Paypal - Don't allow collection of Ebay purchases.

[KeithT]

I heard a very strange tale on Radio 4 today where Paypal warned that sellers should not allow personal collection or the paypal safeguards will not be available.
OK but in this particular case The purchaser of a Mac computer paid via Paypal then asked if he could collect in person, The seller checked that the payment had been made and agreed to the pick-up BUT within 1hr of the collection the payment was reversed BY PAYPAL and the seller lost both his Mac and the money.
What I do not understand is that it was Paypal that identified an unusual transaction and was responsible for the retraction of the cash.
Seemingly they are unrepentant and will not refund the seller.
How just is that?

 

[dutchelm]

I think the moral is "Cash on collection". A bit iffy if someone pays Paypal & then wants to collect.

 

[mike]

paypal, the defition of takeing both ends.........

 

[daveyb]

thats crazy and unacceptable

many things are better picked up,,, especialy electrical goods,,,

if we all stopped using it they would soon start behaving ,,,,,

too big for there own boots now ,, but its so easy,,

 

[C&S]

I cannot see why Paypal would have reversed the transaction. Presumably as they processed the money they were getting a rake-off somewhere, even if only on overnight interest, like banks cashing a cheque. I suppose that paying cash, if there is a problem later, then Paypal cannot assist with a refund. Against that one has the opportunity to examine the goods before handing over the money.

 

[simon@mgr]

Interesting as I have seen pick up only as the delivery method, on both US and Australian eBay.

 

[beavercreek]

When using paypal, part of the seller protection is based on sending by a confirmed, tracked postage system. This is so that you have a proof of sending if a buyer decides to try to scam by saying that they did not receive the item. If you do not have the proof of sending ie a personal pick-up, then Paypal has no proof that the buyer was sent the goods. Although the seller has obviously given the goods, they did not get a signed declaration by the buyer when they picked it up. Paypal are indeed a big company who are chasing profits but they cannot take a seller's plea on trust, they need proof to reimburse.
The moral of this tale is if you are a seller and you offer pick-up, get as much written, official proof of handing over the goods...even take a picture of the seller with the goods alongside a current daily newspaper and a signature and address and telephone number.

 

[daveyb]

maby thats why,,, be interesting to know what the true reasons were

 

[stockers]

CASH on collection.

 

[nicebutdim]

CASH on collection.

Absolutely! I NEVER let someone collect if they have paid by paypal, only cash, and I only post by recorded as a minimum. Afraid to say in these times you have to cover your own a**e.

 

[Mik]

With Paypain, if you can't afford to eat it, ALWAYS send it signature restricted or get a signed receipt if they pick it up. And sometimes even that proof doesn't work. The buyer can claim his brother/ex-wife/neighbor/dog signed for it and that HE didn't get it, and they'll take the money from you for 30 days while they "investigate" and you may never get it back....

Pretty sad when you have to assume the buyer is going to try to play the system. But Fleabay and Paypal are in it for the money, and statistically there's many times more buyers than sellers.

Someday maybe they'll figure out that if they run off all the sellers they'll be nothing for folks to buy. But probably not.

 

[JonathanJ]

Opposite happened to me - I bought a secondhand bachmann caboose on ebay, its location was listed as very local, so I asked (before bidding) if I could save paying postage and pick it up, and got a 'yes'. Seller insisted on being paid by paypal. After I'd paid I was never given any collection details, indeed all I got was a mobile number which was never answered. Ebay/paypal flatly refused to get involved or help, and the seller subsequently deleted their account.

If I recall correctly, his feedback prior to deletion showed he'd gone off with other people's money too, all five and ten pound lots.

With hindsight, he was obviously just a crook, you always get some, but what really rankles was the attitude of paypal/ebay given they were the only people who had the guy's real name, address, bank details etc. - they'd got their money, so I could just go hang.

J.

 

[MR SPOCK]

I have had nothing but trouble with P/pal for over a year now, so bad that I hardly ever buy anything on ebay unless the seller accepts a cleared cheque, its a real pain but much safer,I dont sell anything on ebay for the same reason, I would also like to thank everyone on G scale that has bought and sold from me for their patience with faffing about with checks, including the several that have gone astray in the post, but I do not trust p/pal, and their customer services dept does not exist on this planet???​

​

 

[KeithT]

If anyone insists on Paypal before collection you can be sure that something is a bit odd as why wouldn't they want to save the Paypal fee? There were so many crooks trying this scam ebay last year made a rule that new sellers couldn't withdrawn the money from their Paypal accounts for a think a month or more after payment.
........

I can understand that Steve but what I don't understand was that Paypal voided the transaction of their own volition, it was not, apparently, at the instigation of the buyer although if he had anything about him he would have seen the reimbursement and paid up.

 

[KeithT]

If anyone insists on Paypal before collection you can be sure that something is a bit odd as why wouldn't they want to save the Paypal fee? There were so many crooks trying this scam ebay last year made a rule that new sellers couldn't withdrawn the money from their Paypal accounts for a think a month or more after payment.
........

I can understand that Steve but what I don't understand was that Paypal voided the transaction of their own volition, it was not, apparently, at the instigation of the buyer although if he had anything about him he would have seen the reimbursement and paid up.

It was probably not PayPal but the bank or credit card provider of the buyer that reversed the transaction and then PayPal automatically pass the reversal on.

I don't see how the bank etc can claw back monies paid. They work on the instruction of the client. It is a fait accompli.

 

[don9GLC]

Ask any shop keeper who has had the banks stop or reverse a transaction and you will find that they can do anything they want as it is the small print of the user agreement. What do you think happens if you report a fraudalant transaction on your card, the bank does not take the hit, they just take the money back from the busnessman who was tricked into selling to the wrong person. It is always the small people who suffer not the banks! The buyer in the UK is protected by the British and European sale of goods, and credit card laws but the sellers are not.

I'm in full agreement with the upset (or even outrage) expressed above and the preceding posts.

However, I am a buyer of garden railway stuff, not a seller. And even more to the point I am a shareholder in several banks, now worth a couple of hundred pounds, not the several thousand pounds they once were.

I am fed up of people expecting me to pay for their mistakes!


Its not my fault if you are careless in your financial transactions. I have been 'ripped off' by cowboy builders, so I'm not trying to be 'holier than thou'.
.
Money is money, whether it is cash, credit card or PayPal. Look after your money because I can't do it for you.


Incidentally I have never had an unresolved credit card or PayPal transaction. Not always an immediate solution, but I got there in the end. Not so with cash! Caveat emptor!

And my final piece of advice is the old adage ' If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is'.

In deepest sorrow,
Don