Bidpay?

[markiej86]

Hello,

A user is offering to purchase one of my auctions using bidpay, however i have never heard of this and I am abit worried about selling it as for one they have zero feedback plus I dont know if this bidpay is safe.

Here is the auction with what he says : http://uk.four.ebid.tv/perl/auction....7-0&mo=auction

thanks.

Mark

[jongla]

I would guess its a scam.
Bidpay is owned by Western Union.
I have checked with my local WU office, and they DO NOT need your address. All you need to supply to the buyer is your name and the town you live in - once sent you can receive the money from any WU office in a 30 mile radius of that named town.

If they ask for an address it is usually a scam, and a possible ID theft case.

[dashpole]

Bidpay and Western Union are both sister companies owned by the same parent - when using Bidpay then Bidpay will send you a Western Union money order (which you can cash at www.auctionpix.co.uk) or (for a fee a Sterling Cheque) - as these are posted to you IT IS necessary that the buyer have your address.

The important thing is to register with Bidpay as a Seller and log in and confirm that any emails you receive saying a Money Order is on its way is genuine.

As to it being related to Western Union and therefore a scam, bit of a misnomer, it is perfectly safe if someone says they want to pay you by Western Union (as you don't send the item until you hve the cash)

But totally unsafe if a seller ASKS YOU to pay by WU as the payment is totally untraceable - ie as a Seller it is 100times safer than Paypal (due to their poor Seller Protection Policy) but gives absolutely no Buyer Protection and is therefore so implicated in scams that no-one will offer it!

[jongla]

Further to above - I would not accept money orders. Too many times there have been fake Western Union moneyorders, which you dont find out about until a few weeks later when the banks suddenly change theirminds about accepting them, and take themoney back out of your account.

[dashpole]

If the Money Orders come from Bidpay (and you check the Bidpay.com website directly NO LINKS!) they won't be fake (as they are in effect coming DIRECT from Western Union not a 3rd party).

Admittedly Money Orders are more expensive than other methods (although I wouldn't use a bank to change it - see note on Auctionpix above)

you don't run the risk of CC chargebacks from fraudulent cards as you do from most Payment Processors, see below for Bidpays T&C's relating to Money Orders purchased with fraudulent credit cards.

"8. What happens if BidPay sends me a payment paid for with a stolen credit card?
Upon receiving notice from the correct cardholder, we will email you with a request to cancel the order. If you have already cashed a money order, we will ask you not to ship the item. If the item has already been shipped, no further action will be required.

If you have not cashed the money order and have not shipped the item, we will ask you to destroy the money order and consider the transaction null and void. If the item has already been shipped, we will typically honor the money order, absent unusual circumstances."

Above quotation taken from help section on Bidpay.com