BIDPAY CEASE TRADING!

[Guest]

[Nienna]

Apologies Roz - I wasn't sure where to post this thread, so if it's in the wrong place then please move it!

To cut a long story short, I've just found out today that Bidpay have ceased trading on December 31st 2005.
It now means that if buyers want to send payments to international sellers who don't/won't (or in some cases can't) accept Paypal payments for their items, they will have to find some other means of ordering International Money Orders to do so.
This is seriously bad news for me, as I've no way of ordering these MO's where I live and I would have  to make a 30-mile round trip to Nottingham to do it instead, which would be a nightmare for me to try and do.

What worries me most is that although I have had an account with them, I received no notice or notification from them that they would be ceasing trading - I got this information from a third party.
Not good is it?


I'd like any thoughts or recommendations from other members as to which of the other online payment services they've used and found to be reliable and secure please - preferably ones which will send these International MO's easily too!

[blackcat20]

What about Western Union? Apparently bidpay used to be western union, but WU still exists....Ive neer tried them, but maybe someone here has?

[Nienna]

Ahhhhhh I'm glad you mentioned Western Union Kate ....

I had some problems accessing my WU account, not realising one had merged with the other and when I contacted the WU customer services people this is the reply I got:

Dear Jules
 
I notice that the email you sent is in relation to Western Union Action Payments. We are Western Union Money Transfer and have nothing to do with Auction Payments. You need to contact Western Union Action Payments on www.auctionpayments.com or 001800 350 5952 {that number is in Colorado with is 7 hours behind us}


I've just tried the action payments bit  - http://www.westernunion.co.uk/info/homePage.asp?country=GB
and that's still up and running, it's just the auction payments bit which has gone under.

[Sharon]

I think you are out of luck Jules.  If sellers doesn't accept Paypal I reckon they will just lose the international customers.  Where we are it is easy to order International Money Orders but you can wait up to 10 days for them to be posted to you and a lot of sellers are not willing wait that length of time for payment (even if you explain the situation to them).

[Nienna]

Yes, I think that's what will happen too Sharon.
I know others have mentioned this elsewhere on the Forum, but I've noticed an increase in US sellers stating US only auctions and being emphatic about not selling abroad when I've asked about their items through the ebay pages.
I'm sure the same is true of UK sellers not wanting to send abroad either, but it's meaning the market for their items is much narrower.

[HPfamily]

I just received this email!

Announcing the launch of the New BidPay.com!

 We are pleased to announce the return of BidPay.com! The new BidPay auction payment service opened on June 12, 2006 with improved features and functionality.

 As a valued BidPay customer, we appreciate your past support and have listened to your requests for improvements and new features. The new BidPay.com offers robust new seller features including:

BidPay Seller Protection Sellers receive chargeback protection on BidPay approved payments.
No special bonding or insurance is needed!
 
International Reach BidPay works with Buyers outside the USA
Global credit card processing capabilities

Sellers do not need a merchant account!
 
Direct Deposit Payments are deposited directly to your USA Bank Account. Instant notification of funds.
Low Fees Seller transaction fees*:
Costs: USA [2.5% + $0.50/txn]
Outside USA [2.9% + $0.50/txn]

The BidPay service is FREE for Buyers
 
eBay® Compatible Application BidPay works on eBay!
Free insertion onto all your eBay listings
 

In order to receive payments you will need to register for an account with BidPay.

Registration is FREE. Follow this link to visit BidPay.com. For those who visited us at eBay Live in Las Vegas, don't forget to login to your account and complete your registration so you can begin accepting payments from your buyers.

Start saving on high transaction fees and add the seller protection that BidPay offers on approved BidPay transactions. Visit BidPay.com today for more information.

BidPay.com was purchased by CyberSource Corporation in March 2006. BidPay no longer offers money orders and has no relationship or affiliation with Western Union.
 

[tialessa]

So Bidpay is now a direct competitor against paypal?  Interesting....  I'll have to check it out...  Pity about no longer supplying money orders though!

[Nienna]

That's an interesting turnaround - thanks for posting the info Jackie!
I suppose the revamped Bidpay would only be allowed to trade on ebay by not allowing the purchase of money orders, as I know that was one of the areas of making payments that ebay stated they were concerned about re. possible fraudulent transactions.
I've not had any kind of correspondence from them either to tell me they were ceasing trading, nor the fact they were back in business.
I didn't use Bidpay very often, but they were useful to have as a back-up in case I needed them especially for foreign transactions from sellers who couldn't/wouldn't accept Paypal.

I'll have to go and investigate ... 

[kbmum]

So Bidpay is now a direct competitor against paypal?  Interesting....  I'll have to check it out... 

There is also Google Checkout.  Right now, it's only for online stores, but if it's successful, it might expand to eBay (providing eBay allows it).

http://checkout.google.com/sell

[Anna]

There is also Google Checkout.  Right now, it's only for online stores, but if it's successful, it might expand to eBay (providing eBay allows it).

http://checkout.google.com/sell

In the new eBay Accepted Payments Policy dated July 6, 2006, these are the acceptable and unacceptable forms of payment:

Payment Services permitted on eBay: Allpay.net, Bidpay, Canadian Tire Money, cash2india, CertaPay, Checkfree.com, hyperwallet.com, Moneybookers.com, Nochex.com, Ozpay.biz, Paymate.com.au, Propay.com, XOOM

Payment Services not permitted on eBay: AlertPay.com, anypay.com, AuctionChex.com, BillPay.ie, ecount.com, cardserviceinternational.com, CCAvenue, ecount, e-gold, eHotPay.com, ePassporte.com, EuroGiro, FastCash.com, Google Checkout, gcash, GearPay, Goldmoney.com, graphcard.com, greenzap.com, ikobo.com, Liberty Dollars, Moneygram.com, neteller.com, Netpay.com, paychest.com, payingfast.com, Payko.com, paypay, Postepay, Qchex.com, rupay.com, sendmoneyorder.com, stamps, Stormpay, wmtransfer.com, xcoin.com

I have a feeling that eBay will keep Google Checkout off their permitted list.

[Roz]

I had heard this... but I would luuurve to hear their official reason for this (beyond 'we are scared of this giant coming into competition with us').

[tialessa]

In the new eBay Accepted Payments Policy dated July 6, 2006, these are the acceptable and unacceptable forms of payment:

Payment Services permitted on eBay: Allpay.net, Bidpay, Canadian Tire Money, cash2india, CertaPay, Checkfree.com, hyperwallet.com, Moneybookers.com, Nochex.com, Ozpay.biz, Paymate.com.au, Propay.com, XOOM

  Notice that paypal is not on the permitted list   

[Roz]

Ha ha! Nice one Danielle

I read around a bit and the official line is that they don't believe google's payment system is safe enough (and Paypal is!! *Scoff scoff scoff*)

People think that once google has a proven track record it will be allowed (which roughly translates to, once people put enough pressure on ebay that they HAVE to do it - it will be allowed ).