[Iver]

I hear that when one sells a piece, it is good to ask for a USPS money order. Although, I've heard that even these are forged a lot of times. I've heard cashiers' checks get forged nowadays, as do about all money orders. Jeez, I'd require any buyer to meet me in person, but then they might just whip out their own pistola and rob me.

If I asked for payment in the form of a postal service money order, is it easy to take such a thing into a post office and cash it in? Say it's over $500, might they not have that kind of cash on hand? I'm without a bank account now. To heck with banks! I had free checking for 1-2 decades, until they decided to charge everyone $11 a month.

This doesn't sound easy.

??

 

[kolchaka127]

Most PO will cash any USPS MO unless they don't have the cash and then might tell you to wait till they do. They can verify authenticity while you wait. Rather than a FTF deal with an unknown, I recc using an FFL Dealer. Their charge is usually minimal and they can hold gun while money order clears. Eliminates any safety risk and they are a licensed entity that can be tracked at least somewhat. Forgeries of cashier checks and USPS MO's is rare and a fed offense. Banks will usually certify if a cashier's check is legit. My experience as a bank attorney and as an escrow agent.

 

[Buckspen]

In the last 30 years, I've bought and sold an enormous amount of stuff by mail and (lately) internet. I've never had a counterfeit check, cashier's check, bank money order or postal money order. I have had problems cashing postal money orders at a post office. They never seem to have more than a hundred bucks they can use. I almost always use my local bank where I've had multiple accounts for 40 plus years.

- - - - Buckspen

 

[CantgetenoughColt]

If you are dealing on this forum or Gunbroker, USPS MO will be fine. Don't deal on Armslist. Check the amount of sales and rating of the buyer.

 

[Major Dad]

If I asked for payment in the form of a postal service money order, is it easy to take such a thing into a post office and cash it in? Say it's over $500, might they not have that kind of cash on hand?

.........I have had problems cashing postal money orders at a post office. They never seem to have more than a hundred bucks they can use.

- - - - Buckspen

This was certainly true in my case as a Postal Worker. A small PO will normally open the day with less than $100 cash in the drawer. I suggest calling ahead, even at a larger PO. Whenever a customer came in to cash a MO we used a continuously updated list of lost/stolen MOs to verify its validity.

 

[johngross]

Go here. Also note the phone number to call to verify a postal money order.

John Gross

https://www.usps.com/shop/accepting-money-orders.htm

 

[BearBio]

You MUST pay cash (or debit) for a USPS money order. Clerk got mad at me when I tried to pay with a credit card. Had to go get cash from my bank. I prefer cashier's checks. I don't mind if they hold the gun until it clears. I've also done wire drafts (and direct deposit transferring money from one account to another at the same bank). THAT IDIOT still wanted to wait 10 days! (By Federal law, wires go through the Federal Reserve Banks which must zero every day)