Ebay and Pay Pal?

[Anonymous]

When Ebay has been discussed on this forum, a vast majority of you have stated you prefer paying with Pay Pal. I am considering setting up a Pay Pal account again. I have been to the Pay Pal site and can't determine whom pays for this service, the buyer or seller. Certainly someone is paying for this service, as what would be the point in Pay Pal existing? Do any of you know and can you lead me to the place at Pay Pal's site, where Pay Pal explains whom pays for their service?

Thanks for your help! Oh, by the way, I have three nicely weathered Athearn 50 foot box cars with Kadee # 5s for sale as a lot on Ebay at this time. The ITEM # is 5932159705. Cars are a single door ATSF, Double door MKT and Double door GN. Selling alll three for $18.00.

[orsonroy]

For standard auctions, the seller pays a small transaction fee. If all you want to do is buy things on Ebay using Paypal (a great thing) you don't have to pay anything.

[Anonymous]

Stick with money orders

[n2mopac]

I have used Pay Pal as a buyer only and have had no problems. I too prefer to send money orders, but I won't let the "Pay Pal only" criteria stand in my was of purchasing an item if I truly want it.

Ron

[Anonymous]

Mark,

I once had a question about Paypal and called them. The person I talked to was very friendly and described how the transaction process works, from the buyer's point of view. I'm sure if you were to call, they could walk you through what a seller has to do.

I've bought things from ebay using personal check, money order and paypal. I prefer paypal as I don't have to wait for my check to clear, don't have to go somewhere to purchase a money order, don't have to pay for a money order etc. Paypal allows me to pay for the item as soon as possible and it's relatively simple. I am even willing to pay more for an item (price plus shipping and handling) if I can do it via paypal.

On the other hand. I don't know what all is involved from a seller's view point. A couple of the transactions I've had, the seller was having problems with paypal. Perhaps they were new, because each time the thing was straightened out. I would assume the big advantage of paypal is that the seller gets his money right then and there. No going to the bank to deposit a money order. No waiting for a check to clear. I guess from your point of view it depends on what the fee is. I would also be very sure to go through the paypal procedures to make sure everything is correctly set up before using it so you and your buyer don't get frustrated the first couple of times.

[cacole]

You can send money to anyone who has an e-mail address via PayPal. I have used it to pay for DCC components made in England, and the recipient said it allows him to avoid currency conversion charges as well, so it's faster and cheaper for both of us.

[Anonymous]

One thing to take into consideration, it that the SELLER eats the credit card fee if his buyer is charging the purchase (i.e. not checking acct funds). That is why you see many Sellers either not take PayPal CC payments, or add a fee to the overall purchase price.

I forget the actual percentage - but when I sold an item in the $50 range - and the winner paid via CC - I got hit with about a $4 transaction fee. And that is independent of eBay's fees entirely. I estimate that was another $4... so I was $8 in arrears at auction's end. I made $42 roughly (then you take out what you had into it, and there's your profit margin).

[jfugate]

The seller pays the fees on Paypal, same as your standard bank merchant account.

Non-commercial PayPal accounts (no credit cards) are free, but merchants (will take credit cards) pay 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.

As volume goes up, the fees drop. For merchants that sell over $100,000, for example, the rate is 1.9% + 30 cents per transaction.

Paypal is about as good as it gets online for sending and receiving money. They are well known, lots of ecommerce software and helps exist for selling things from your own website with Paypal if you like.

If you are worried about conducting business online, get yourself a separate bank account for online business (maintain a low balance), and/or get yourself a credit card to use separately online.

That way, if someone does steal your card number or account info, it does not affect your personal account in any way. The worst thing in the world is to use a debit card tied to your personal account, because if someone does steal your card number, you are screwed. Oh, you can probably get the money back, but your personal account will be a mess for weeks while you sort it all out.

With a separate *credit card*, you just dispute the charges, cancel the card, and get a new one. Your personal bank account is untouched.

And as to PayPal, as long as you ignore all the spoof emails from would-be fraud hounds, wanting you to give your login details to "avoid your account being suspended" (don't believe it), you are fine. In my experience, Paypal is more secure than using a credit card to order over the phone or online.

[Anonymous]

PayPal is great! Go for it! I had three auctions for non model railroad items that ended last night. I received PayPal payments this morning for two of them, and the items are already in the mail. The third one will be paid the same way on Friday.

Sure is better waiting around to receive a money order. Some auctions I've held in the past were paid by money orders, and a few took a month or so to get here. One fellow lived quite a way outside of a major city, and had to wait until he went in to town to get the payment. Then there's the wait to get the mail with the payment.

I do love ending an auction and mailing off the item the next day, sure speeds things up and makes for fewer parcels hanging around waiting to be mailed.

The only downside to my International PayPal account (I'm in Canada) the the minimum amount that I can have transferred to my bank account is US$25.00. So if I have less than that in credit, I can't get it. I can use it to buy things though, which I've never done yet.

Give it a try, you will probably get more interest in your auctions.

I have three model railroad items currently on auction, check on my seller ID arailfan to see!

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

I won't bid on an eBay item unless the seller takes Paypal. I think it's foolish for a seller not to offer it.

[tatans]

Money orders seem to be the prefernce from sellers I have dealt with. I send by air mail( I usually get 2-3 day service to the seller) it's cashed the same day and they ususally mail the same day, remember, U.S. cheques have to go through a clearing house that can take up to 10-14 days(unlike Canada-it's instant) Also check with shipping by UPS -etc, you will be in for a big, big surprise when your item arrives in Canada, this fee does not apply when using the postal service and it's considerably cheaper---only slower.

[Anonymous]

Maybe if I was a business doing business everyday selling on ebay it would be fooli***o not offer Pay Pal. However, I don't care for the fact that the buyer is the one using Pay Pal and the seller is the one paying for it! This seems back- wards to me. Also, If the buyer decides he doesn't want to pay for the item, he can put a stop payment on the transaction! Yes, there is expensive legal recourse and there are actions the seller can take through Pay Pal, however, I would guess they are similar to the actions you can take with Ebay's Feed-back Forum, which is a joke, to say the least!

Ebay has gotten so commercial in the last year. I see business asking the same price for items I can buy directly from the manufacturer. I also see the same items running through the auctions weekly which are never bid on! I think man, thats one stupid ebayer!

I like doing business with Money Orders, it's simple and pretty safe for the seller! However, if Pay Pal items sell better, then I probably have to set-up an account.

Another option is stop selling and buying on Ebay, which is certainly an option!

[Anonymous]

There is lots of info about PayPal here, not the stuff PayPal would like you to know, but nevertheless I found it usefull.


http://www.paypalsucks.com/

Of specific interest you may fing FAQ section

http://www.paypalsucks.com/faqs.shtml

One thing you should keep in mind is that PayPal is neither a bank nor a credit card company so government regulations and consumer protection of that type doesn't apply to them. If you happen to get ripped off (received broken item, didn't receive anything) and PayPal fails to resolve it for you (which happends often) DO NOT ask your credit card company for a chargeback. If you do - paypal will turn that to collection agency and your credit rating will be ruined. Again because they are not a bank you have no government protection in these cases.

[StillGrande]

Let's see. With Paypal as a buyer I can instantly transfer money to my account from my bank (and back again), pay without dragging to the Post Office for a money order I have to pay for, get free coverage for low cost goods, and cut down the wait while the person at the other end waits for the mail to come.
As a seller I can pay a small fee (get over it, my time not dragging back and forth to the bank is worth it), get my money faster, know it is not going to bounce or get lost in the mail (or mangled - you have not lived until you get a money order that was eaten by a postal machine), get access to more bidders for higher bids (there is a significant increase in bidding with paypal), and resolve my transactions faster.

Yup. No paypal for me. It is just too risky to trust technology. I am going back to my cave now. This lectricity stuff makes me nervous.

[Anonymous]

Did you read the link I mentioned ?
These problems have nothing to do with technology. PayPal uses the same technology as regular banks do. It is their policies and increasing number of complaints from people. There has been a class-action lawsuit and PayPal lost it.

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

Maybe if I was a business doing business everyday selling on ebay it would be fooli***o not offer Pay Pal. However, I don't care for the fact that the buyer is the one using Pay Pal and the seller is the one paying for it! This seems back- wards to me. Also, If the buyer decides he doesn't want to pay for the item, he can put a stop payment on the transaction! Yes, there is expensive legal recourse and there are actions the seller can take through Pay Pal, however, I would guess they are similar to the actions you can take with Ebay's Feed-back Forum, which is a joke, to say the least!

Businesses that accept credit cards do pay fees. The card companies do not do business with them for free.

[Anonymous]

I dont use paypal. I prefer to pay by Postal Money Order. Life in a small town where there is hardly anyone at the post office except on Social Security Check days and holidays makes for fast service.

I keep all my purchases by Money Order. This is driven by deep distrust of all things financial via the internet. So far I have had no problems.

[Anonymous]

Mark,

Probably best to read all these posts, check out some sites and make your own decision. I'm sure there are pros and cons about paypal, phoning in credit cards, money orders and checks.

Dave

[Anonymous]

PayPal works great for me. I do, however, have one simple precaution which I use not just for PayPal but for all my on-line transactions (I prefer to pay many of my bills this way, 37 cents a pop mounts up over a year): I have a separate bank account and keep a modest balance, thus limiting the potential fraud damage should it be successfully hacked.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DSchmitt

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

Maybe if I was a business doing business everyday selling on ebay it would be fooli***o not offer Pay Pal. However, I don't care for the fact that the buyer is the one using Pay Pal and the seller is the one paying for it! This seems back- wards to me. Also, If the buyer decides he doesn't want to pay for the item, he can put a stop payment on the transaction! Yes, there is expensive legal recourse and there are actions the seller can take through Pay Pal, however, I would guess they are similar to the actions you can take with Ebay's Feed-back Forum, which is a joke, to say the least!

Businesses that accept credit cards do pay fees. The card companies do not do business with them for free.

Was this something you thought I didn't know and what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?

[bpickering]

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

QUOTE: Originally posted by DSchmitt

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

Maybe if I was a business doing business everyday selling on ebay it would be fooli***o not offer Pay Pal. However, I don't care for the fact that the buyer is the one using Pay Pal and the seller is the one paying for it! This seems back- wards to me. Also, If the buyer decides he doesn't want to pay for the item, he can put a stop payment on the transaction! Yes, there is expensive legal recourse and there are actions the seller can take through Pay Pal, however, I would guess they are similar to the actions you can take with Ebay's Feed-back Forum, which is a joke, to say the least!

Businesses that accept credit cards do pay fees. The card companies do not do business with them for free.

Was this something you thought I didn't know and what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?

The pertinent part of the original post is "However, I don't care for the fact that the buyer is the one using Pay Pal and the seller is the one paying for it! "

Anyone who wants to increase their sales, rather by accepting PayPal or credit cards, can do so by accepting the fact that the SELLER will pay the fee. They then need to consider which of the following ways (I'm sure there are more, but these are off the top of my pointy little head...)

• Increase price of all items, in effect penalizing those who pay cash (but raising your profit margin on cash, heh heh heh)
• Offer a discount off the stated price for cash purchases
• State explicitly that there is a surcharge for credit-card/paypal purchases

You can see all of these in effect just by going to a variety of gas stations. :-)

The point is, it's more convenient for the purchaser (albeit also for the cracker/identity theft jacka$$), and so (typically) increases sales. This causes the sellers to decide whether to take advantage of it. However, in the end, it's always the buyer who pays, in one form or another.

Brian Pickering

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bpickering
Anyone who wants to increase their sales, rather by accepting PayPal or credit cards, can do so by accepting the fact that the SELLER will pay the fee. They then need to consider which of the following ways (I'm sure there are more, but these are off the top of my pointy little head...)

• Increase price of all items, in effect penalizing those who pay cash (but raising your profit margin on cash, heh heh heh)
• Offer a discount off the stated price for cash purchases
• State explicitly that there is a surcharge for credit-card/paypal purchases

You can see all of these in effect just by going to a variety of gas stations. :-)

Almost all businesses except gas stations do the first item. That includes retail, entertainment, grocery stores, you name it. As consumers, we tend to only care to get that 3 or 4 cent per gallon savings for gas. Why do we price shop to an extreme when it comes to gas? How far are you willing to drive using gas to save 2 cents of gas per gallon?

On Thread Topic:
I started using eBay as a buyer. I would only do business with people who offered PayPal. Why? Because I wanted the simplicity of using my credit card. I did not and do not like having a PayPal account or any other account. I do want 'instant" purchases to occur. I'm to impatient. As a seller, I did use PayPal. I was always very nervous with my banking information though. It just did not seem right. I used an alternate bank account that I have. When I finished with my selling spree, I closed my PayPal account very quickly.

[Anonymous]

Credit cards, internet purchases, PayPal.... It's the way things are moving. It's the marketplace dictating what works best for all involved.

The way I see it money is money whether it comes in the form of a check, money order, credit card charge, PayPal.... I just want my strain stuff to arrive at my house.

[Anonymous]

Again, I sell only a few items a year. Been doing ebay for 2 1/2 years now. I'm on my 99th feed back. I'm not a business. Most manufacturers kinda shut the door on whole sale selling to non store front businesses. As it was hurting their long time relationships with real hobby shops!

Another thing, I don't find it difficult to get to my grocery store to buy a M.O. Also, I'm not shooting through the sky at 500 MPH, with my hair on fire. I'm a patient person and waiting a week or two for an item is a part of slowing the world down that I feel good about! The world can go what ever way it wants, I could give a rat's ---! If I decide to use Pay Pal, so be it!!!

[SP4449]

There is one thing not mentioned in the posts so far, that is the scoring system. Buyers and sellers are scored by how they handle the transactions. If a person is serious in their dealings, they will try to keep that score unblemished. I work with a couple of guys that trade pretty heavely on ebay using paypal and I overhear their conversations about deals they recently closed. They mention the score of the seller/buyer in every discussion and they do all they can to protect their own scores, much like their credit ratings. If you deal with high score'rs, you will probably come off the deals in good to great shape.

[Anonymous]

An earlier reply mentioned that you can "instantly" transfer PayPal funds to your bank account.

It is, in actuality, 3-4 business days (as they state). You receive payment for your eBay item on Monday morning... request the transfer... and if all goes well... it's in your account by Wednesday.

[Anonymous]

I usually won't buy from a seller who only accepts money orders. First, I have to take the time to go to the store, post office, or bank, and then pay 50-75 cents or more for the MO, and another 37 cents to mail it, not including the envelope.

Add to that the fact that MOs are almost impossible to trace, and I've had a couple of sellers over the years just ca***hem and then claim "they never arrived"... They know it makes no sense for me to pay an 8 to 12 dollar tracing fee when it's like only a 7 dollar item that I won.

PayPal just makes it so much easier and faster, IMO.

[Anonymous]

SP4449,

Ah yes, the myth of Ebay's Feedback Forum! The reality; if you give bad feedback you will receive bad feed back:
Case #1
You win something on Ebay, send M.O. and the item never comes. You attempt cordial communication with the seller in attempts to remedy the situation to no avail! They lost your payment, payment sent registered mail, so the P.O. did not loose your payment, they have your payment but decide to rip you off. I gave bad feed back and they did the same!
Case # 2
Buyer wins auction. Auction did not offer escrow option. Buyer never sends payment because he wanted escrow option. I refused and was given bad feed back!
Case #3
Sold item to buyer whom did not follow directions and sent personal check. I waited until I was sure check cleared. Too slow for buyer whom burned me with bad feedback!

I have received bad feed back three times, they are the examples listed above!

The feedback forum is in my opinion, is worthless!!!! The above proves that what ever the circumstances, you should only give positive feedback! Don't tell me there is recourse, As I know better! In the future, when bad feed back is warranted, I will give it and I expect I will then get bad feed back in return! Although I still do, don't tell me to look over the buyer or seller's feedback record, given that the examples above are a demonstration in how worthless feedback really is! "Caveat Emptor"

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane


A yes, the myth of Ebay's Feedback Forum! The reality; if you give bad feedback you will receive bad feed back:

It's unfortunate that eBay can't do something about retaliatory feedback. My only two negatives came this way.

Item number one was when a dipstick won two of my auctions, but I never heard one word from him re payment, and never answered my e-mails. I posted negatives for the two items on his ID after waiting 30 days. He retaliated by saying my shipping charge was too high, which he never mentioned to me. The item in question was a piece of photo gear housed in its own plastic attache type case, and was large and heavy. My shipping charge of $10.00 wa the actual amount that I had been quoted by the post office. Anyway later this bozo was no longer on eBay, they must have given him the boot. But the negatives he placed are still on my ID.

I did come out on top with these items, as I later auctioned them off for three times the amount he had won them for. There is justice some times!

My second occasion was somewhat similar, I never heard from the winner at all and posted this info after 30 days. He came back to me saying he had not received anything from me, and that I had not answered his e-mails. Funny posting the negative resulted in me getting that message!

I'm pleased with my 303 postive feedbacks from 350 buyers - those who win more than once can only post one postiive. There are many more who don't bother to post any feedback, so my numbers should actually be higher.

Love eBay! I've gotten rid of all kinds of stuff, both model railroad and others that I would not have been able to do anything in the limited local market. I even sold 4-500 old horn hook couplers for $11.00!

Bob Boudreau

[stokesda]

I've never sold anything on eBay, but I only buy stuff using Paypal. I think it's a great service, and would be more hesitant to buy from someone who only offered MO's as a payment option (unless I really wanted the item). Is there a risk involved with the bank account and identity theft and whatnot? Sure. But there's also a risk that my MO will get "lost" in the mail, too. It's a tradeoff.

About the claim that it's unfair to charge only the seller - I suspect that a lot of sellers pass the charge along to the buyers via inflated shipping rates. Even if you consider the cost of packaging, I still can't believe the price some of these folks are asking to cover S&H.

Cheers,