Postal Order Help

shuffles03

My girlfriend is selling an item on adverts and a girl contacted her last week saying she was interested in buying the item. She lives in Clare so obv couldn't meet to exchange but she wanted my g/f's bank details so she could lodge the money into her account. My g/f said no (there's no way she's giving her bank details to a stranger). The girl emailed again this morning asking if she could pay by postal order. Is this safe? Am I right in saying that the girl will go into a post office, get a postal order for the amount of the item (€40), get the post office to put my g/f's name on the postal order, and then post it to my g/f?

I'm sure it's prob fine but my g/f is pretty wary of it. Can she wait until the postal order arrives before she posts the item or does she have to post it once the girl says she has sent the postal order? The last thing my g/f wants is to post the item and to never receive the postal order.

pow wow

She should wait until she receives the postal order and then post the item - it's standard practice when selling something and the buyer should be fine with it. Postal orders are safe (I can't imagine someone would forge one when it's for 40 euro ) and your gf can cash it first before posting the item if she's really concerned by it. With cheques and bank drafts you don't hear of POs as often, but they're a perfectly acceptable way of paying for something.

examtired

I sent a blank postal order today, was in a hurry and there was a huge queue in the Post Office , I ended up sticking the postal order in the envelope without filling anything in, completely flustered.

Will the company I am sending it to be able to use it or will they send it back?

sitstill

examtired wrote: »

I sent a blank postal order today, was in a hurry and there was a huge queue in the Post Office , I ended up sticking the postal order in the envelope without filling anything in, completely flustered.

Will the company I am sending it to be able to use it or will they send it back?

I've done that before. Its grand. They just cash it as normal!

thought id post here as its only a short question related to the thread

do postal orders have to be sent by registered post (€5.25) or can you just send them as a normal letter, card etc. (€0.55)?
Thanks

openminded1

it can be sent as a normal letter for 55cent

shuffles03

A year later, the shoe is on the other foot now and I'm looking to send a postal order myself. Would I be covered by An Post if I sent a postal order to Galway but never received the item? I'm looking at buying a laptop on Adverts but just a bit wary of sending the postal order and not receiving the laptop after.

shuffles03

shuffles03 wrote: »

A year later, the shoe is on the other foot now and I'm looking to send a postal order myself. Would I be covered by An Post if I sent a postal order to Galway but never received the item? I'm looking at buying a laptop on Adverts but just a bit wary of sending the postal order and not receiving the laptop after.

I'd assume not, I can't see how any of that would be their fault. If the postal order turned out to be void or the wrong amount or if you sent it by registered post and it never got there, then maybe. But if the buyer's dodgy that's nothing to do with An Post, the only responsibility they have is that if you write someone's name on the order it can only be paid to that person with ID.