International Business

[chiquitita]

I wonder... what is everyone's view on doing photo restoration internationally? If your business has a website, you are inevitably going to get restoration requests from other countries. What are the ups and downs to doing business internationally? Are there legal issues associated? Tax issues?

[thomasgeorge]

I think it sounds like a idea worth investigating!! Perhaps the Chamber of commerce would be a good place to start...They could point you in the right direction, at least as far as who else to contact....keep us informed of what you find out! I think you have an excellent idea!! Tom

[Sanda]

I've done quite a few international orders. Canada is the main place my international customers come from. Ocasionally I get some from the USA.
I had one recently everything went fine until I requested payment. She simply didn't send the cheque this is the first international customer who has defaulted in payment. She must have changed her mind, I believe it was because my postal address in Australia but I can't prove that.Maybe she didn't realize I was here, I just don't know. I have done the work but have not sent it to her so all I'm out is my time. But I'm a little peeved about it. It's clear that I'm in Australia on my web site in my contact information, which she used to contact me in the first place.

[gland]

Sandra,I wonder what difference it would make where you live. If you do the work at the contracted price, I guess I don't see the problem.

Dealing with the public can be frustrating sometimes.

[Sanda]

I might be being over critical of this particular situation. Maybe she would have defaulted where ever I was.

[chiquitita]

I guess I am wondering how it works if someone in Pakistan or China sends you a check - how does the bank read that and how would you know if it is for the correct amount?

Sanda,

Would the customer send you a check for the equivalent of your price in canadian money or USD? I think the key with international orders is to require a deposit, that way at least you won't loose all the money if they don't pay the remainder.

[Sanda]

I quote my prices in $US and ask for payment in $US for all international orders, it's too difficult to convert different currencies. My bank has no probelm with $US they do charge me a conversion fee but I take that into account when I quote.

[Doug Nelson]

I recently finished a job for a man in Argentina. He paid by cc and emailed me a scan, and I emailed back the finished work. Couldn't ask for a better client.

[Sanda]

Just had a new expreience with international orders. My client said she was paying by cheque but sent a money order instead. This poses a problem, the money order can only be cashed in the USA. So I have to work out what to do with it. I'm not sure if I send it back to her if she will be able to get a refund as the money order is made out to Photo Renovate. I just don't know what to do. Any suggestions or anybody know if money orders are refundable to the purchaser?

[CJ Swartz]

I'm not well-versed about money orders, but the Western Union website mentions that there is a fee for refunding a money order, so it sounds like they allow it for ones they write out. There is a Western Union office in Queensland that is listed as doing payouts IF the money order is one of theirs.

Western Union - AU

[Sanda]

Unfortunately it's not a Western Union one it's a United States Postal Service one. I've been told that because it has "Negotiable only in the U.S and Possessions" that there is no way I can cash it here in Australia. It looks like I'm going to have to send it back to the client, wait till somebody I know goes to the US to cash it or forfit the payment.

[Blacknight]

If it's made out to YOU, Sanda, how could someone cash it for you? If I could somehow, I would be more than happy to. I'll be in the US for a couple more weeks. Let me know. I can send you the money with pay pal if you can figure out how I could cash it for you. What a hassle, huh.

[Blacknight]

Just had a thought. Is there an american embassy there? That is considered american soil. Perhaps they could figure out a way for you...

[CJ Swartz]

Didn't find an embassy, but perhaps the U. S. Consulate could answer your questions --
U. S. Consulate - Sydney

[Sanda]

I'll try the consulate and see what they have to say.
I think even sending it back to the customer will be a problem as it's made out to my business name.

[Sanda]

I rang the US consulate this morning and there is no help availiable from them.

[CJ Swartz]

I rang the US consulate this morning and there is no help availiable from them

You'd think that "Yankee ingenuity" would figure a way to help a business trade with U. S. customers.

This is weird -- I don't see Australia listed as having an agreement to accept U.S.P.S. money orders, but Zimbabwe, Croatia, etc. are listed!
USPS - International Money Orders

Have you gone to a large office of your bank to inquire as to whether they will cash it -- it seems that it's up to them IF it is an International money order. If the customer told the Post Office where s/he was sending it, you'd think that they would have instructed him/her on what needed to be done.... You mentioned that it said "payable only in U.S..." -- if the customer didn't check to find out whether the money order was payable to you in Oz, then they should be embarrassed by their error. They should have a receipt that they can show to get their money back if you send them the uncashed money order.

[Sanda]

Apparently the money order is a US domestic money order that's why it can't be cashed in Australia. I'll contact the customer and hopefully she still has the receipt and she can either sent a international money order or pay through pay pal. I've learnt a valuable lesson not to accept money orders in the future for international orders.

[Aric]

I agree with Doug. We handle all of our out of town orders by credit card. At first we were scared that people would protest their charges after they receiveed our product, but that is yet to happen.

[corel]

Couldn’t you just deposit it at your bank and let them get the cash somehow.
At the very least your banker should be able to guide you as to your options.

Just a thought.

Corel (Ken)

[Sanda]

Ken,
I banked the money order but it was returned two days later as it was only cashable(is that a word?) in the USA. Apparently there are money orderss which can only be cashe in the US, they are the green ones and others which can be cashed world wide. I've solved the problem by sending it to a friend in the US who is going to cash it for me. I will never accept a money order again, so I've learnt something from the whole thing.