ebay vs audiogon

Most of the stuff I was selling was under the $500, but you are right Bluefin, this was another reason for the "upgrade" for that particular transaction.

My take on this from a seller's perspective is that while having the cash in hand quickly is satisfying for the seller, it comes not only with the 3% charge but the buyer's right of refusal, backed by the credit card company, if the buyer doesn't like the item. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about consumer's rights and if I were buying a high ticket item, I'd be inclined to pay by credit card for the purpose of not getting burned. But as a "non-business" seller, by accepting credit card payments I could open myself up to major headaches if the buyer decides he didn't like the item (finding it "defective"). I believe under the Paypal rules, the credit card company, after being contacted by the buyer, can go to Paypal who will then get into your (the seller) personal bank account which is linked to Paypal, to reclaim the funds. As the seller, you're now out the equipment, the money AND that 3%!

The bottom line for me is, with so much "protection" afforded the buyer in a credit card transaction and so little "protection" for the seller in this, asking the buyer to pay the 3% (which the buyer doesn't get anyway!) is a drop in the bucket.

treyhoss,damm good point & ive never thought of it like that,come to think of it some sellers may include the 3% fee to encourage buyers to use other methods of payment.

your right,for how exposed paypal leaves a seller the 3% is a drop in the bucket.

Treyhoss, I totally agree with you. Perhaps the real the person who gets the most convenience out of Paypal is the buyer since they seem to have the last WORD--Not to mention the miles they are probably racking up and the convenience of not having to pay for 30 days.

However, I've got to still take into consideration that a Credit Card (CC) funded Paypal payment means I get my money TODAY (plus the 3-4 business days it takes to download the funds into my actual checking account from my Paypal account).

I guess we all have to remember that the CC Mechanisms of the world were built way before Paypal and were typically only extended to merchants. That is why they call them merchant accounts. Most merchants make a profit on what they sell, and any cost of doing business is usually absorbed by those profits. Merchant have the luxury of dipping into those profits if a customer disputes a credit card charge. The merchant usually takes it in the shorts and goes on...business as usual. Merchants are also a "known quantity" relative to a Paypal user that can accept CC payments with a tremendous amount of anonymity. The CC industry’s VERY liberal "the buyer is always right" dispute policy is a child of an old paradigm that doesn't consider the complexities of pier-to-pier (P2P) transactions conducted through Paypal. I guess what I am really saying is that VISA, MC, and AMEX probably never intended on Individuals being able to accept CC payments. Therefore I think the current system is “broken”.

So again, another paradox I am observing here is that Sellers are most Protected by USPS Money Orders (because you can't stop payment on them) and Buyers are Most Protected by using Credit Card Funded PayPal.

Is there a happy medium in between? The best I can come up with is C.O.D. with a USPS Money Order....Argggg I hate C.O.D. ---too clunky and takes too long to get my funds.

The only happy medium I can think of IF someone wants to pay by credit card is to ask they send you a check. You know, one of those checks the credit card companies send you with your bill saying it can be used "for anything...".

If you deposit that into your account and wait for it to clear, it should be OK. You get "good money" assuming the person doesn't go over their credit limit and the buyer still enjoys the "financing" aspect of the purchase. Just a thought:-)

Actually, what I did is just go open a new checking account. I had it verified and closed out my other bank account, which is a joint account with my wife and household moneys. My new account is strictly for Paypal. I've heard too many horror stories about that scam. They send you Paypal funds, you ship the item, then they refuse CC payment saying it's broken. They now have your ______ and their money. You have nothing.
So from now on I'll ship as soon as the funds clear Paypal into my account, and my account is emptied. Therefore Paypal wouldn't be able to come take back your money with you having no say in the matter.