I have sent cash in US funds to several sellers in the UK. It was ALWAYS sent via Registered Mail - for an additional but modest fee which I thought reasonable and prudent to pay... and also with a Return Receipt signature confirmation for my additional peace of mind.
Certainly first class mail is cheaper, but to risk the loss of even a modest amount of money, I felt would have been foolish.
If the Registered Letter had somehow been lost in the mail... and the seller had insisted on this form of payment... I would have had ample documentation showing my good faith in having made the payment (and to the correct stipulated address), even if the funds were sent without insurance coverage.
In case of such a loss I think there "might" indeed be reasonable grounds for some mutually agreeable negotiations regarding the disposition of the requested goods. But this would not be something to be expected - unless it has been agreed upon beforehand in anticipation of such a worst case possibility.
In any case, failure to receive the agreed upon payment should NOT require the seller to automatically consent that any such "good faith" mailing was sufficient to then suffer the loss of his merchandise.
Although I am generally siding with Sellers, I should add that have ONLY acted as Buyer in such transactions, and I sent my cash understanding (or assuming) that there could always be some unforeseen mishap, and still I fully accepted this as part of the implicit arrangement between buyer and seller. Had I thought the risk too great, I simply would never have agreed on the purchase.
BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA
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