Heritage auctions payment

[Exhibitman]

Why bother? States with sales tax have use tax requirements that are equivalent to the sales tax that would have been paid, so they get you coming or going.

[Yoda]

I am a bit miffed with Heritage at the moment. When trying to get a straight answer how I could clear my account after the last auction, I ran into a bureaucratic buzzsaw. I wanted to use a Visa debit card but was told I could charge only $2500; however, did I wish to make a partial payment, since my total owing was significantly more than that, or how about an electronic check transfer (no thanks.) PayPal was out of the question (huh?) Then I learned that I had to pay $500 or so in Florida sales tax (huh, again, since I thought Heritage is located in Texas and there is no mention of a Florida office on their face page.) I guess they are a licensed auction house here with a Palm Beach address but that sure isn't worth $500 to me. Finally, after what seemed like 3 days on the 'phone, we agreed that why don't I just cut them a check and send it by snail mail. Not a very friendly user experience.

[egbeachley]

Originally Posted by Yoda

I am a bit miffed with Heritage at the moment. When trying to get a straight answer how I could clear my account after the last auction, I ran into a bureaucratic buzzsaw. I wanted to use a Visa debit card but was told I could charge only $2500; however, did I wish to make a partial payment, since my total owing was significantly more than that, or how about an electronic check transfer (no thanks.) PayPal was out of the question (huh?) Then I learned that I had to pay $500 or so in Florida sales tax (huh, again, since I thought Heritage is located in Texas and there is no mention of a Florida office on their face page.) I guess they are a licensed auction house here with a Palm Beach address but that sure isn't worth $500 to me. Finally, after what seemed like 3 days on the 'phone, we agreed that why don't I just cut them a check and send it by snail mail. Not a very friendly user experience.

PayPal costs them 2.9%. If everyone used PayPal then bidders premium would go up 2.9%. Everyone would prefer that not happen.

Since an electronic check is the exact same thing as a mailed check (you know they convert it electronically when received to transmit funds from your bank) only a bit safer (nobody physically handles it to possibly write down information) I'm not sure what the problem was. Only takes a minute longer than PayPal too. They couldn't make it much easier.

[Shoeless Moe]

...

[darwinbulldog]

We discussed this over the summer.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...ght=interstate

[Yoda]

Paul, great "gottcha," but I know you know the frustration when all you want to do is pay your money and get your cards. It has become a complicated hobby.

[Shoeless Moe]

No, I totally concur with you.....I was just looking for a funny Yoda-ism for you. : )

[egbeachley]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Paul, great "gottcha," but I know you know the frustration when all you want to do is pay your money and get your cards. It has become a complicated hobby.

But they made it so much easier, quicker, and safer by offering echecks rather than sending a paper check. It took me less than 1 minute to pay (faster than walking to my mailbox and back) plus I saved a stamp. And I will likely get my cards a few days faster than mailing a paper check.

When Heritage receives your paper check, they will convert the MICR encoding on the bottom into an electronic format and essentially create an echeck at that time to request payment from your bank. Your risk by sending a paper check is that it has your name and address along with the banking information. That is handled by a person at some point, and could get lost or stolen.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Paul, great "gottcha," but I know you know the frustration when all you want to do is pay your money and get your cards. It has become a complicated hobby.

Heritage's site is the best -- and the worst (apologies to Hunt, I'm trying to make a point). Best scans, most material for sale, links to prior items, opportunities to make offers on sold items, etc. But as you said, the site is complicated and tough to navigate at times. As for paying them, I think just getting them a check asap is your best bet: a surrender of sorts. To their credit, they ship before even being paid to long-time clients who have done a lot of business with them. And the e-check thing is really easy to set up.

I actually think Heritage has gotten much better with their site and taken some criticism to heart. And at the end of the day, they have the biggest scans in the business and that's perhaps most important of all.