Crymson

Hey has a group buy/vendor forum here, but i got an email from him that is super fishy.

Has anyone ordered from him before? Sounds scammish to me.

RX7KENN

I got a very clean set of wheels from him.

good price, and fairly quick shipping.

*thumbs up for JLB

Crymson

Where do you live, and which method did you use? if you don't mind telling.

Hikaru

Sorry to bring this thread up from the dead but I just ran a search on this forum for our company to see what people are saying.

The reason I give that standard message to any international customer is that we can go back and forth for days answering all your questions then when it comes time to pay the customer will not pay using the method I have asked for, which is either a western union transfer or a money order/cashier's check.

The reason we require those forms of payment for any international orders is that they offer us 100% security in receiving the money we deserve for getting you the parts you ordered. Too often in the past have we lost huge sums of money because somebody from outside the country decided to file a charge back on their credit card for NO REASON, not even a crappy reason, I mean NO reason other than to scam us basically.

We have sold to Canada on countless occasions after we started using this new policy of ours.

It is also our business to sell parts, not be a information hub, so we need to get paid if we inform people or at least be tempted by the possibility of an order. This is why we would like to know immediately, before answering any questions whether or not the customer is capable of paying. It is a somewhat stern policy but it helps our paying customers receive the customer service they paid for.

As a rule of thumb when dealing on the internet, it would behoove you, the customer to search the internet for any information you can for any complaints regarding fraud from the company you were intending to purchase from. We have a sterling record and have been in business longer than most aftermarket parts retailers have been, because we provide consistently reliable service to our customers.

I just want to post this in case somebody stumbles upon this thread and wondered why there was no detailed response.

dj55b

iTrader: (2)

I think the issue it was brought up because us canadian guys have been scammed alot by western union transfer. It might be better for you to even set up a Paypal account to use. Just charge the fee that paypal charges you extra if you wish. I personally would feel better doing that then sending a western Union check or money order/cashiers check.

Just my 2 cents.

Hikaru

dj55b,
I completely understand why Crymson made this topic. This is what I encourage people to do if they are not comfortable with any aspect of the transaction.

I have good customers like RX7KENN who can vouch for our company. If the customer asks me if they can trust us, I tell them to simply google our company name if they don't want to take my word for it. Our company has a sterling record for customer service and we have never been accused of fraud.

We have a Paypal account as well as a credit card processor setup but this is strictly for domestic use. Our company has been in business for 8 years now in this industry and we know the ins and outs of the business this is why we have to take payment from international customers in this fashion to mitigate the risk we have to take.

The primary reason we cannot take electronic payments such as Paypal or credit/debit cards is because we have no recourse if the international customer files a charge back on the transaction for ANY reason, even a fraudulent reason. It is virtually impossible to do anything about this because it occurred over international boundaries, the credit card companies only want one thing, to keep the customer happy to keep them spending money.

The reason we can only accept Western Union or money order/cashier's check is so that we do not incur the risks associated with taking Paypal or Credit cards. This form of payment is a risk for the customer only if the customer sends the money carelessly on "good faith." It is a shame that we cannot assume people are going to be honest and do things in good faith but this is the way the world is, any responsible adult should know this. Even taking a money order or cashier's check is a risk for us because people have sent us fake payments like this in the past, this is why we have to wait the full period the bank tells us to wait when receiving these payments from international customers. Western Union is good for us because we do not need to wait for anything to clear and the customer can get their goods quicker, albeit at a higher cost because of WU fees, but there is at least some value in the fees they charge.

The customer has every opportunity in the world to research a company using the internet and forums. It helps that we have an actual store and a phone number and are open. Most online companies are based from a house and have no phone number to contact anybody. However, the inverse is not possible for a company to do.

I hope this explanation is thorough enough for everybody to know why we have this policy with international customers. For anybody that wonders why I bolded international, I had a person tell me I am targeting Canadians with this when I originally mentioned international but didn't emphasize it.

the_saint

I understand your reasoning behind the WU, but I personally would never buy using WU just b/c as the sender there is nothing protecting me.

But I do see your side of the issue. It is unfortunate that you need to protect yourself, but that is the nature of our society.

I have paid more using other means of payment just to avoid using WU.

thesaint

Hikaru

I'm glad you see our side of the issue. I understand the customer's side but another factor of the sale is that the customer is coming to us wanting to buy, we are not contacting individual customers soliciting them the goods, so this is why the terms of sale is determined by us the seller.

Us charging any extra for using paypal wouldn't make a difference because if somebody decides to file a charge back with a fraudulent reason then we lose ALL the money so it is all the same to us and the scam artist since they know they are going to receive all of their money back.

If there was a third party (like Paypal etc) that would ACTUALLY guarantee us funds from credit cards and paypal then we would be all over it. But unfortunately those companies are only good for one thing, transferring funds and taking their percentage. These companies shoot first and never ask questions, their policies only cater to the consumer not the business.

Trots*88TII-AE*

iTrader: (11)

I also would never pay using WU, there is no accountability. I don't see how you guys can be had by paypal? They protect both the seller and buyer equally, unless there is a solid case with proof, the buyer gets nothing! I had a transaction over paypal where the buyer sold me ****, and paypal still protected him, I got nothing over it. They don't always favour the consumer.

orion84gsl

iTrader: (5)

A lot of people are missing something very important. A cashiers check/money order is easy to get, and secure. Only the person it is addressed to can actually cash it. It only costs about $6 extra plus stamps and an envelope. It's safer than a Western Union and no more risky than a credit card payment. You get a receipt for it and it can be tracked once cashed. I've used this method to buy internationally before and am very comfortable using it. Plus my credit card is maxed out so its really my only alternative