Paypal's great until you have a problem. Then they suck. When there's a problem, the only thing they care about is showing you that no matter what happened, its not their fault. The people that work there are nasty and arrogant. So much so, that it seems like they enjoy seeing other people's misfortunes. Your problem is they're entertainment. And that's something I really believe. |
on big ticket items as a seller, I try to avoid PayPal. the buyer can do a charge=back. PayPal will then put a hold on the funds or even attempt to pull money from a credit card you have on file with them.---all they are concerned with, is if, the buyers credit card company, puts a hold or charge back via PayPal. PayPal is not going to be the party who gets shorted--it will always be, you, as the seller |
I had $5000 in my Paypal account and they somehow managed to loose it. It just vanished. I didn't even make a transaction. When I asked them what happened to my money, they said that they have no idea. The only thing they knew for sure is that it wasn't their fault. After fighting with them for a couple of weeks, by some miracle the money was found. My guess as to what happened, is that I spoke to the entire country of India, and they just ran out of people to transfer me to. |
Never use it its real garbage. |
Indeed, PayPal is for Sellers very dangerous when the buyer wants to betray you.
I had a conversation with a PayPal lawyer who said to go a different route for everything above 2000 $.
When you want to sell via PayPal I recommend to write a contract WITH Passport copy from the buyer. When the buyer does not do it, then you know what is going on. Always send a invoice through the official server and wait for acceptance from buyer. Make pics from item, from box, from address etc. Finally, never send to a different buyer address than the one which is saved at PayPal server ("I am not at home, send it to my divorced wife/ friend/Uncle blah, blah...") |
"My guess as to what happened, is that I spoke to the entire country of India, and they just ran out of people to transfer me to. "
Now THAT'S funny.......
Shakey |
Never had the first problem with them. I have been using Paypal for a long time.
The only problems I have ever had is with purchases on Audiogon where I have sent checks or money orders and the guy disappears. Reason why I refuse to buy via anything but Paypal. Lot of trust in sending someone money and you really have no recourse if he bails. Puts everything on the buyer because the seller gets their money and you don't know what you're getting. This is a rare thing because most people are very trustworthy, however, it has happened 3 times. I will do COD which shares responsibility. Of course the buyer may not accept the package if he changes his mind. No perfect way. |
Will become more so, now that eBay and PayPal are splitting. For sellers and buyers, there will be less protection. So, for sellers ask for payment via a bank check sent to you via US postal mail, not shipping until the check full clears, sometimes can take 30 days. Now that eBay and PayPal are divorced, eBay must permit this form of payment. They cannot force you into PayPal. For buyers, things will become more complicated. However, the buyer using a bank check sent via US Postal mail, will be able to use the Postal Fraud statutes and also be able to file a local police report if things get dicey. Believe me, a call to the seller from your local police department will get the seller's attention. |
"My guess as to what happened, is that I spoke to the entire country of India, and they just ran out of people to transfer me to."
You couldn't possibly have spoken to the ENTIRE country of India as I know for a fact that many are agents for the IRS. |
"Believe me, a call to the seller from your local police department will get the seller's attention." Not so much!
I got ripped off on an ebay/paypal purchase. Bought some tubes which never shipped. Paypal said that seller didn't respond to their inquiry and had immediately withdrawn all funds from their Paypal account(not just from my transaction). So they closed the account and told me I was stuck. Visit to my local police was laughed off; they told me to call the police in the seller's home town. I did and they laughed some more. Buyer beware! Nonetheless, I still use Paypal regularly. I just try to make sure sellers have lots of recent positive feedback or local pickup only.
Cheers,
Spencer |
"07-24-15: Sbank
"Believe me, a call to the seller from your local police department will get the seller's attention." Not so much!"
Where I live, police don't even look for stolen cars, let alone some overpriced cables. |
Would be extremely rare for police anywhere to get involved in any fraud case in any way whatsoever . |
They are not a bank and cannot be held responsible to you like a bank. They can put a hold on any account they have access to.
1. Get a separate bank account at a different bank than you now deal with and no links to anything else in your life.
2. Put a minimum amount of money in the account, enough not get bank charges.
3. Remove any money they transfer to it ASAP. |
Coincidentally to this thread. After reading I decided to check my paypal account, I haven't used it in a while and zd quite frankly your comments were a bit alarming. So I try to log in and the site doesn't recognize my email. I call them and my phone number is not on record or recognized. I finally get an opportunity to speak with a real live person explaining that I can't access my account. I was told that just recently, this morning, someone had created a new user ID and email address on my account, not me for sure. Seeing this as suspicious, paypal stopped all activity on my account. The rep indicated that an email was sent notifying me of this. Sure enough, there it was, a notification of suspicious activity. The rep indicated that if they got access to my password on my paypal account they most likely have accessed other accounts where the password is the same. So I can say in this case paypal was on the ball. |
I agree with others that PayPal is fine until you have an issue. I've used them many times without a problem. I had a disagreement with a purchaser last year over a $8,000+ pair of amps. The buyer called his bank to stop payment at which point I asked for a return of the amps. The buyer discovered that the problem was due to a jumper dislodging during shipment. He immediately called the bank to have them reverse the stop payment. PayPal held my funds for three months before finally releasing them. Along the way every PayPal rep claimed payment was still being held by the bank. Finally after three months I spoke with a rep who told me the bank had released funds right after the buyer called them back. In doing a search on the internet I realized mine was not an isolated case.
I still use PayPal for small purchases but I will never trust them with any
large purchase again. |
I'm like Hevac1, I have a separate account for my PayPal, and only put enough money in it to cover a purchase. I've sold a few things, small stuff, but got the money from PayPal and put it in another account.
As a buyer I have been saved a few times by Ebay's buyer protection, but it's true that anyone's best defense is good feedback. And any time money changes hands there is risk involved. I would never send anyone a dime by certified check for an item to be mailed to me. Anything could happen and there would be zero recourse. No different than sending a suitcase of cash through the mail. So while Paypal's promises might be vague, at least it gives the buyer some comfort that he might see his money someday after a sale goes bad. I had a seller die on me once, and PayPal took the money back from his account, since he hadn't withdrawn it, and I did get a refund. Took two months, but I got it.
But in the end there are crooks out there who know how the system works, and we know the banks are not going to take the fall for anyone, so, in the end feedback is all we really have to go on. |
