Salon - - PAYPAL hints/tips: The good, the bad & the ugly

MatthewMarshall · #1 07-05-2008, 08:38 PM

paypal.com seems to be the number one choice when doing online sales. I use them for payment on my website downloadbackdrops.com. But with any business, paypal has some downfalls

I have used paypal for over 10 years. so basicaly anything that could go wrong has. So here are a few tips

1: Do not link your main business checking account to paypal. Ask your bank for a limited withdraw account just to use with paypal. This will save you from paypal pulling thousands of dollars out of your account. This happen to me when someone broke into my account to withdraw money out. It took 3 months to get my money back from paypal.

2: Use the paypal debit card to pull large funds as soon as you get them. Since paypal can do what ever they want, when ever they want. Dont use paypal as a savings or bank account. Just last year they shut down a friend of mines account because he did to many sales in one day. It took him 6 months to get those funds back.

3: Call call and call again. If you ever have a problem and the first person does not fix it. Call again till you find someone that will fix it. I spent 8 hours on the phone once, to get my account fixed. but when you have 1000 bucks just gone, its worth calling over and over again.

If you have any tips too, post below. Im not trying to scare anyone from not using them. they are an ok service. But small tips to help avoid future issues are always good

Janet Petty · #2 07-05-2008, 10:38 PM

Buyer/Seller beware!!!

PayPal is NOT considered a bank.

A lot of credit card companies will not work with PayPal to help retrieve your lost cash. I was lucky/blessed in that I got my money back. The other five people who used credit cards had a lot more trouble than I did when we were scammed by an "Evil Bay" seller.

The complaint process is skewed in favor of E-bay. It is often difficult to use and the red tape is designed to have you give up rather than pursue a problem.

What Matthew Marshall says is true.

Call IF you can find a real phone number to call. It is deeply buried in the complaint process.

Sign me scammed once, wary forevermore.

Janet

Swampy · #3 07-06-2008, 08:22 AM

I avoid Pay Pal as much as I can. I would rather risk a money order or cashier's check with a seller than trust PP to keep their hands out of my accounts.

ashphotoart · #4 07-06-2008, 10:59 AM

So, What is the good any other options to receive payments from across the border instantly ?

I always use paypal and never got this trouble. But if both you are having some difficulties then I've to keep other options too.

Say anyone who knows other links to receive the payments instantly.

Ash

Swampy · #5 07-06-2008, 11:48 AM

About the only other "instant" option is to use credit card purchases via your own accounts with secure Visa, MasterCard etc. It's expensive, but it's the way the "big boys" do it.

DannyRaphael · #6 07-06-2008, 09:57 PM

Appreciate you sharing these experiences and excellent suggestions.

Kraellin · #7 07-07-2008, 12:39 AM

i've been tempted to use paypal on several occaisions, but i always wanted to know what i was getting into so, i'm try and read the FAQs, terms of the contract, and all that gobble-de-gook. no luck. could never finish it and never quite understand it. so, buh-bye

secretagents · #8 07-07-2008, 08:20 AM

I have never used Paypal and I never will I think.

I buy quite a bit of stuff on eBay and I force all my sellers to accept postal orders or cash even if they do Paypal only normally. I have a 100% success rate in that and my sellers are apparently happy with it as they don't have to pay a fee to Paypal on the transaction.

It costs me a bit more than if I was using Paypal but I'm giving work to my local post office and this helps justify it remaining open. Local post offices are constantly under threat of closure here in the UK.

If I was using Paypal, all I would be doing is feeding a few californian fat cats who are seeking absolute monopoly on online transactions the world over.

So I guess it's a bit political from my part.

Doug Nelson · #9 07-07-2008, 07:28 PM

Paypal suffers from bad publicity. I'm not saying it's wrong publicity, just that it's all bad. There is no financial firm of any size that doesn't have a raft of horror stories about it. But paypal is 100% online, as are 100% of its users, so the volume on its horror stories gets disproportionately loud online. Multiply that by its market share, and you could come away thinking it's a terrible, terrible company. But it's actually better than most financial firms, but you most likely don't hear much about them since they're out in he brick and mortar world. Paypal also attracts a disproportionate number of shall we say "low end" clients, which are prone to troubles no matter what company is involved, and very loud complainers. Add to all that the higher crime rate of online transactions, and when it's all said and done I have nothing but admiration for paypal for doing as good a job as they have.

If that's not a good enough recommendation, how about this: RetouchPRO would not exist if paypal wasn't around. Period. And that is not hyperbole.

So yes, be careful. Yes, take precautions. I hope you do that with every transaction you make, wherever and however you make it. But basing decisions on ignorance and fear is just superstitious thinking, and that never ends well.

Kraellin · #10 07-07-2008, 08:26 PM

good points, doug.

cricket1961 · #11 07-07-2008, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the confirmation and clarification Doug. This helps me quite a bit.

Chris

ashphotoart · #12 07-14-2008, 09:33 AM

Thanks Doug,

I'm very happy to listen you. I'm in freelance retouhing and still stable bcoz of PAYPAL. All other methods of payment is good but lenghty, they all takes time (5-7 days or maybe 7-14 days) depends on thier policies and methods, Also charges are high if we transact low amount. paypal takes commission but putting the money same time into our account. So it is too fast. Also it takes charges on % basis so If we transact low amount then we need to pay low commission and if we transact high amount we need to pay higher commission.

I found PAYPAL very easy and fast. I can see all the benefits but as other are getting lost of money then we need to aware for it.

1. Do you know any other option instead of paypal ?
2. Is there any high risk if we add our debit or credit card or Bank information with the paypal ?

Ash

MatthewMarshall · #13 07-18-2008, 01:13 AM

just read through all the comments so far. Please realize that im not saying dont use them. I still use them for my transactions. There are a lot more reliable then other services. The tips are just to help save headaches.

resto · #14 08-03-2008, 09:16 AM

I use paypal and it is a good service and have been lucky and haven’t had any problems before but I have heard a lot of bad stories.

It is good for doing transactions over the Internet the money is transferred instantly and a lot of people already have a Paypal account and don’t want to make a new account with some obscure company they never heard of just to purchase your service they will just go to the next guy who has Paypal.

But if you are a seller you have to be carefull.. Don’t link Paypal to your main bank account..

I’ve heard of a lot of scams and bad customers who get their products and services and then file a claim and Paypal protects the buyer long before the seller so the refund the money and the seller can do nothing but lose the money especially on a service.