Using PayPal on-line - advice

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
4,836
Location
Central Texas
For those of you who use PP on a regular basis. Do you buy? Sell? Resell? Both?

I've been cleaning out stuff, putting it on local CL so all xnsactns are local & cash only. They look, say OK & pay. No worries.

However, I have someone on the East coast who's interested in something and he wants me to use PP. I've never used it. A bit of research confirmed my skepticism. One, PP wants access to my checking account (
shocked2.gif
). That's just nuts. Two, they favor the buyer it seems. Three, if the buyer regrets the purchase, PP can w/d the money even from my checking acct. if the PP account is 'empty'.

So I can lose the product AND the $$$$??

How do I protect myself? The amount is about $150.

I'm seeking advise from some experienced users, rather than dive in head first into murky waters.....

TIA
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have a pay pal account to pay for things, and use now and then, but not the account that is linked to my checking account, I just pay with my credit card. It has always worked fine with no problems as a buyer. I firmly believe that cash in person is the way to go, and if the buyer can't do that, well the worst that can happen is you lose the sale. One time I did take a personal check, and held the product for 2 weeks till I was sure it was good. And it was! It seems it must not take long to see if the checks are good these days, as just this last winter I bought a classic car from a dealer, and he said he would send the title when the check cleared. Well I had the car shipped, and I got the title in the mail after just a few days, long before I got the car.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: E150GT
I kept seeing PP and thinking pennzoil platinum. I need a break on this forum.


Don't feel bad I was thinking Pennzoil Platinum too.
 
Originally Posted By: old1
I have a pay pal account to pay for things, and use now and then, but not the account that is linked to my checking account, I just pay with my credit card.
So you don't have to have a PP acount linked to your checking account? Interesting. How would he pay me with a credit card?
 
*For those of you who use PP on a regular basis. Do you buy? Sell? Resell? Both?*

Haha I thought he had some Pennzoil Platinum to sell
laugh.gif
 
So this guy is nuts and looking for a [specialty item] all across craigslist and found yours.

He's gonna be patient.

Tell Mr. Patient that it's a Postal or Walmart Money order only, delivered to your address via US mail. Eat the fees yourself if you're willing.

Then you'll see if he's willing to put up with a little inconvenience or just another scammer.

I sold a rototiller to someone from Worcester, MA who had been renting one for *one day* for what he paid for mine. I had him paypal a deposit, drove to a Park N Ride halfway there, and he paid the balance in cash. It all worked out. What you think is too far to drive for something on CL may not be for someone else.
 
PayPal is pretty good, but they take a percentage if you are a seller unless the guy sends you a money as a transfer and then he loses his buyer protection.

If he's not happy with the item and wants his money back, it goes into some sort of arbitration if you don't agree to a return. The whole thing is pretty legitimate.
 
I've transacted thousands of dollars over PayPal over the years. Both buying and selling. Never had an issue.
 
Originally Posted By: JTK
I've transacted thousands of dollars over PayPal over the years. Both buying and selling. Never had an issue.


+1

Paypal offers protection at a 3% fee on transitions. You can either keep the money in the PP account and use it where PP is accepted OR have PP deposit it into an account (IIRC has stipulations on amount per month)
 
I use Paypal to buy things, and it is linked to my credit card, not my checking directly. I'm also skeptical about doing things like that.
 
I've used PayPal for years and never had any problems. I sell things and then use that money to buy things. It's a good way of budgeting for me and it doesn't have any affect on my accounts that I use for bills and stuff. You can pay for just about anything with PP (and the accompanying debit card).

If I was selling to a stranger, I'd use the regular transaction. The 3% fee is worth it. He may be asking because there are a ton of people that do a lot of person to person transactions and it's the most popular way of doing so.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top