WC Tapes...and donations to Peter G

[edew]

The Golden Gate Fencing Center in San Francisco has volunteered to match dollar for dollar on all donations to the Peter Gustafsson Son Fund up to $400. Those interested in obtaining copies of the videos from the 2002 World Championships tapes can download the order form at:

www.eskimo.com/~edew/home/tape_order.html.

If you wish to make a donation, either add in the amount for the donation or put a separate check for the amount.

I have advised people that they can pay the donation directly to me, wherein I change the amount into cold-hard cash and send that (always with a bit of trepidation in case the mail gets lost or broken into) to Peter G, or you can write a check out to Peter directly. However, I was told by him that depositing a check made out in US funds requires the bank (or the Gov't) to take a significant bite out of the amount. Which is why I have always sent him cash.

BTW, the tapes (as listed on the ordering form) are going to the duplicator today. In the meantime, I will be making the weapons specific version and they will be available for ordering as well.

[MikeHarm]

You send cash through the mail? Bad, bad, bad idea.

[edew]

I know. That's why I cringe everytime I do it. Anyone else have an idea of how I can send money to Sweden without the authorities here or there taking a sizable chunk?

[Purple Fencer]

Ask your local drug lord...

[Inquartata]

Can't they cash checks over there? Maybe at a consulate or Embassy?

[edew]

Of course they can cash checks there. But not without some exorbitant charge. Maybe Peter G, if he reads this, can elaborate. Basically, he told me that it will be some not-so-nice "tax" to cash the checks. Unless you manage to have a swedish kronen checking account.

[Chris Aher]

Eric,

There are several different ways to do this safely, including an international wire transfer. I'll talk to one of our International Relations guys here at MCI International to find out which is best in this situation. They deal with this kind of thing occasionally. I'll get back to you next week sometime.

Peter,

It would help if I had the particulars. Send me a private message on this board or to my email: Chris.Aher@wcom.com

Regards,
Chris

PS: I sent my order in yesterday with a contribution included.

[damianip]

How about American Express traveller's cheques (or gift cheques)?

Might that work.

Just a guess.

Paolo

[nahouw]

Originally posted by edew
Of course they can cash checks there. But not without some exorbitant charge. Maybe Peter G, if he reads this, can elaborate. Basically, he told me that it will be some not-so-nice "tax" to cash the checks. Unless you manage to have a swedish kronen checking account.

I understand why -- for example, in Holland, they don't exactly use checks -- it is a very open and honest system that they have, in which you just pay your bills by giving your account number and the money is deducted directly. Which is why check processing is an added expense for the extra work involved (back office check processing happens to be a highly labor intensive process).

You should be able to do a regular ACH transfer (ask your bank about how this can happen overseas -- you should only need Peter's bank routing number and account number, and it is easily done from account to account). Most banks in the US will allow free ACH transfers. The other option is a wire transfer, but then again most US banks will charge for that (usually about $5, some charge more -- you can hold all the moneys and then do a lump sum).

Another option is to set up a joint account with Peter -- in that way, you can put the money in, and he can withdraw it, and since you 2 are the acount holders, no charges will be incurred.

Ask your bank's customer service representative for the cheapest way to do this under their terms.

[Rashunda]

Originally posted by nahouw
I understand why -- for example, in Holland, they don't exactly use checks -- it is a very open and honest system that they have, in which you just pay your bills by giving your account number and the money is deducted directly. Which is why check processing is an added expense for the extra work involved (back office check processing happens to be a highly labor intensive process).

It's the same here in Switzerland, there's no such thing as checks. As a matter of fact I think it's like this in quite a few European countries. Good advice on asking the bank.

[edew]

(A) I have not contacted Peter G about this matter, hoping that he'll read this thread and be able to provide a conclusive decision on how best to receive money.

(B) I've received $304 worth of donations to Peter, not including the Golden Gate Fencing Center's match.

(C) I just completed a sabre only tape. 3 hours. The poll feature for this site seems to be missing, so I don't know how many people are interested in getting weapons-specific tapes. Folks, give me a clue on your (actual) interest in weapons-specific tapes. Sabre and epee will be 3 hour tapes, the foil will be a 2-hour tape.

If there are more than 10 for each weapon, I can make them for the same value that I set for the other three tapes.

Don't PM or email me, just reply here and maybe Craig can make a poll concerning this.

[Craig]

Eric,

You should be able to post a poll. I think you have to do it with the start of a thread though. Try starting a new thread on tapes and see if you can add a poll. If you can't, let me know and I'll add it.

Cheers,
Craig

[Peach]

I had already sent my payment & order too late to make a choice, but I would really really prefer sabre-only. I don't get much out of epee or foil except the amusement of fast-forwarding through it.

[Gav]

A while back I had to purchase something from America but had no way of paying byCredit Card. I asked around and there were 2 options, I could draw a bank cheque in foreign currency (dollars in this case) or I could purchase an International Money Order. Due to the charges my bank was going to charge me I opted for the IMO. It worked out about £1 = $1, way over the odds.

These days I'm with a newer bank with much more reasonable charges for a bankers cheque (ie none!) so in the future I'll get the bank to do all the grunt work.

[Dave]

I have just bought some conductive thread for lame repair from Canada and found that the only way to get the money sent without paying exorbitant charges was using paypal.

[edew]

Paypal may really be the way to go.

As for the weapons-specific tapes, sorry Delia, it was my "marketing" mistake to assume that people might want to watch other weapons for interest and/or pointers.

I don't know about others, but I learn a lot from watching other weapons, and get tips on what I can do to incorporate some such actions in my foil game. Sabre may be such a different beast that it can't learn much from foil or epee, but foil does and can learn a lot from sabre and foil.

[Peach]

I agree that you can learn from other weapons, admire the idea, and admit that both my coaches are basically epee coaches, but having started as late as I did I tend to concentrate on learning one weapon--its timing, distance, technique, and general style--as well as I can. That's just me, though.

[135711]

ERIC;
USE PAYPAL. I used it to pay my fencing dues, it works just fine. Open an account, I move money through paypal really easy, the only thing is don't put too much in too fast, because right after 911, everything froze up...... You can list several bank accounts in Paypal, you can RELOCATE[as i did] and your monies there!

[JEC]

Interested in epee and foil specific tapes.

[Inquartata]

As you know, I too am up for a sabre-specific tape. The only reason I haven't pre-ordered already is that it wasn't an option on the order form I printed out, so I was dithering...