Sigh.
A parcel sent on the 21st of April (prepaid on-time NEXT DAY delivery guaranteed) did not arrive until TODAY. Today is the 27th of April!!!!! Now, I know the package says 1-3 days. And I imagine that means 1 to 3 business days. So, even giving them the 3 business days, the package still should have been here on FRIDAY! Granted, we are in a “remote location” but we’re not that remote!
(Note: I went and read at the website (under Xpresspost, linked below) and WOW they’ve created a huge loop-hole for themselves.)
Let’s just say that sending a cheque via Canada Post “snail mail”, even through their Xpresspost system, is not the best way to send money. But there is a method that is better and much more efficient.
It’s called a Money Gram. Because our bank holds out-of-province / out-of-country cheques for 20 days, sending us a cheque won’t be of immediate help. (Not that I’m asking for help, I’m just saying, that it wouldn’t be of immediate help to a friend or family member of yours, if they were in a similar situation. If you get what I’m saying.) And I’ve had a couple of friends (whom I’ve never met) who so graciously blessed my family with some funds using this Money Gram service.
What my dear friends did was went to their local Wal-Mart (a Money Gram “agent”, if you will), filled out a short form including sender and receiver information. They instant messaged me the reference number. I then went into my Canada Post “venue” and gave them the number and my id. I left the post office with either a cheque or cash (if their cash drawer has enough to get them through the day). Now the cheque could cause some individuals some problems at the banks, but it depends on the bank and branch would be my guess.
While I was picking up the last Money Gram I received, the lady at the post office said that she had a man come in with a Canadian money order that the bank would not cash for him. She said that his bank told him that they would hold the amount for a week. So he brought the money order to the post office to have them cash it for him. When I went to my bank to cash my Money Gram cheque I was kind of expecting some trouble getting the cash. When the cashier very willingly handed me the money I asked her about this other “story” that I’d been told. She explained to me that when a bank cashs a cheque or a money order, that action is based on what is in the client’s account. That way if the cheque bounces, the bank can just get their money back by debting your account.
Sending money from a Wal-Mart or other physical location is not the only option either. If you visit the money gram website, you will see that you can send money safely online with your credit card as well. In addition, you can pay bills and transfer money between accounts. I encourage you to check it out!
Learning to live my life with purpose,
