Larry Pieniazek's LEGO® Factoring Service    

NOTICE of Price Changes

Just in case it is in any way unclear:
No affiliation with The Lego Group is implied or intended. See disclaimer

I will be increasing my prices to balance demand and effort expended, and to incent certain transaction types, effective 1 April 2000 at 12:00:01 AM Eastern time (based on email time stamps and my whim). Transactions submitted sufficiently "ahead" of the deadline will be under the old fees. Again, my whim, so don't cut it close, please.

This page is to let you see the new rates. I put it in front of the real factor request page so everyone has to see it before they can get to the real factor request page. It has the name the old real page did. If you didn't see this page because someone sent you the link to the actual page, that is unfortunate. Please let me know who it was. They should not be linking directly to that page as the name will change back once the new rates have been in effect for long enough. Ignorance of the new rates does NOT mean you're not subject to them.

These rates are intended to replace or supplant the rates posted in my general information page but they may not necessarily be exhaustive, I may have forgotten about a situation. In that case I reserve the right to impose a reasonable fee.

Note:This table is a little complicated. I welcome feedback on whether you can follow it. What makes it hard is that there are so many possible permutations.

Fees may be paid by the seller or by the buyer, it is up to the two of them to decide. In any case all fees (even if imposed after the transaction is theoretically complete) will be deducted from the net amount the seller receives.

General Notes:

Submission of the factoring form signifies your acceptance of these terms and fees.

New Rates

Payment Receipt Side
Fee Service Fee
Recepient
1.00
(discounted US
receipt rate)
My receiving a US payment (typically from a buyer) via X.com or PayPal.com.

Note: To qualify for this discounted rate, the payment must in the email generated by X, or in a follow up email by payee clearly describe the specific transaction in sufficient detail for me to easily correlate it (buyer, seller identification should usually suffice.) Otherwise the standard rate applies.

Note: to qualify for this discounted rate, the buyer must already have an X or Paypal account, or must get one and give me the referral bonus. Getting one after I prod them by email, but not giving me the bonus (which they get 1/2 of) disqualifies. So it's up to the seller to do the prodding in advance unless I for sure get the bonus. Once they stop paying referral bonuses, this waiver is null.

I reserve the right to subtract 1/2 the bonus from the completed transaction if somehow I don't get it after it was agreed I would, whether that is X or PayPal's fault, or someone else's

Me
1.50
(standard US
receipt rate)
My receiving a US payment via check or money order, or an X or Paypal that doesn't qualify because I have to go digging for what it applies to.

Note: My discretion on the latter. No appeal. You're paying an extra fee because it takes more steps and more paper handling than X or PayPal.

Me
2.00
(standard Canadian
receipt rate)
My receiving a Canadian payment via check or money order, in which I have to physically drive to a local bank where I have an account just to deposit these.

Note: My discretion on this. No appeal. You're paying the same extra fee as above, plus another fee because I have to drive somewhere to do it and wait for it to clear.

Me
.50
(standard factoree
receipt rate)
Receiving a payment in a foreign currency by a factoree.

Note: To qualify for this rate the payment must be in a "form the factoree can readily accept". This varies by country. More detail here later, but for example, in the UK, cheques are preffered. In Japan, Furikimi is preferred, in Germany direct bank transfer is preferred. Check first.

Note: In no case will Factoree lose money due to exchange rate losses. That has been happening and it's not acceptable. Any exchange rate loss will have to be borne by Payer or Payee, not Factoree.

Factoree's discretion on this. No appeal.

.25 to Factoree
.25 to Me
variable
(non standard
factoree
receipt rate)
Receiving a payment by a factoree in a way that "doesn't work out well". The factoree will be passing actual costs on. Plus I get a cut too.

Note: Factoree's call on this. No appeal. If the factoree said it didn't go well, you lose.

variable
to Factoree
(cost plus .50)
.50 to Me
Cost Plus 1.00
(Unexpected
occurance fee)
This is a fee to cover anything that might happen that I didn't think of. For example if I get hit with a bounced check fee, I pass that fee on and add a buck. If a factoree gets hit with a bank charge to deposit a payment, he passes that fee on and adds a buck (and then I add a buck too, just to be insulting) Me or
Factoree
Payment Transmission Side
Fee Service Fee
Recepient
1.00
(discounted US
payment rate)
My making a US payment (typically to a seller) via X.com or PayPal.com.

I will put info in the email generated by X or PayPal, or in a follow up email by payee clearly describe the specific transaction in sufficient detail for the seller to easily correlate it. (buyer, seller identification should usually suffice.)

Note: to qualify for this discounted rate, the seller must already have an X or Paypal account, or must get one and give me the referral bonus. Getting one after I prod them by email, but not giving me the bonus (which they get 1/2 of) disqualifies. So it's up to the buyer to do the prodding in advance unless I for sure get the bonus. Once they stop paying referral bonuses, this waiver is null.

I reserve the right to subtract 1/2 the bonus from the completed transaction if somehow I don't get it after it was agreed I would, whether that is X or PayPal's fault, or someone else's

Me
1.50
(standard Factoree
payment rate)
A factoree making a payment to a nonfactoree in the same country. To qualify it must be of a form the factoree "readily can make". In some cases the payee needs to take USD, in some cases the payee may need to pay exchange rate differences.

Note: In no case will Factoree lose money due to exchange rate losses. That has been happening and it's not acceptable. Any exchange rate loss will have to be borne by Payer or Payee, not Factoree.

Factoree's discretion on this. No appeal.

1.25 to Factoree
.25 to Me
2.00
(standard US
payment rate)
My making a US payment via check, that is, where I have to make out a check denominated in US funds and mail it to a US address...

This also applies to an X or Paypal that doesn't qualify for standard rates because I have to go digging for what it applies to, or prod the seller into accepting. (an example here would be if the X or PayPal ID is not clearly marked in the factoring form and I have to mail someone to ask what it is.)

Note: My discretion on the latter. No appeal.

Me
2.50
(standard
Canadian
payment rate)
My making a Canadian payment via a US check drawn in US funds, that is, where I have to mail someone in Canada a check. The extra 50 cents is to cover the increased postage and the fact that canadian addresses hurt my hands to write. Me
2.50
(US Cash
payment rate)
Making a US payment via cash, that is, where I have to send someone in the US cash...

This is not completely safe, but I haven't lost one yet and I will do it if you insist. You're paying for me to come up with something to wrap the cash into.

Note: Cash transmission risk is on the person requesting the transmission NOT me. Don't do it if you don't trust your seller.

Note: I can refuse to do this. No reason need be given. No appeal.

Me
3.50
(Foreign Cash
payment rate)
My making a payment via cash to a foreign country, that is, where I have to send someone not in the US cash...

This is not completely safe, but I haven't lost one yet and I will do it if you insist. You're paying for me to come up with something to wrap the cash into and because postage is quite a bit higher.

Note: Cash transmission risk is on the person requesting the transmission NOT me. Don't do it if you don't trust your seller.

Note: This is NOT the "send cash directly to a factoree" below under Factoree Specific Fees

Note: I can refuse to do this. No reason need be given. No appeal.

Me
6.00
(US Money Order
payment rate)
Making a US payment via money order, that is, where I have to go get a postal money order.

I HATE MONEY ORDERS!!!

If you make me use them you are going to pay through the nose for it. Part of the fee is my cost for the money order, part is because it annoys me.

Note: I can refuse to do this. No reason need be given. No appeal.

Me
7.00
(Non US
Money Order
payment rate)
Making a Non US payment via money order, that is, where I have to go get a postal money order.

I HATE MONEY ORDERS!!!

If you make me use them you are going to pay through the nose for it. Part of the fee is my cost for the money order, part is because it annoys me.

Note: I can refuse to do this. No reason need be given. No appeal.

Me
Cost Plus 1.00
(Unexpected
occurance fee)
This is a fee to cover anything that might happen that I didn't think of. For example if I have to pay for registered mail to send a payment, or if I got the wrong address and had to send a check two times, I pass the costs and add a buck. If a factoree gets hit with a bank charge to make a payment, he passes that fee on and adds a buck (and then I add a buck too, just to be insulting) Me or
Factoree
Miscellaneous Additional Fees
Fee Service Fee
Recepient
.25
(Nuisance
eMail rate)
"Excessive" emails. This is entirely my discretion. It is reasonable to ask about status, reasonable when new to the service to ask questions. But if you clearly have not read the multitudinous documentation or if you incessantly (more than once a week) ask about status of a particular transaction, I can, and will, slap your transaction with this fee. Keep doing it, and it will be a per email fee rather than a one time assessment.

Note: This assessment is entirely at my whim. Mo appeal. I assess it against whoever currently has money on the table since it's an after transaction fee, so the seller may have to come after the buyer for it later.

Me
.50 plus fee
(Payment
Pass Thru Fee)
Any interface with other payment/settlement systems
(for example, Bill Katz and Rufus factor for each other, for example, Todd Lehman keeps a running AucZILLA(tm) balance for buyers which I can make payments against to settle with a factoree)
which results in a fee being charged through: Actual fee plus 50 cents. Only charged if there is a fee charged by the other system. Currently AucZILLA(tm) balance transfer is free to me so this pass through fee doesn't apply.

Note: This assessment is in addition to the payment fee, which will usually be the discounted payment fee (ala X or PayPal)

Me
1.00
(Non USD
denominated
transaction rate)
This is for any transaction in which someone has to determine an exchange rate. ALL transactions are supposed to be carried out in USD and asking an exchange rate to be set is extra work for the person who does it, and for me because it means more emails to process.

Note: This fee is at the Factoree's discretion, who can choose to waive or apply it before the transaction commences, but won't change to imposing it after the transaction is under way. No appeal.

Note: In no case will Factoree lose money due to exchange rate losses. That has been happening and it's not acceptable. Any exchange rate loss will have to be borne by Payer or Payee, not Factoree.

Factoree's discretion on this. No appeal.

.50 to Me
.50 to Factoree
Factoree Specific Fees
These apply only to factorees
Fee Service Fee
Recepient
Free plus
Actual Cost
(Factoree funds
transmission rate)
For situations where I have to transmit money to a factoree because the balance is too large in the factoree's favor, I do not charge any fees. I only pass through actual costs. For example, if I mail cash or a check to a factoree, all the factoree pays for is the postage. If I buy a money order or do a bank wire, same deal.

Note: Although I don't charge fees, I DO reserve the right to refuse to use a particular mechanism. For instance I may decline to do a money order. However I will always have one mechanism available to you.

Me
Actual Cost
(Merchandise
Shipping Rate)
If I have to ship something to a factoree (either a reburst or a purchase) I charge the actual shipping cost, with no markup. Me
.50
(Interfactoree
Transfer Rate)
Any inter-factoree pure transfer.

Note: This fee only applies if no other fee would apply. Usually another one does, about the only time this one applies is when one Factoree wants to transfer money to another one with no one else involved.

Me
1.00
(Merchandise
Purchase Fee)
If I buy something on behalf of a factoree (and I don't do this for non factorees, so don't ask), this fee is in in addition to the actual cost of the merchandise and shipping charged by the firm where I bought it. This fee is per purchase request so if a Factoree has me buy 5 items of 3 different kinds in one request, then a few weeks later adds a single item that I have to buy, that would be two purchase requests.

Note:This is subject to arbitrarily large delays.

Me
2.00
(Merchandise
Forward Fee)
If I receive merchandise on behalf of a factoree, there is a 2 dollar charge. This charge applies per package forwarded, not received, so if I receive multiple items and forward them on in one big package, only one fee applies. Actual shipping costs are additional.

Note:This is subject to arbitrarily large delays.

Me
2.00
(Merchandise
Reburst Fee)
If I forward merchandise on behalf of a factoree, there is a 2 dollar charge. This charge applies per package forwarded, not received, so if I receive multiple items and forward them on in one big package, only one fee applies. Actual shipping costs are additional.

Note:This is subject to arbitrarily large delays.

Me
12 %
(Interest
CHARGE)
If a factoree has a balance with me that is more than 500 in my favor, the amount over 500 is subject to interest. This interest is simple interest at the rate of 12% per annum, calculated and charged whenever there is a change in your account balance due to a transaction, using a nominal 365 day per year fractional percentage.

Note: If you briefly go over, or if I forget, I may not impose this. Any such omission is not to be construed as a waiver of right to impose on future occurances, and further I reserve the right to impose it later for balance spans that qualify without specific notice.

Note: Previously the threshold was 1000, but interest was collected on the entire balance. I will not recalculate previous balances but will switch at the earliest opportunity.

Me
4%
(Interest
CREDIT)
If a Factoree has a balance with me that is more than 500 in the Factoree's favor, the amount over 500 will earn interest. This interest is simple interest at the rate of 4% per annum, calculated and credited whenever there is a change in your account balance due to a transaction, using a nominal 365 day per year fractional percentage.

Note: If you briefly go over, or if I forget, I may not realise. Any such omission is inadvertant and if you ask politely I will credit you. However I do reserve the right for very small amounts to not do so

Note: Previously the threshold was 1000, but interest was credited on the entire balance. I will not recalculate previous balances but will switch at the earliest opportunity.

Factoree

Thank you for reading about these fees. If you have questions, mail me.

Press HERE to continue on to the real form


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