Ebay Sellers Who Do Not Accept Paypal

[jayt1234]

I recently bid on two items (and won both) where the seller's did not accept Paypal. I was a little frustrated because I should have checked first so it was my mistake, but I am a little suspect of this. Do any of you guys have a any problems bidding on itmes where they request checks or money orders only?

I guess they may have had past issues with Paypal, but the transaction takes so much longer to finalize and you are putting an extra bit of trust in the seller as well.

Jay

[skyking26]

As a buyer, I love paypal because of the speed. As a seller, I always request a check or MO as paypal charges a fee. I have never heard anyone complain, all they have to do is check my ebay rating...

[Vintagedeputy]

I have been a seller on ebay since June of 1998 and have a feedback rating of 275 or something, 100%.

I only started accepting Paypal about 8 months ago after ebay started gigging people for allowing cash payments. I had always accepted cash, checks or money orders. I didnt care for Paypal because A) I was getting way too many "fishy" paypal emails for my liking and B) because I had read where people could steal money from your paypal account. When I found out that you can transfer payments directly into your bank account and not leave the money sitting in your paypal account waiting to be stolen, I decided to give them a try.

Dont hold it against those who choose not to use paypal......just use your best judgement.

Jim

[3arod13]

No problems at all. However, I don't accept personal checks due to problems with insufficient funds. I always ask for paypal, money order, or cashiers check. Never send cash!

[TNTtoys]

As a seller, I found that you have to take the good with the bad with paypal.

Pros -
1. So many people out there prefer to use it to pay because it is fast and easy. By not accepting it as a seller, you are losing potential customers.
2. You are paid quickly, and the payment most often clears immediately.

Cons -
1. They take a fee out.
2. If the buyer pays you with a credit card, they can contact their credit card company at some later date to "dispute the charge" for any reason (unsatisfied with item, etc.). The credit card company then goes to bat for the buyer, and paypal immediately takes the money out of your paypal account until the matter is settled. This can take 3 months. In the end, you most always lose, and you get charged fees too. This happened to me twice now, and both times, the buyer was at fault...but the buyer's credit card company won the dispute and paypal did squat to help me.

Con #2 is probably the single biggest deterrent to accepting paypal as a seller, but if the odds of it happening are about 1 in a 1000, then you have to see Pro #1 as a far bigger reason to use it.

[mvandor]

I hate it when a seller doesn't take Paypal or another onlione payment because writing and sending a check, and waiting for it to clear, not only delays shipping by 7-10 days, but eliminates any protections if something goes wrong.

I will only bid under such circumstances if the item is very unique, or the cost savings is persuasive.

[Vintagedeputy]

As a seller, I found that you have to take the good with the bad with paypal.

Pros -
1. So many people out there prefer to use it to pay because it is fast and easy. By not accepting it as a seller, you are losing potential customers.
2. You are paid quickly, and the payment most often clears immediately.

Cons -
1. They take a fee out.
2. If the buyer pays you with a credit card, they can contact their credit card company at some later date to "dispute the charge" for any reason (unsatisfied with item, etc.). The credit card company then goes to bat for the buyer, and paypal immediately takes the money out of your paypal account until the matter is settled. This can take 3 months. In the end, you most always lose, and you get charged fees too. This happened to me twice now, and both times, the buyer was at fault...but the buyer's credit card company won the dispute and paypal did squat to help me.

Con #2 is probably the single biggest deterrent to accepting paypal as a seller, but if the odds of it happening are about 1 in a 1000, then you have to see Pro #1 as a far bigger reason to use it.

If you immediately transfer the money to your bank account, paypal cant take a penny from you.

[TNTtoys]

If you immediately transfer the money to your bank account, paypal cant take a penny from you.

This is true...however, there is consequence. They put you into a negative balance, and you are unable to complete a transaction until you replenish the negative balance. All payments to you go against the nagative (paypal gets the money, not you); all payments from you are disabled until you pay off the entire negative balance. It's a lose-lose situation.

[Vintagedeputy]

This is true...however, there is consequence. They put you into a negative balance, and you are unable to complete a transaction until you replenish the negative balance. All payments to you go against the nagative (paypal gets the money, not you); all payments from you are disabled until you pay off the entire negative balance. It's a lose-lose situation.

That does stink. I think at that point, I'd just create another paypal account if I could.

[bigtruck260]

1000 eBay transactions...

5% of sales are affected negatively becuase seller delays payment longer than 10 days. This happens with money orders AND Paypal.

1 item lost in the mail - (Derek Jeter auto card, of course) Paypal took $120 from me after the seller filed a dispute. I ate the cost and refunded him...I did not trust him, but my fault for forgetting to use signature or delivery confimation.

$700 item (Hard drive) was purchased, box of junk (literally) arrived...with delivery confimation. Paypal was ready to side with the seller (10 feedback) until I sent them proof that I opened the package at the postal counter in front of the postmaster...something I do not normally do, but I was suspicious of the outer packaging and very light weight. I took photos with my cell phone. Paypal finally reimbursed me after a month - something that never would have happened if I sent the guy a money order. He was using a bogus name and address, etc. His bank account was apparently set up just for the purpose of running a scam. Luckily, I was the first one to get ripped off and I fought back. Even stranger is that eBay deleted the entire transaction from their records - like the auction never happened.

My overall opinion? Ebay and Paypal take a lot of money from me, but they provide security. I have had one incredibly bad transaction in 6 years...If a seller does not take Paypal, I am leery to buy.

I can understand why someone selling a $10,000 item would avoid Paypal though. That's quite a bit of overhead.