Recently I offered up some plants and told the member I could accept Paypal, or a Money Order, but no checks. Well guess what I received...yep, you guessed it, a personal check. I also won't accept stamps for Plants for Postage offers because I have no need for massive amounts of postage stamps. I do not use them on packages, as I mail Priority Mail, and have home pick-up. I have only been using the new Regional (flat) rate boxes which in most cases saves a considerable amount on postage. When using the Regional (flat) rate boxes, postage must be printed and prepaid at home or office as opposed to being paid at the PO window.

In my first recent 'Plants for Postage offer I posted this, "I will be making other posts with other daylilies and things I will be shovel pruning. If you miss out because of not having Paypal, perhaps you can think of a friend or someone who could cover it for you. ".
For years I didn't have Paypal (like you, just did not want it) and a good friend (and neighbor) paid for things for me from her Paypal account...I would imagine about anyone would know of someone who would happily send a small postage payment via paypal for a friend.

In other words, you don't seem to understand the difference between a trader and a member that is offering plants for postage.

You don't understand the difference between a trade and an offer of plants, tubers rhizomes for postage;

and that is why you are have problems understanding the use of paypal by some members.

A trade is something that is done between 2 members and they agree on the items that will be traded. Each member pays for and sends their end of the trade directly to the other member and the only thing that goes between the members is what was traded between the 2 members. Postage is not sent between members, and any attempt at using paypal for a trade would be against the forum rules and be considered selling and that is not allowed.

When a member offers various plants, divisions, etc. for postage, then the member that wants to participate in the offer must send the required postage to send the plants.

That is where the use of paypal gets involved. The cost of sending plants is quite a bit higher than sending seeds, considerably more and must be sent in a box, properly packed and sent fairly quickly after being dug and packed.

The ease of using paypal gets the money to the member that is sending the plants etc. quickly and also gets the plants off to their knew home quickly as well.
It's at least twice as fast as waiting for the money to arrive in the mail, then getting the check etc. cashed, money clear the bank etc to be sure that the checks won't bounce, and I can't imagine anyone willing to accept a personal check from a stranger on GW for the cost.

The costs can range anywhere from $4.97 all the way up to $14.62 and that's just for postage, it doesn't include the purchase of a box, if that is done.

Stamps, as you state "you love" are wonderful for seed trades, seeds for postage, but the idea of waiting for stamps to put on a box of plants to send off just doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense to me and I would guess to most people.

It makes far more sense to use paypal, and it's so easy to use, quick, convenient and gets those precious plants out in the mail and received so much quicker.

Paypal is not for trades, or for seeds for postage either, as you are indicating in you post and questions. It is for the ease, convenience, speed and safety for both parties involved in a plants for postage offer and nothing more.

Seems to me to be a great idea, great way to do things and works well.

Fran

Your post office and the employee in it are breaking the regulations that the post office has and listed on their own website as well.

I would venture to guess that if "higher ups" find out what she is doing, she may not have a job, and you will no longer be able to pay for postage the way you have been.

From the PO website

You can also pay for postage using these more traditional methods:

Cash - Paying with cash at the Post Office� is quick and easy.
Credit Card - Paying for postage with your credit card in person or online is convenient, quick and safe.
Check - Paying with a check gives you a record of your postage payments. Personal checks require two forms of ID. Traveler�s checks and gift cards can be used with a minimum purchase of half the value of the check.

As you can see it states "Personal checks require two forms of ID."

If you are paying with someone else's check that is written out to the PO, you can not provide 2 forms of ID to verify you are that person.

How pray tell does one trade something for postage.

If the member is paying the postage for plants, etc to be sent to them, that is not a trade no matter how one tries to make it sound like it is.

A trade is the exchange of plants, etc from one member to another and the other member, in turn, sends plants etc in exchange.

Whether they are equal amounts or not is something that the 2 members decide on between each other.

Sending seeds, plants, divisions, cuttings etc. to a member after the member sends the required amount of postage is not a trade.
This is paying the cost of shipping the items to the member.

Again, it is you that just doesn't understand the difference between a trade and offers for postage which are not a trade, at least they are not a trade on GW. Maybe they are on other forums that you are/have been on, but not on GW and that has not changed in the more than 8 years I have been on GW.

Fran

That's for sure!