Paying for Supplements on the net, question please
 

I wanted to order some B12 Methyl' vitamins through Iherb but they don't except Paypal which is all i use, i don't like credit cards so does anyone Know if there is any USA internet supplement store that excepts Paypal for payment ?
thanks for any help,
Brian :)

What a good question.

Did you google it at all?

Yep, sure did, was starting to drive me crazy so i thought someone here might know, i can send a international cheque so no big problem, but Paypal is so easy & quick.

I've only ever used PayPal on Ebay.

I can see your point, though, about the comparative speed.

I'm sure that if I weren't so extremely stressed right now (and tired) I could think of something more helpful than mere agreement.

Good luck.

Hi again, Brian,

I wrote to Vitacost last night (or was it early morning) and asked them about accepting PayPal.

It turns out they will be accepting it in about a month, they've been working on it, and it's almost in place.

The thing is, that they no longer ship to Australia because of "certain customs restrictions."

I guess they haven't shipped there since 2005. So my site is way out of date.

I wish the news was totally good.

Thanks a lot for asking them, i appreciate that, with Australian customs you can import it now, but some restrictions, like you can't order anymore than 3 months supply at one given time, its deemed by the total amount of mg's the manufacturer says is the daily max amount, i was hoping to get " Jarrows 5mg strength " but will have to find out how much they say is total amount for one day, which we all know there really isn't a limit.

I'm a little unclear.

Are you wanting me to tell them that, and see if they will begin shipping to Australia again?

Brian
 

or anyone please explain paypal to me,i know folks use it for E-bay
Toy r us and some stores. Thank you...Sue

You can have PayPal verify money in your bank account, and then you can use PayPal to pay for things ...

a lot of people don't want credit cards, so this is great for them.

I think eBay invented it.

G'day Brian,

Can't help you with the Jarrows, sorry. However, there's this compounding pharmacy services place that I've found. It says it's approved by The Pharmacy Board of NSW. On their ordering page, they mention that you can phone them, so I figure if you can phone them, then you can probably pay by credit card or organize other payment options e.g. cheque, etc.. I really don't know, but here's the site. It's awfully expensive though!!! :eek:

You might be able to just phone them and ask. They appear to be based in Ballina, N.S.W. Contact details including phone number and fax are at the bottom of their website. Even if they can't help you then they may know more about how to get it some other way. I know there's a place in Everton Park in Brisbane that is selling it, but have not been able to find the address of the shop or even the name of the shop. As I mentioned on another site, I think that it's some sort of Sports Supplement business.


http://www.custommedicine.com.au/order.php
http://www.custommedicine.com.au/shop/
Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) 4mg Lozenges 30 loz
$59.09

I have absolutely no idea if this is of any use to you or anything about this company. Just thought I'd pass it on as I know how difficult it is to find here in Australia.

Hi Lara,
That seems outrageously expensive to me.

Jarrow is great quality and a fraction of the cost for a lot more of the lozenges of a higher mg.

I'd use the inf. that Brian posted if I were you to order from the States.

No, its ok, but thanks anyway, i just that i have to find out what " Jarrows " print on their bottles as max amount b12 for one day, seeing you can't import more than 3 months supply at one given time, seeing they have 5mg strength, i thought they are the best value for money.

Yes, it is expensive. That's why I mentioned it.
It's also in Australian Dollars.

I'm not ordering it. I had been trying to find it available to purchase over the counter in Australia for a long time and especially since the other thread we had going here a couple of weeks back. I thought that Brian might not have seen that compounding services site. It's a tricky thing trying to order supplements when not able or wishing to put credit card online.

Oh, well, I already wrote to them.

Perhaps it will be useful to someone else.

You can go to Vitacost and read the label. :)

Hi Lara,

Yes. I see.

Well, good luck. :)

Sixty bucks for 30 losenges and 4 mgs at that?? Holy Cow.

I go to iherb.com and pay something like $18.00 for 60 losenges of 5000 mcgs.

Boy, is that a great deal or what???

And the stuff worked on me.

Mel

:)

Yes, I wouldn't want to pay so much more.

And, at Vitacost where I buy mine, it's even cheaper. But I don't know what the comparative shipping costs are. At Vitacost it's $4.99 for even a huge order. But it's also the same amount if I just buy one thing.

Brian jarrows says one 5mg lozenge every 3 or 4 days....hows that for being exact...the one mg lozenge says one every 2 to 3 days....so much for consistancy

Hey, I think I'm going to look into Vitacost. If it's cheaper than iherb.com, then why not?? I mean, I'll be on this Methyl B-12 probably for the rest of my life. Gives me a lot of energy too!!!

Melody

Hi Lara, thanks very much for that site, much appreciated , about 4 years ago when i found the old BT forum, i was paying $75 for a bottle of "Life Extension" 1 mg- b12 Methyl, i was getting it through customs via another country, but only brought a couple of bottles just far to expensive, i told my neuro about it and he said " i will give you scripts for Hydroxocobalamin " to save your money, so i just done that, but kept up the b12 Cynno supplements as well.
Thanks again, Lara now i just got sort out the cheapest way.
Brian :)

Fantastic, thanks Joe, knowing our stupid customs they will take it as one - 5mg loz every 4 days, for sure mate.
thanks again
Brian :)

Hi Sue, I only joined Paypal a couple months back, i have been using it on Ebay as well, but not all sellers on Ebay in Australia will accept it, but a few do.
I dislike credit cards myself, don't like spending money that i haven't saved already myself, that's the good thing about Paypal it just deducts money from my own bank account and doesn't cost a mint to run, like some credit cards do.
all the best,
Brian :)

May I ask....
 

Why the absolute refusal for a credit card?

Is it because you think it will be stolen...used without your permission?

Or do you not trust yourself ( I know this is embarassing to ask)

If it is the former...let me offer this experience.

We have one Visa that we only use on the internet. I have used it to buy music CDs from Britain and it worked very well.
In the several years we have used it...on many sites, there has never been a theft. But then we only use it on secured places.
Visa has a guarantee that any fraud purchase is quickly refunded.

My son years ago bought something from a "person" with his Capitol one card.
That person did steal the number for use at a porn site. He just called them up and all purchases were refunded that were fraudently done. No fights, nada. That was his only experience, so now he knows to use only secured places.

If you got a Visa to only use the way we do carefully, it is easy to track, and very refundable. It would solve the whole problem and secure for you what you need at a very low price, with little effort. So basically that is what I would do. Use a Visa.

We are not big credit card users. Emergency car repairs is the most I've done on them. We use two rebate Visa cards now locally, and pay them off each month and get rebates on them besides. It takes some discipline, but now it is working for us. Each one is sponsored from a discount club, so their rebates pay for the membership plus more for us.

I don't know how Aussies do their laws however, but I would expect Visa to have similar rules across the board. That is just my 2 cents.

If you have "credit" issues, there are cards now that YOU pay into, like a bank and then use to buy things. I wonder if you have
those there down under? They are really handy. That way you really control how much is available to spend if you worry about theft.

Hi Mrs D, i have always only used cash for everything i buy, i know it's old fashioned these days but just feel a lot safer that way, i have a bank auto teller card for any emergencies, which nearly all retailers and other's in OZ will accept no problems, so i am also covered for like any major repair's for my car that may pop up if traveling a long way away from home too.

My reluctance for having a credit card is that if say my wallet got stolen or lost or the possibility of someone hacking into my credit card details on the net is a worry, i know you can notify the credit card company when you realize its been stolen or lost but i don't need all the hassles of proving it was not me that wasn't spending the money in the time i had not noticed it gone, i don't use internet banking for the same reason, there are a lot of very clever cyber thief's out there that are very capable of getting into what is thought to be a secure site, they can even get through very sophisticated large banking securities and transfer people's money to other overseas accounts, so this is my reasons as well as the extremely high interest rates that credit cards seem to attract.
I am even considering closing my Paypal account, there is already a bogus Paypal site been found, so it looks like postal cheques are for me if buying stuff off the net, but i do appreciate your thoughts.
thanks,
Brian :)

I understand your reluctance...
 

In my case, I don't like PayPal at all, I refuse to use it. So it is very individual.

If you don't use the card alot, and save it only for a certain purpose, it won't be likely stolen or misused.

I was dubious when the Visa check card came to us from our bank years ago without our asking. But it has been 10 yrs now and not one error.

I just wanted to assure you that the horror stories don't happen to everyone.

Good luck in what you choose. Just get what you need...that is important.

G'day mrsd and Brian! :)
You're not alone, Brian. I don't like credit either. Many reasons. No internet banking either. I think we're a cautious lot. I ended up getting a visa debit card rather than a credit card. Works exactly the same way except that it's not credit, only uses money that I have in account. Works for all the same things a credit card would work for though. They used to be very hard to get, with banks preferring people get credit and make a fortune out of their customers and give absolutely nothing in return. :rolleyes: Banks are almost giving away credit cards here and targeting people who just shouldn't be getting them.

You go to a bank to get robbed around here. I think I've only used it online once to order a TS dvd for someone in NZ who didn't have a credit card lol

here in the states you can get a pre-paid visa card at grocery and gas stations now. you load it with however much you want. you don't have to give them any personal information.

works great for online buying.

brian, let me see if i can find the website. my 13 yr old got one for her birthday last spring. new fangled gift card. but i have put money on it since. safer than her using cash when going to the movies with friends, that type of thing.

G'day curious. Thanks for the reminder. I vaguely remember my daughter telling me about them here too. Very new here. i.e. last few months or so (my daughter... the shopaholic should never be allowed a credit card LOL)

p.s. Bopo is one here in Au.
http://www.bopo.com.au/Home.aspx#
Can recharge at newsagents. No bank account needed.
There are others.

Pardon if someone has already mentioned any of this.

Credit cards are actually very safe. Not only is there a low limit (if any) that you would be held responsible for, but there is also extra leverage if there is a problem with a product or service. And many cards even provide extra warrantee time.

Watch out for cards that draw from your bank account. :eek: Yikes.

I have never had a problem with using my credit card online (and have done so for years), but several years ago my employer stole my identity. Aaaargh. Who'da ever thought that would happen.

rose

Rose,
It's a very personalized decision I guess.
Not all of us are working any more. Need to be employed to have a credit card here unless something has drastically changed. I've never had a problem with my debit card either but I very rarely use it. Usually I just use my regular debit card (not visa but same accounts) There is no need. It's just very handy to have that number when a card is required. e.g. car hire on vacation. Can't hire unless have a visa card, either debit or credit. Lot of places work that way.

Lara, yeah i agree, it's nearly criminal how banks are giving them away to the one's that really can't afford them, a few weeks back on Current affairs, did you see how a girl applied and got a credit card for her cat using the cats name and actually got it ? :D:D
Thanks for that site, i like the prepaid idea too, i will check that out. thanks. :)

Curious, the one Lara mentioned sounds similar to the one you speak of, would be very handy for buying stuff off the net, a lot faster than snail mail.:)

Rose, i also think it is dangerous debiting directly from your bank account, they say Paypal is safe but i don't know so much really, i would prefer the prepaid one that you can leave small amounts in it, just enough to purchase stuff over the net, what a boss you had, boy that's unreal coming from an employer, identify theft is very common these days too, its unreal what some low life's will do.

Brian :)

Rose:

You said "Watch out for cards that draw from your bank account. Yikes."

Mind if ask why you said Yikes?? If you have a certain amount of money in your bank account, and you use the debit card, then what is the problem??

Just curious.

Melody

melody,

some places like hotels and gas stations will put a "hold" on a certain amount of money. this can tie up your money for days or even weeks.

other than that...they are protected under the visa logo. just check with your bank on the procedures incase you ever have a problem. they might have a time limit to report or a an amount cap. (same with many credit cards)

i think if you are responsible and only go to secure sites, there wouldn't be a problem.

for me..i am not a credit card fan. i don't like paying interest. if i don't have all the money to buy something, then i wait until i do.

(hubby has some...for emergancies and if we would ever have to use one at a hotel or such..rent a car. slim chance...we don't vacation.

brian. yes, that card is the same type we have here. really, they are great. i found that my daughter really watches her money. no more finding loose change places. it's like she gets the full amount for her money now. she really watches it too. hehehe...no more asking mom for a few dollars either. :D

Curious:

You said "some places like hotels and gas stations will put a "hold" on a certain amount of money. this can tie up your money for days or even weeks."

Let me see if I have this straight. Let's say I bank at XYZ Bank. I have a bank card which I can use either as a debit card or a credit card. When I go to any store, and use it as a debit card (let's say I'm shopping at the supermarket), I buy $50 worth of groceries. I have more than enough in my checking account to cover this amount. I use the card as a debit card. I swipe it. I have to put a PIN number in when I use a debit card.

Are you saying, that if I were to do this in a gas station or a hotel, the place would put a hold on the $50.00. I don't understand this.

I simply assumed, that when I went to any place and used my bank card as a debit card (and not a credit card), that it would simply take the money from my checking account and that would be it.

Am I mistaken?

Thanks.
Melody

i hope this helps. imo the places should make this known. hubby and found out about it on our honey moon.

we went to dallas to a very upscale expensive hotel. we were treated like garbage. mistake we made...changing our clothes before we got there. me out of a wedding dress. we were dressed in very nice nike sweat suits.

hubby gave them his visa debit card. the guy rolled his eyes and said"i take you dont have a credit card? we have to put a hold on your card and you won't have money to spend". :eek: first off..the guy had no idea how much money hubby had in his account. we ended up not staying there. the guy just kept getting more rude. later we got a letter for a free night..but never used it.

Credit cards and interest
 

Dear Curious:

One does not pay interest on credit card bills if the month's bill is paid every month. It is only when you don't pay every month that interest is charged. At least this is my understanding and how my bank's credit card works.

Also, I never heard of debit cards causing "holds". I plan to use mine only in Aldi's grocery stores, which don't accept either credit cards or checks.

Shirley H.

oh i know this. but then why not just pay cash?

my post said hotels and gas stations. card such as the visa or mastercard debit cards. i know grocery stores don't do this. they are retail.

Debit or credit card "holds"
 

Yikes! Just looked this up on Google. "Holds" might be put on by such places as gas stations, (because of the high cost of a tankful) hotels, car rental companies. They want to make sure there is enough money in the account to cover their charges.

Everyone needs to look this up, too. I plan to stop in at my bank and inquire about their policy for grocery store use.

Thanks to the poster that alerted us to this practice. I had never heard of it before, but then I had never applied for a debit card, either. We sure learn a lot from our fellow posters. Thanks again.

Shirley H.

Melody,

The problem is that if someone does get your information they can clean out the account it's connected to. Unfortunately, a lot of institutions are offering incentives to get people to use debit cards, and when debit cards are used the advantages of a credit card are lost and there is a real chance a person can lose the money in their account.

For those who must use a debit card for one reason or another, don't connect it to an account with lots of money in it.

For people who are able to keep their credit card use under control and pay it off every month, there are great advantages to using one: a record of purchases, convenience, extra warrantee time, recourse in case of a bad purchase experience, limited to no liability if lost or information stolen, and even in some cases cash back periodically.

rose

Why not just pay cash?
 

Dear Curious:

In order to pay cash at the grocery which doesn't accept a credit card or check, I would have to stop at the bank each time. Even though the bank is on the way, this is not very convenient. Plus we live in a very large metropolitan area and I don't like to be carrying a lot of cash.

Shirley H.