HIGHER SHIPPING COSTS FOR CREDIT CARD & PAYPAL PAYMENTS
Shipments to countries with unreliable registered mail and paid by Paypal or credit cards must go by insured mail with full declared value: Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Latin America, Africa. We may require this shipping method for first-time buyers in other countries who pay by Paypal or credit cards.
HEAVY SHIPMENTS & PRIVATE CARRIERS US Shipments: For heavy ground shipments where a private carrier saves you money, with your permission, we pass on their actual charges, plus $2 drop-off charge. If you request air shipment by private carrier, or USPS Express Mail, we may charge their actual rates plus a $5 service fee to cover extra travel or labor (excessive paper-work, telephone calls to compare rates, travel time, standing in line, staying home during pickup window, etc.) We prefer to ship by ordinary USPS mail. Foreign Shipments: Because Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal require delivery confirmation, we have to ship packages over 1.8 Kilos at more expensive trackable classes of mail outside the US., insured, with 100% value declared. To avoid higher shipment and customs charges, please remit by Wise or bank wire.
YOUR SECURITY - Sending us credit card details, or cash Credit Cards:. I need the 16 digits of your card, expiration date, and the 3-digit cvc number on the back. You may send this by letter, telephone (425-369-1725), or email. No Fax. It is safe to leave your credit card information on my answering machine, but speak slowly. For email security give only 1234-5678-xxxx-xxxx -01/xx-2x2 first email, and xxxx-xxxx-9876-5432-xx/06-x3x second email. Unless you request not, I keep these numbers on file for future use, so you do not need to send each time you order. I do not have a secure server to accept your credit card directly online. Mailing Cash: Cut a piece of cardboard larger than the banknotes, and tape the banknotes to it, then wrap with paper. Write "Photographs" on the envelope or customs declaration. A thief can not see through the cardboard. Or, you can use carbon paper or aluminum foil. Or send inside a thick Holiday or birthday card.
PAYPAL SPYWARE
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, which is in charge of administering financial sanctions against foreign governments and citizens, or possibly Paypal itself, uses unsophisticated software to automatically shut down accounts when certain names or countries are mentioned in conjunction with a payment. Paypal customer service reps either don't know about this, or claim not to. It can be difficult to restore the account. Examples of shut-down triggers given by other dealers or found online include "Cuba," "North Korea," "Shiraz" (a medieval mint city in Iran), tardigrade (a microscopic sea creature) and names found on the secret no-fly list. Obviously, innocence is no safeguard. The same thing could happen with Zelle or other funds forwarders, so we ask customers, whether in the US or abroad, to include NO COMMENTS when paying. Why NOT to use Paypal Blog: other downsides of using Paypal.
SECOND CHOICES
I try to remove sold items from the website immediately, but sometimes sold items will still appear. When I list a large amount of new material and notify customers by email, things can sell fast. I fill orders strictly as received from all sources (email, phone), so giving a second choice will not hurt your chances of getting the first choice. Another method is to list many items with the most wanted at top, and give a spending limit. I will fill from the top until that limit is met.