Edgar,
I did not mention this because "Online Transfer /Direct Debit" is either not
available or very expensive in the US and like other responders, all methods
can have their problems, I have had many more problems with Online Direct
Debit than I have with PP. Furthermore, Direct Debit transactions that
involve a currency conversion is MUCH more expensive than a CC transaction.
Steve

"Edgar" wrote in message
...

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in message
...
Larry,
Your observations should lead you to the conclusion that check technology
no longer functions as designed or intended. Therefore your action plan
should be to use other methods. I haven't issued nor received a check in
8 years. Not always is progress forward. Think PayPal, Credit Cards and
Cash.
Steve

None of those methods is without problems.
:-
PayPal is very flaky. After some satisfactory experiences my wife bought
something on e-bay where Pay Pal was specified by the seller. When the
time came to pay PP said her card was invalid. Tried another, same result.
tried a third, same result. All those cards were perfectly good.
This was awkward because if you do not pay on time you get negative
feedback on PP. Luckily she had 100% positive feedback on record so the
seller agreed to accept a personal cheque. She terminated her PP account
and now will not buy anything where PP is specified.

Credit cards. Well, see the above. At any time machines can and do refuse
to accept your card and you can be left away from home with no easy way to
pay for things or get cash. Also there are some really stupid and
unforeseeable regulations applicable to cards. For example, I have a bank
account in USA with dollars in it. I live in Norway but I have a bank card
issued in USA by that bank. It works here in Norway in cash machines (not
that it makes much sense to convert dollars back into kroners!) and in
other places but Continental Airlines in Oslo will not accept it for the
cost of a flight to USA because my billing address is outside USA! So do
not rely on cards.

Cash. Well cash is of course Ok if you are face to face with the other
party but you would be pretty stupid to send it by mail. I have done so
but only for very small amounts which involve no great loss if it goes
astray..

Online transfer you did not mention. This is the best way to go and you
are protected if you print out a record of your transaction. .

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in message
...
Edgar,
I did not mention this because "Online Transfer /Direct Debit" is either
not available or very expensive in the US and like other responders, all
methods can have their problems, I have had many more problems with Online
Direct Debit than I have with PP. Furthermore, Direct Debit transactions
that involve a currency conversion is MUCH more expensive than a CC
transaction.
Steve

Online transfer is simple and easy where I live. But this is not Direct
Debit as I understand it
DD as I know it is where you give someone to whom you make regular payments
for subscriptions etc.authority to claim what they consider is due to them
directly from your account without prior reference to you.
I agree with your comment about the cost of currency conversion.
But even online transfer has its snags. When you make a transfer the money
disappears from your account instantly and yet it takes 4 days to reappear
in the account of your supplier so in the meantime it is earning interest
for the bank. They could, if they wanted to, make the transfer just as
quickly as they made the debit .
One problem now even with banks and other such institutions in UK is that if
you ring up with a query you often find yourself talking to a call centre
that has been relocated to India. Many of them think they are talking
English but are quite incomprehensible on the phone. My wife has just
received an apology and £30 compensation from her UK bank because of all the
time she had to spend on the phone trying to get people in India to sort out
a problem that the bank itself had caused in UK!

Edgar,
PP has started a service where you give PP authorization to direct debit
your account in Germany and they credit the seller's account automatically,
if you engage that method. Everytime I use PP now I see 3 choices of payment
on the screen.
Steve

"Edgar" wrote in message
news

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in message
...
Edgar,
I did not mention this because "Online Transfer /Direct Debit" is either
not available or very expensive in the US and like other responders, all
methods can have their problems, I have had many more problems with
Online Direct Debit than I have with PP. Furthermore, Direct Debit
transactions that involve a currency conversion is MUCH more expensive
than a CC transaction.
Steve

Online transfer is simple and easy where I live. But this is not Direct
Debit as I understand it
DD as I know it is where you give someone to whom you make regular
payments for subscriptions etc.authority to claim what they consider is
due to them directly from your account without prior reference to you.
I agree with your comment about the cost of currency conversion.
But even online transfer has its snags. When you make a transfer the money
disappears from your account instantly and yet it takes 4 days to reappear
in the account of your supplier so in the meantime it is earning interest
for the bank. They could, if they wanted to, make the transfer just as
quickly as they made the debit .
One problem now even with banks and other such institutions in UK is that
if you ring up with a query you often find yourself talking to a call
centre that has been relocated to India. Many of them think they are
talking English but are quite incomprehensible on the phone. My wife has
just received an apology and £30 compensation from her UK bank because of
all the time she had to spend on the phone trying to get people in India
to sort out a problem that the bank itself had caused in UK!

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in message
...
Edgar,
PP has started a service where you give PP authorization to direct debit
your account in Germany and they credit the seller's account
automatically, if you engage that method. Everytime I use PP now I see 3
choices of payment on the screen.
Steve

I am in Norway, not Germany, not that it affects the matter under
discussion.
I would never contemplate giving PP or anyone else any such authority across
international boundaries.
If anything goes wrong they know you will find it too much of a PITA to sue
someone in another country under foreign law for relatively small amounts.
.. And things do often go wrong and when they do you are on your own.
My wife got the compensation from her bank that I mentioned in my last post
only because she absolutely refuses ever to be fobbed off with excuses or
inaction when someone wrongs her, and persisted until they gave in. It is
more trouble than it is worth now even to close your account and move it to
another bank because of all the procedures they have brought in to check for
money laundering.

On 2008-04-07 10:54:02 -0400, Dave said:

On Sun, 6 Apr 2008 08:56:41 +0200, "Steve Lusardi"
said:

"Online Transfer /Direct Debit" is either not available or very
expensive in the US

I disagree. That's how I pay many of my bills: direct debit from a bank
account.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/