wanted - a supplier in europe for a gas scooter

[krissteyn]

Because I have a S.African credit card , I cant buy from UK Ebay ???
was wanting an Evo 2 spd folding gas scooter.
So I have been looking for a supplier who will ship to me in Greece - and I have come up with nothing ???

all advice received with a smile...

Kris

ps I have looked in Greece but have found nothing (yet)

[skipmac]

Are there not other methods of payment you could use? EBay in the USA has Paypal. What about money orders, check, bank transfer?

[krissteyn]

shipping from USA takes too long - not here much longer , and then dont have an address - its not easy using other methods when you are from SA.

[hellosailor]

In the US, I can buy a postal money order from any post office, send it overnight to the other party, and they can turn it back into cash in hand at any post office.

I'm not sure what options there are in Greece to do that, or what they can do with an international transaction, but I'd look into postal transfers, or ask a bank (preferably one that has offices in Greece and the UK) about a direct wire transfer. Western Union and American Express may also offer you options that way, you could certainly purchase traveler's checks in Greece and send them to the UK by express post.

EBay's auction payment options won't list these things, but most sellers will find a way to accomodate you and take your money if you ask them.

Then you still have to worry about tariffs, customs brokerage and such in Greece.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by krissteyn

shipping from USA takes too long - not here much longer , and then dont have an address - its not easy using other methods when you are from SA.

Was not suggesting you ship from the US. Just mentioning other payment options that are used in the US in case the same options may be offered overseas.

I have friends from S Africa that regularly travel all over the world and have never heard them complain about credit card problems. Maybe look into getting a credit card with a bank in S Africa that is international. If that doesn't work and you have problems using your card while you're traveling maybe get a new credit card in another country. You can get a US credit card with no credit at all by depositing money in a bank and that bank will then give you a VISA card with a limit based on how much you deposit with them.

[hellosailor]

"a VISA card with a limit based on how much you deposit with them. "
AKA a "secured" credit card. Which they will sometimes change into a real credit card after some payment history has been established. But then with eBay and other merchants, you may have problems simply if the shipping and billing address are not the same, even within the same country.

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

But then with eBay and other merchants, you may have problems simply if the shipping and billing address are not the same, even within the same country.

This is true only for countries like US and UK. AVS (address verification system) does not work for other countries so match between shipping and billing address is not checked because there is no mechanism for it. You can actually put anything in billind address info and transaction will be approved anyway.

Honestly I can not see any reason one can't pay on Ebay (i.e. by PayPal) with SA card. I have friends living in worse places with that (Belorussia, for example) and they usually don't have problems with that. In case seller refuses to send to them directly, OR they have problems with payment, they simply use one of international mail forwarding companies that can even handle payment to seller on their behalf. OR they make an advance payment by bank wire transfer, I have yet to see a merchant who refuses such payment. So, if you are from whatever country, and live in whatever country, you still can arrange payment - bank wire, western union, etc are widely available. No card is needed.

There is one more thing. Why buy Evo from US where delivery will obviously cost a fortune and custom taxes will obviously be an issue (in Greece), if you can buy similar stuff from EU? OK, it will not be Evo, but it will be equally good quality stuff and payment will be MUCH easier, and delivery cheaper, EVEN if you don't have permanent address, you still can collect your box from the office of DPD of something like that. And - no customs taxes! Well, you will still have to pay VAT but save on delivery and taxes I would suggest looking around EU market for similar products, in 5 minutes search on Youtube I saw at least several very similar 50cc machines sold in EU...

[hellosailor]

"between shipping and billing address is not checked because there is no mechanism for it."
No machanism? Can't the merchant verify the billing address when they process the card number? That's all it takes, verify the billing address and physically look at the shipping address, no machines or system needed. Surely, the billing address is verfied?

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"between shipping and billing address is not checked because there is no mechanism for it."
No machanism? Can't the merchant verify the billing address when they process the card number? That's all it takes, verify the billing address and physically look at the shipping address, no machines or system needed. Surely, the billing address is verfied?

I think, this article will explain better.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"a VISA card with a limit based on how much you deposit with them. "
AKA a "secured" credit card.

Exactly. Just didn't know if that terminology was used overseas so went for the explanation.

Originally Posted by hellosailor

But then with eBay and other merchants, you may have problems simply if the shipping and billing address are not the same, even within the same country.

I have had a problem with that occasionally but have several times purchased things on eBay for gifts or for my father (who is a confirmed Luddite) and had them shipped direct. I think the seller has an option whether or not he/she will ship to a different address.

[hellosailor]

Sea Frog, what that link says is that AVS, which is a proprietary software system, is only used in certain places. It does not say "the rest of the world has no other tools that can do this" it just says AVS is only used in limited areas.

Considering that the EU is usually ahead of the US on fraud prevention, I expect that they have to have something similar.

skip-
Paypal has provisions to "only ship to verified address" and both ebay and paypal advise sellers that full seller/buyer protection is only available if you stick to that address. But if you can give the seller an option where they've got cash in hand, and no way it can be taken back, then any reasonable seller should have no problem shipping wherever you ask. I know some who are too stupid to lick a postage stamp, but most can get past that.<G>

[Benz]

For what it's worth, my bank in California won't allow UK transactions, citing too much fraud in the UK. So I can buy nothing online with that card that comes from the UK even though I and my bank are in the US.

[goboatingnow]

OP. address verification will be a problematic if your credit card country is different from your shipping country, you also have VAT triangulation issues. Inside that you can ship and bill anywhere.


Suggest you set up a local PayPal account. , alternatively setup a Internet Visa card , verify it and load it from your SA card.

Interbank transfer at a last resort.

By the way USAers , a bank that is established in two EU countries is governed by two sets of laws and hence is of little benefit. They are for all intents two seperate banks. SEPA ( single Euro payments area ) as it comes in in 2013 will make this much simpler for euro payments.

Dave

[krissteyn]

OK - back on line.
The problem is not the banks - its Ebay ! They appear to have a problem with SA based credit cards and at the last moment wont close the transaction. As for Amazon - much the same !
I have found several EVO suppliers who ship only to UK (from UK).

So, am looking for a non ebay supplier who can ship 1 unit. Not 10 units minimum qty from china.

kris

[PilotWolf]

Can you not email the Ebay seller and explain the problem? Despite what Ebay/PayPal would have you believe other payment methods are permitted. Against Ebay regs but they might even sell it to you directly.

W.