<VV> New US Customs Warning (No direct Corvair)

[Bill Elliott]

With the current strength of the Canadian dollar, we are seeing more sales go across the border, so I 
thought this might be of use to anyone selling anything outside of the country.

As many of you know, I sold a few cars off recently to be able to downsize into my garages. One of those 
cars was bought by a Canadian who Fedexed me a cashiers check from his bank. 

Now with all of the recent cashiers check scams this may have seemed like a bad idea, BUT this person was 
known to me and I knew the check was real and valid.

Enter US Customs. When the check was clearing Customs, they seized it. Apparently there is a new policy in 
place (most likely due to the cashier check scams) that all checks over $xxxx (they would never reveal that 
number) are seized by Customs and personally verified by a Customs agent with the issuing bank.

It took two weeks for Customs to even GET to my check (at one point I was told I was over 1000 down on 
their list) and then once they got to it they played phone tag with the bank for another couple weeks. 

(Obviously banks aren't set up for this sort of verification, so their own internal red tape takes time to churn 
through this new procedure. he buyer did everything he could for me, prompting his branch to proactively 
contact the Customs office.)

So after expecting an overnight Fedex delivery on September 9th, I received it this morning October 10th.

If you are selling anything overseas, I would no longer consider a cashiers check (bank draft) an acceptable 
form of payment. Insist on electronic funds transfer.

Bill