OT: Ebay question

[Marcel Kunath]

Yes it can happen like it happened to me. I ordered a tech item for a friend
in Oz while I was living in Michigan. I did so with my friends credit card
number and have it shipped to me in Michigan since most US businesses don't
ship outside the 50 states. The company who I can't remember emailed back
saying the cc was issued in oz and they can't take it. I suspect they don't
want to run any risk to have international transactions or recoveries
in case the buyer decides he wants to return the item and they might care
about giving back money to a foreign account etc etc. We all know how much
paperwork and stress is involved if an RMA is involved or just some type of
extra service. I also believe you that you can use your cc all over Europe in
 stores. I am sure over the counter sales aren't affected since the likelyhood
of you sowing up in their store for some type of extra service or return is
prices in the US.

Another funny that happened to me on my move from Michigan to Oz was that I
wanted to take some money with me. I targetted 400 dollars. I walked into
Flagstar and asked for 400 dollars in AE traveler checks. I had done this
before and I know that sometimes you have to "pre-order" them because a branch
might not have any. I did ask them before and they said they would have them.
So I walked in and all they had was 300 dollars worth of AE checks. I wasn't
too happy. Then she said well you can take these gift checks "because they are
just the same". I looked at her like she was crazy. I say "Lady if these
checks were exactly the same they would not call them differently. I wanted AE
checks because the AE name is on it and they are insured. The gift checks
don't bare the AE name and in my believe are not insured and I don't want to
stand at a Oz branch and explain to them what a gift check is." Well I settled
with the 300 I had but it just amazes me. US branches don't carry too much
money or checks I noticed. One time I had to make a withdrawal in a four
figure sum and they actually had to scrape the bottom of the barrel almost to
satisfy my needs.

BTW the EFTPOS system in Oz charges around 25 cents per transaction not 50
like I stated earlier after you used up you limit amount on eftpos transaction
per account per month.

mk

> > "Marcel
Kunath" <kunathma@pilot.msu.edu> writes: > > >  If you like to hear another
> > styory of how important international money
> > transfer is. I got a friend here who owns a US issued credcit card. The only


> > reason she has it is for her and her friends to use when traveling to the us

a.
> > Whenever one of the clan goes to the us they transfer money from oz into the


> > account and then use the credit card locally in the usa. This is more effici

ent
> > than using an oz issued card since every transfer would accrued a huge fee.
> > Some places don't even take credit cards which have not been issued in the u

sa.
>
> Is this really true?  I've used my USA-issued credit card all
> over Europe.  I can hardly believe that US businesses would
> refuse to accept credit cards issued out of the country; it would
> simply not be good for business.
> --
> "I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program
>  I must share it with other people who like it."
> --Richard Stallman
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