ORDERING ON LINE

I use paypal for all my orders online.  They not only give you the security of not giving out details of you bank acct.  Also you get the protection of a seller not abiding by the agreement you can challenge or dispute the transaction.

I do a lot of online ordering i am hesitant on companies from China and Japan, they charge the same as a U.S. distributor plus the added overseas shipping cost are outrageous.  I have ordered from Australia with great success.   Cheap and only 10 days from time of ordering to delivery.

Money Order is a great way to get ripped off with zero recourse. Use paypal when possible or you are putting all your faith in the integrity of a total stranger.

I look specifically for Paypal as an accepted method of payment.

Phishing is like "charitable" phone solicitation. They never get a chance with me. If I get an email from PayPal or a bank/credit card I actually deal with, the email gets shut down, no attachments are opened and I go to the real website to see if there's an issue. That people continue to get taken by these emails is just amazing to me.

Remember, there are still people who fall for phone and door to door scams, not to mention the nfamous "Nigerian Scam."

Yes, PayPal adds another player to the mix, but that player can be a real good one to have in your corner if the seller reneges. They will back you up.

tankerbuilder

Like you DON , I have ordered from these companies as well. Very good luck thereafter. Now , with the newer guys (EDUARD etc. ) I have been careful .My experience with both E-Bay pruchases and TOM'S as well as GOLD MEDAL models has been good to great  Both use PAY-PAL . So Pay-pal is really not the burden it seems . I just don't like using it .      tanker-builder

I have had to order stuff from single-source vendors, and had to open a Pay Pal account.  Like you, I don't like it- not sure why.  Two possible reasons- first is it just adds another player to game.  Second possible reason is that when phishing really got going, the first phishing emails I received were about my paypal account, and this was before I had an account :-)

I always used Squadron or Sprue Bros for most of my hobby needs when I order on line and never had any issues with them. When I order something from a new vendor I usually just place a small order first to see if there's a problem with that business filling and shipping orders.

Today I just received in the mail a 1/24th Luftwaffe harness belt set I ordered from Ultracast in Canada. It was the first time I dealt with them,  they were quick to respond to my emails and to get the order out and I would recommend them to fellow modelers. P.S. the belt set looks awsome too.

Scott 

Like you DON , I have ordered from these companies as well. Very good luck thereafter. Now , with the newer guys (EDUARD etc. ) I have been careful .My experience with both E-Bay pruchases and TOM'S as well as GOLD MEDAL models has been good to great  Both use PAY-PAL . So Pay-pal is really not the burden it seems . I just don't like using it .      tanker-builder

I have for years ordered stuff "mail order", phoning in an order in the old days and more recently ordering online. I have had very good luck with Squadron, Micro Mark, and Model Expo.  I do tend to be cautious with a company I do not know until I have established a track record with them.  If you have a brand name credit card, most credit card companies will stand behind you when you dispute a charge.

What we tend to see in these (and other onine sources) are the complaints, the small percentage of buyers who didn't read or understand the shop's policies. While I prefer to shop locally to support the guys who are going to be there wnen I run out of glue or paint, there are some lines not available here and some online deals are  just too good to pass up .

Paypal is an excellent way of transferring funds. You can protect your privacy and funds through the use of a Paypal specific email address and a prepaid or low limit credit card. In the many years I've used Paypal, I've only had one bad dealer (not modeling related so the name is irrelevant) . The involvement of Paypal's dispute process got me a refund immediately. Using a check or money order, if these would even be accepted, would leave you pretty much high and dry resorting to the courts or postal fraud divisions involving several jurisdictions.

When I've sold on Ebay, I've only considered Paypal. The money is in escrow as soon as it is transferred and I can ship the item. With a check, I'd have to wait for the buyer to get it into the mail,for the check to be deliverwed,  then wait for it to clear before I'd feel safe in shipping, making both myself and the buyer wait longer than we'd like to close the transaction.

With Paypal's method of funds transfer you are much safer than using a credit or debit card at a brick and mortar business. We've had our cards compromised a couple times right after a shopping trip. While  we lost no money, it was a PitA to have to get a temporary card then change all recurring payments to the new number when the new card arrived.

Finally, as a friend of mine used to say, "beating this horse to a dead beat," LuckyModel's availability is pretty clearly stated:

3. Product Availability

The product availability estimate refers to the time it will take the item to leave our fulfillment center once you place your order. The product availability will be shown on each detailed product description screen. The product availability will show as:

In Stock

Available (available to order)

Backorder

Preorder

The listed availability might not be applicable for sudden increase in demand for an item. If any items in your order proved to be unavailable, we will inform you for details. All items from an order not in stock and with uncertain availability or discontinued items will not be backordered

All I can say for anyone considering doing any type of purchases online with a vendor you've never done business with is to be wary and educate yourself. A little research, a question asked here or there can go a long way towards saving you a ton of trouble later.