
Cheers Linda

[caryb]

My experiences are a little different, I order books for Amazon & pay with credit card. The longest delivery was 10 days from Singapore. I have ebayed from US,  UK & China & they average 1 week. I had troubles when using money order, I think the problem is corelating payment to orders, now I use credit card all is good.

PS I have a $2000.00 limit on a seperate card for internet payments.



Cary

[sUme]

yeh i'm with you Caryb, i just use the credit card (a hell of a lot simpler, or else failing that i'll direct debit money into the traders account).

As a seller i actually hate MO, as you have to rely on the buyers honesty to send it out and then there is the chance of it getting lost in the post etc etc.

I sold several DATZ L number books on here, and the buyer never replied back to me regarding payment. So i chased it up, and she said would send a second Money order out to me. However, 6 months on and she hasn't followed up where her money order went (or the book she paid for).

Anyway, thats my 2c.

[dammwoman]

The time frames and dates I have listed are AFTER they have acknowledged the payment was received. I don't expect anyone to send goods proir to receiving payment and didn't ask for that.
As you well know the Money Order cannot be dishonoured or have any hitches to the company receiving payment once they have received it so I don't see how the hold up in THIS case can be attributed to payment by Money Order.
Cheers Linda

[q]

Myth: Money orders and bank cheques are as good as cash.

Fact: Money Orders, bank cheques, personal cheques all take a min. [b:2cf6466a9f]3 working days[/b:2cf6466a9f] to clear.

Money orders can only be cashed at an Australia Post branch with suitable ID coresponding to the name on the money order.  If you made the money order payable to a business or company name they would have to bring a copy of a business registration certificate to prove who it is collecting the money.  More than likely they would have deposited into their business banking account.

Having not recieved any payment for your order for 1 week i'm not surprised they probably disregarded it as just a dud order.

Moral of the story: Use a credit card.  If you are uncomfortable using a card over the internet then look at a Visa debt facility which debits funds from a savings/transactional account instead of a preapproved limit.

q

[dammwoman]

Seeing my order had to be sent Express Post a trip to the post office had to be made anyway didn't it..
Money Orders were made out to the name I was told to make them out to so doubt any ID problem.
Pick up the cash and drop off the parcel at the same time.
Doesn't seem to be too much trouble to me for a $400 sale.
Cheers Linda

[dammwoman]

FACT: Money Orders, Bank Cheques & Credit Card purchases are all guaranteed methods of payment.
Money Order...as quickly as you wish to make trip to Post Office.
Bank Cheque...Yes 3 days
Credit Card...When the banks do their payment runs, certainly not paid instantly into business account and can take a lot more than 3 days

But I get the point....obviously unless a person wants to join the credit card circle they are not entitled to service and the guarantee of getting their goods.
Cheers Linda

Ok Well I think im going to close this thread,

As you all know I personally own an online store selling products and dry goods and I dont think this helps anyone, Your not helping anyone by posting this all you are doing is installing fear to purchase online which is completely false, And I know of alot of good online stores that you will recieve your order ontime and what you wanted, AgeOfAquariums is very good as is Equarium, so i suggest if you want a reliable online store visit the sponser stores.

In Future I would suggest that you contact the stores directly who have buggered you around, 21 days is not acceptable I think, and you should be kept upto date as to the progress. But this is not the form to be venting as it may only do damage to respectable and honest business's, I relise that you stated it was not a Queensland based store, but people didnt eat at sizzler after one store was attacked, so Im sure you can see my point of view.

In future maybe word of mouth would help more, I know it helps me, but this is not considered a place just to take a shot at a "type" of business.

As for the type of payment, yes some business's consider money orders a pain, but if they dont want to deal with them they shouldnt accept them, you will find alot will accept direct deposit aswell, Another myth is that Auspost Express is fast, Its faster than regular post, but it is in no way shape or form a courier company, 90% of the time you will be left a card in the mail to pick it up from the local depot, Which for alot of working people is impossible with ausposts hours.

Closed