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 Replies: 25 / Views: 8,095 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5861 Posts |
My bank charges a $25 fee for wire transfers, but that's still less than the fee that places like APMEX and Goldmart charge if you want to pay by credit card. I recently bought a monster box of silver from Goldmart. They offered free shipping on purchases over $5000 and paying by bank wire got me the "cash discount" price, so I really didn't mind the $25 wire transfer fee on a $17,000 purchase. For smaller purchases, where the difference between the credit card and cash price is less than $25, I just pay by credit card. I suppose I could pay by check (in fact, I did it once), but I just really hate to wait for it to clear. And I'm waaay too lazy to go to the post office and get a money order... |
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Pillar of the Community
1283 Posts |
Write a personal check and just wait it out. They will lock in your price when you make the order. I just got 80 SAE's for $34 something each delivered from gold mart, took 3 weeks but who cares.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
 We are all like a kid on Christmas waitin on those pm's, but baring death what does it matter, and if you die, I promise it serioulsy no longer matters, lol.... These big corps get away with too much IMO, with the 20 plus dollar freight an bank wire plus CC charges. I am not gonna fund that racket ever.... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
I have been buying a few things from APMEX. Mostly just things that I can not get locally or have to wait for them to circulate into the stores. Mostly the ATB 5 oz'ers. The shipping they charge is rather high in my opinion, but they do insure the package and you have to sign for it. I have liked their quality so far and have not had to send anything back. The last order I placed was with a check because they have changed their system to require a SSN to use a credit card. You do not send them your credit card but it interfaces with your bank for confirmation. As far as I am concerned they just lost a customer with that feature. As insecure as most connections are I think not. Any way, I called to see if I could give my card over the phone and you can not so the man said I should just send a check if I was not in a hurry, plus it was cheaper. You have a verbal agreement over the phone (to cover their own I assume) and then they email you with the information on where to send the check. You have a week I think to post mark the check and they hold your ordered items for the time. They email you when they receive the check and when you have sent out your order. I usually receive my package soon after I get the email but one time I got the package the day before I was emailed the tracking number. :-) I guess it has to do with the way their computer system is set up. Any way, no problems with APMEX. Just seems like their shipping kills the deal on small orders. That is why I don't use them very often. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5861 Posts |
Quote:
The last order I placed was with a check because they have changed their system to require a SSN to use a credit card. You do not send them your credit card but it interfaces with your bank for confirmation. I'm really surprised to hear that. I actually just placed a small order for a single coin a few days ago with APMEX and charged my credit card the same way I normally do. Maybe it has something to do with the size of the order or something? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
808 Posts |
Quote:The last order I placed was with a check because [ APMEX] have changed their system to require a SSN to use a credit card. Whoa! That requiring a SSN on credit card orders must be a very recent change, and if true is a new business practice on their part that I do not like.  The only valid reason for such a request would be for recording IRS form 8300 on a transaction over $10,000 USD. And since you were able to skip the SSN request with a check, that eliminates that as a possible reason. I'm very disappointed to hear this from an otherwise good dealer. |
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Pillar of the Community
1283 Posts |
Just one more reason to NEVER order from APMEX. I bad mouth them all the time, there shipping charges are ridiculous. You have to remember that these big corps don't pay the same shipping as we do, they get a heck of a discount. I got a watch overnighted insured prob at $8k and the dealer told me it cost him like $25 to do so. If I were to mail it that same way it would be like $60. There is just no sane reason to charge $20 to ship a roll of eagles IMHO. So for that reason I use Gold Mart mainly and Scottsdale to get my stacker fix. I use my CC with Scottsdale but they offer free shipping so it balance out. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
When I asked about requiring a SSN number the guy on the phone said it was with certain partner banks. The card I used was through U.S. Bank. There was a little applet that came up before the finish button screen. It asked for some other information too but I could just hear Admiral Ackbar yelling "It's a trap!" (Star Wars reference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dddAi8FF3F4). Anyway, I lodged a complaint and specifically told him that is why I was not ordering online. I do know if any other banks are doing this. It was all new to me. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
808 Posts |
Quote:
When I asked about requiring a SSN number the guy on the phone said it was with certain partner banks. The card I used was through U.S. Bank. There was a little applet that came up before the finish button screen. The two major credit card providers both offer online verification of credit card purchases through "Verified by Visa" and "Mastercard SecureCode." And, as you described, they each pop up as a little applet that must be completed before the transaction is processed. The purpose is to provide customers with an additional level of security during the purchase process that is outside of the web site's own "shopping cart" program. HOWEVER, both verification systems use passwords and DO NOT ask for confidential information like a SSN. If there's a potential problem, my bank always notifies me so I can authorize a flagged credit card purchase. I personally think it is VERY UNWISE of any online vendor to go asking for confidential customer information that they have no business having. This is a bad bad way to do business. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Yet another reason to go credit union all the way, baby!  |
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Replies: 25 / Views: 8,095 |
First Page
Posted 04/20/2012 10:34 am
