| dance again |
Payment Advice
| I have been asked several times for advice on the best way to arrange payment for an item bought through my site that needs to be sent by mail. After much thought I have come up with what I think is the ideal way to conduct your transaction. If you have any other ideas, or have bought or sold on my site using what you think is a better option, please do not hesitate to email me and I will add your ideas to this page. Click here to email your ideas! |
Send as many measurements and details of the dress or your item as you can think of and hopefully they will fit perfectly
and you can go ahead with the sale without a problem. Before agreeing to the sale, make your return policy clear. If you
will not accept the item back, you must let the buyer know as this may affect their decision to buy.
Cheque Payments
1. Always ask for a bank cheque/cashiers cheque. If sending your item to another country, ask the buyer to go to their
bank and get an international bank cheque in your currency, this way you will not be affected if exchange rates change
from when the cheque is written to when you cash it and you will also not be charged fees by the bank to cash a foreign
currency cheque. Accept a personal cheque at your own risk, if this is the only option, make sure that the cheque has
fully cleared before sending your item. Please note that foreign currency personal cheques can sometimes take months to
clear as once you deposit it into your account, your bank sends it back to it's country of issue to clear.
2. The buyer must always send the payment first, only when you reveive the cheque and it clears do you send the item.
3. Once the buyer receives the item, they try it on and let you know right away if it fits or not.
4. If they are happy to keep the item, go ahead and cash the cheque.
5. If for some reason they are not happy they must first send the item back. When you receive it in the same condition in
which it was sent, you then return their payment, less any shipping fees incurred by you.
6. The buyer should always pay for the postage so that the seller is not out of pocket if the sale doesn't go through.
PayPal
Another great option is PayPal . Paypal is a secure service that is safe to use and very easy. Payments are done online by
credit card or bank account debit. You can open a free personal account that accepts payment from a bank balance and is
free of fees or an account that can accept payments from credit cards, however there are fees for this service of around
3.5% of the payment received. Please read paypals' terms and conditions so that you are aware of all fees before
proceeding. Click here to go to my PayPal help page.
Follow the payment advice above and just hold the payment in your paypal account until the sale is final. If the money
needs to be returned, it is easy to process a refund via the paypal website.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is another great way of transferring money locally or overseas and in most cases, will only cost your banks'
usual transaction fees for deposits. The buyer will need to know the account details of the seller, such as the bank's full
name and address, the account number, BSB or SWIFT number and the full name that the account is held under. The
buyer can only deposit, they can not withdraw. If you are unsure, use an account with not much money in it or a child's
account and withdraw the money as soon as it is deposited. Several buyers/sellers have told me that they have sucessfully
used direct deposit and I have also used it myself. The money shows up quickly in the account, allowing the dress/item to
be sent straight away, no waiting for cheques to arrive
and you can go ahead with the sale without a problem. Before agreeing to the sale, make your return policy clear. If you
will not accept the item back, you must let the buyer know as this may affect their decision to buy.
Cheque Payments
1. Always ask for a bank cheque/cashiers cheque. If sending your item to another country, ask the buyer to go to their
bank and get an international bank cheque in your currency, this way you will not be affected if exchange rates change
from when the cheque is written to when you cash it and you will also not be charged fees by the bank to cash a foreign
currency cheque. Accept a personal cheque at your own risk, if this is the only option, make sure that the cheque has
fully cleared before sending your item. Please note that foreign currency personal cheques can sometimes take months to
clear as once you deposit it into your account, your bank sends it back to it's country of issue to clear.
2. The buyer must always send the payment first, only when you reveive the cheque and it clears do you send the item.
3. Once the buyer receives the item, they try it on and let you know right away if it fits or not.
4. If they are happy to keep the item, go ahead and cash the cheque.
5. If for some reason they are not happy they must first send the item back. When you receive it in the same condition in
which it was sent, you then return their payment, less any shipping fees incurred by you.
6. The buyer should always pay for the postage so that the seller is not out of pocket if the sale doesn't go through.
PayPal
Another great option is PayPal . Paypal is a secure service that is safe to use and very easy. Payments are done online by
credit card or bank account debit. You can open a free personal account that accepts payment from a bank balance and is
free of fees or an account that can accept payments from credit cards, however there are fees for this service of around
3.5% of the payment received. Please read paypals' terms and conditions so that you are aware of all fees before
proceeding. Click here to go to my PayPal help page.
Follow the payment advice above and just hold the payment in your paypal account until the sale is final. If the money
needs to be returned, it is easy to process a refund via the paypal website.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is another great way of transferring money locally or overseas and in most cases, will only cost your banks'
usual transaction fees for deposits. The buyer will need to know the account details of the seller, such as the bank's full
name and address, the account number, BSB or SWIFT number and the full name that the account is held under. The
buyer can only deposit, they can not withdraw. If you are unsure, use an account with not much money in it or a child's
account and withdraw the money as soon as it is deposited. Several buyers/sellers have told me that they have sucessfully
used direct deposit and I have also used it myself. The money shows up quickly in the account, allowing the dress/item to
be sent straight away, no waiting for cheques to arrive
I have received an email from one of my sellers and wanted to share it with everyone as it has great advice concerning
selling and buying over the internet....
Hello Lisa,
We just completed a transaction through your great website service, and I
wanted to let you know how we handled the payment. The arrangements were
suggested by me in advance to the buyer in order give BOTH parties some
level of protection: we were sending a dress out of the country to someone
we didn't know, and the buyer was being requested to send a CERTIFIED cheque
to someone they didn't know.
I requested the buyer to mail the certified cheque directly to my daughter's
dance teacher, made payable to me. The teacher informed me when she had
received the cheque, and she didn't release it to me until I presented her
with shipping documents showing that I had sent the dress. After receiving
the cheque, I held onto it until I received confirmation from the buyer that
the dress was OK. Otherwise, I would have returned the cheque, uncashed, to
the buyer upon the safe return of the dress.
I believe that a certified cheque should be requested in such transactions -
I could have been sending the dress to a potential "scam artist" (even
though I had communicated a few times with the buyer and was fully confident
that they were bona fide), and could otherwise have received a counterfeit
cheque or one that could have subsequently "bounced" when presented for
payment.
What added a sense of security to the buyer was that the teacher was
involved - she is a TCRG which lent credibility to the transaction.
Maybe this sounds a bit complicated, but I would do the same thing the next
time I have to sell a dress, or if I was to buy a used dress.
Best regards,
Philip E
selling and buying over the internet....
Hello Lisa,
We just completed a transaction through your great website service, and I
wanted to let you know how we handled the payment. The arrangements were
suggested by me in advance to the buyer in order give BOTH parties some
level of protection: we were sending a dress out of the country to someone
we didn't know, and the buyer was being requested to send a CERTIFIED cheque
to someone they didn't know.
I requested the buyer to mail the certified cheque directly to my daughter's
dance teacher, made payable to me. The teacher informed me when she had
received the cheque, and she didn't release it to me until I presented her
with shipping documents showing that I had sent the dress. After receiving
the cheque, I held onto it until I received confirmation from the buyer that
the dress was OK. Otherwise, I would have returned the cheque, uncashed, to
the buyer upon the safe return of the dress.
I believe that a certified cheque should be requested in such transactions -
I could have been sending the dress to a potential "scam artist" (even
though I had communicated a few times with the buyer and was fully confident
that they were bona fide), and could otherwise have received a counterfeit
cheque or one that could have subsequently "bounced" when presented for
payment.
What added a sense of security to the buyer was that the teacher was
involved - she is a TCRG which lent credibility to the transaction.
Maybe this sounds a bit complicated, but I would do the same thing the next
time I have to sell a dress, or if I was to buy a used dress.
Best regards,
Philip E
| © Dance Again 2001-2010 |
Another suggestion I have recived is for the buyer and seller to draw up a simple "contract" so that everything is in
writing and both parties are fully aware of the conditions of sale. The suggested format is as follows but could be
changed to suit your circumstances....
Terms of the transaction as buyer ______________________ (name) and seller ___________________ (name)
agree to and understand. The dress is $___________plus $________ for shipping and insurance for a total of
$____________. The buyer will send you a cashiers check for that amount or pay through Pay Pal.
Upon arrival of payment, the seller will forward the dress to Buyer. If for any reason the dress does not fit, the seller
agrees to accept the dress in return. I, the buyer, will notify you the seller by phone and email that I have received the
dress and confirm whether we are keeping it or returning it to you. If we are returning the dress, it will be sent to your
address within 3 days of receipt in the same condition and with any items included with the dress, ie. spankies, dress
bag, etc. and I the buyer, will cover the cost of the shipping and insurance. The seller will then notify me the buyer
that you have received the dress and return the full amount of $__________ without shipping charges, that we paid for
it.
The buyer will make payment by ____________________ date
Buyers full name, address and phone #
Sellers full name address and phone #
writing and both parties are fully aware of the conditions of sale. The suggested format is as follows but could be
changed to suit your circumstances....
Terms of the transaction as buyer ______________________ (name) and seller ___________________ (name)
agree to and understand. The dress is $___________plus $________ for shipping and insurance for a total of
$____________. The buyer will send you a cashiers check for that amount or pay through Pay Pal.
Upon arrival of payment, the seller will forward the dress to Buyer. If for any reason the dress does not fit, the seller
agrees to accept the dress in return. I, the buyer, will notify you the seller by phone and email that I have received the
dress and confirm whether we are keeping it or returning it to you. If we are returning the dress, it will be sent to your
address within 3 days of receipt in the same condition and with any items included with the dress, ie. spankies, dress
bag, etc. and I the buyer, will cover the cost of the shipping and insurance. The seller will then notify me the buyer
that you have received the dress and return the full amount of $__________ without shipping charges, that we paid for
it.
The buyer will make payment by ____________________ date
Buyers full name, address and phone #
Sellers full name address and phone #