I looked for a general place to post questions in the swap shop but didn't see it.

Anyway, how do you pay for stuff? If there is no way to do it directly (like Amazon) how do most people do it?

paypal is a popular one. takes a few days to set up but works pretty well.

www.paypal.com

postal money orders are another as some people selling don't take paypal due to the fees charged.

I find that a good share of the people take paypal. The fee to the seller is about the same as you would pay using a credit card. Otherwise like said, Postal money order or have your bank write a cashier check. Takes longer sending funds, but is good. Some take checks and hold the merchandise till it clears. That can be a pain. You have to make sure you can trust the person you are sending money too. I have only been burned once in over 400 transactions. That was a costly one though.

I prefer to use a Postal money order. I've never had a deal go bad, but if I did I'd be able to get the USPS involved. Mail fraud charges can motivate people to do the thing they should have done in the first place.

PMO's work for me,Ive had one bad deal so I turned it over to the Post Master General,and it was taken care of pronto.
Like Mike L said, You dont want to mess with the Feds.

So, the "etiquette" is (using a postal money order).

I send the PMO.

He sends the stuff.

If the stuff doesn't arrive, or is damaged then the PMO provides some measure of security.

Is this correct?

Tim

Yup, that's how I've always done it. I do check into things a bit before I buy. I make sure I've got a good address and phone number, and run the phone number through a reverse-lookup on anywho.com. If I've got any questions, I call the seller and make sure we're both on the same page.

I think the most important thing in dealing with people is communication. I send email when I send things, and expect the other party to do the same.

Right on the money Mike (pun intended)

This applies to any financial transaction, especially on the Internet, where you can't handle and examine the merchandise before paying for it.

or request the guys phone number, if he doesnt give it....