PayPal users - How does this make you feel?

I know that a large number of us (especially those who frequently make online deals and purchases) are regular users of PayPal. I happen to find security in it, myself, though it took a few years from the company's initial launch for me to fully trust the service. After they had tied themselves to eBay and established that they have a lot to lose from questionable practices, I became a regular user of their services for online pay.

However, this article was published a few days ago. I've been meaning to post it on here because I am interested in your reactions. During this holiday season, and given the subject manner, I find it incredibly disheartening. Additionally, I feel betrayed by a company that had previously portrayed an image of respect and protection for their patrons.

http://www.regretsy.com/2011/12/05/cats-1-kids-0/

Will you re-think PayPal? Are there other options? Is it worth voicing opinions to the company, and what do you think is the potential for change?

I hope this isn't an example of a good company gone bad. Has anyone ever heard of negative PR surrounding PayPal's practices?

-mNd

I've never been a fan of PayPal's philosophy. Some of their policies are dictated by just that, the philosophy of the guy or guys that started the company. Some policies were driven by the envirionment in which the company had to exist. They became successful because it was a perfect way to pay for eBay auctions, especially since they offered protection against crooked sellers. But eBay's policies had to dictate PayPal's policies for things to work. Then when eBay bought PayPal, the policies became eBay's, naturally.

Aside from the topic presented here, should you rethink using PayPal because they're anti marijuana? Whether they really are or not isn't important. Maybe they just like to play it safe, legally. But try and set up an on-line head shop and sell bongs, using PayPal. It's a no go. The only reason that vapes get a pass (so far) is that they're legit aromatherapy/diffusion devices and can be used with all kinds of legal herbs and oils. You could argue that bongs/pipes can also be used with tobacco and other legal smokes, but you just have to chalk that up to the fact that bongs, bubblers, etc. are very strongly attached to mj smoking.

Are there options to PayPal. Yes, but PP is so widely accepted on both buy and sell ends, compared to any similar business model, that it becomes hard for anyone else to break through on a broad front. I used to have a Discover card, but so much of my buying is on-line, and so few businesses accepted it, that I finally gave up and cancelled it.

As with anything else that you want to give up using or boycott, because you don't like the company for whatever reason, you have to decide how much convenience you want to sacrifice. In the case of PayPal, you also sacifice protection, since you can't buy Joe's vape (since he's not a business) with your VISA card, or be protected if Joe decides to keep your money and his vape as well. I look at PayPal not as a necessary evil, but a very convenient one, and I'm gonna use their service until there's a reasonable alternative. I don't like like banks, insurance companies, etc., either, but I'm not gonna go live in the woods so I can avoid all the institutions that I disapprove of.

Did you not read the outcome? Paypal ended up giving a $100 donation to each of the 200 families. And realize, this is NOT written by a neutral source.

Your link text

Bouldorado said:

Did you not read the outcome? Paypal ended up giving a $100 donation to each of the 200 families. And realize, this is NOT written by a neutral source.

Your link text

Click to expand...

Did they? The author said that's what she wanted. She didn't say they had done so at the time it was written.

"Then there is the issue of the donation. They came out very early this morning and said they made one, but that hasnt happened yet. We did discuss it on the phone today and they offered to make a donation to the charity of my choice, but that isnt what I wanted.
Instead, I asked for a $100 gift card for each of the 200 families were helping. This was my original intention, and this is what I wanted to do with the money in the first place.
In perhaps the only part of all of this that has surprised me, they seem to like the idea.
Ill let you know how that progresses."

And this seems to be the overall point of the article-

"We see the erosion of customer care in every sector. No one knows your name. No one makes eye contact. No one thanks you. Even doctors are practicing a completely different kind of medicine now. They have to see so many people to make the same money they used to that theyve become more like mechanics. They forget your cancer is attached to a person. And Paypal forgets your fees are attached to people who are trying to make a living, or facilitate something good for other people. It makes sense doesnt it? No one in their right mind would crap on poor kids at Christmas, unless they just werent paying attention."

max said:

Bouldorado said:

Did you not read the outcome? Paypal ended up giving a $100 donation to each of the 200 families. And realize, this is NOT written by a neutral source.

Your link text

Click to expand...

Did they?

Click to expand...

It would seem that Paypal did.....

https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2011/12/regretsy-issue-resolution/

I have been an online trader for about 5 years fulltime. I accepted paypal for the 1st 2years, & never since.

I had someone do a $500 chargeback on a paypal transaction 10 weeks after the purchase & after positive feedback was left, I even had his signature recieving the goods.

I had emails from him after the chargeback stating 'sucked in, I got your goods & my money & theres nothing you could do.' i forwarded all this info to paypal, and they still found in the buyers favour & then charged me an extra $15 for the investigation.


I didnt have $500 in my paypal acct, so it went into negative balance & then they froze my ebay selling account until I paid them the $500. The day ebay brought in compulsary paypal for sellers was the last day I sold on that venue.

IME- paypal is a vehicle for fraud.

checkout paypalsucks.com for all sorts of horror stories from buyers & sellers all on how paypal fucked them over big time.

dorkus_molorkus said:

I have been an online trader for about 5 years fulltime. I accepted paypal for the 1st 2years, & never since.

I had someone do a $500 chargeback on a paypal transaction 10 weeks after the purchase & after positive feedback was left, I even had his signature recieving the goods.

I had emails from him after the chargeback stating 'sucked in, I got your goods & my money & theres nothing you could do.' i forwarded all this info to paypal, and they still found in the buyers favour & then charged me an extra $15 for the investigation.


I didnt have $500 in my paypal acct, so it went into negative balance & then they froze my ebay selling account until I paid them the $500. The day ebay brought in compulsary paypal for sellers was the last day I sold on that venue.

IME- paypal is a vehicle for fraud.

checkout paypalsucks.com for all sorts of horror stories from buyers & sellers all on how paypal fucked them over big time.

Click to expand...

That is horrible. I would hate for that to happen ever! What other means of money transaction services do you use now other than paypal? I have just never heard of any and now it is integrated into almost EVERYTHING so what's another?

I only sell domesticaly, I have a great online reputation & I trade on that.

So, my customers pay directly into my bank acc & I post when it arrives in my acct. they leave feedback on a local aust site they found me on & my potential customers can see my track record of not running off with their $$$$.

its not great, but it does work. Sure I could do more business if I accepted paypal, but my instances of fraud would go up. Then I would be faced with the dillema of only selling what I could afford to have stolen from me.
*(which is not much)

dorkus_molorkus said:

IME- paypal is a vehicle for fraud.

Click to expand...

PayPal is far from perfect, but if it were as bad for everyone as the worst stories, no one would use it. I don't like their policies, but I've used the service for years, and not only have I never lost money, I've been reimbursed/refunded a couple of times via their protection policy. Without PayPal, eBay purchasing is often not even possible, since quite a few sellers accept no other payment method.

@ max- I agree with you. but when you find yourself on the the other end of a terrible experience your perspectives change. As I said, my personal motto is if I have to deal with paypal when I am selling, then as stated above, dont sell anything you cant afford to have stolen from you.

Honestly I use paypal because there is no better alternative

turtles said:

Honestly I use paypal because there is no better alternative

Click to expand...

I was going to say that, but you beat me to it.

I don't like Paypal, but sometimes I have no choice but to use them, unfortunately.

of course, I use it as well when i am purchasing, due to its convienience.
I just dont kid myself that I am protected using paypal.

I just feel that the paypal marketing that everyones money is safe & all parties are protected is not to be taken as gospel. buyers & sellers can be victims of paypal fraud, a little knowledge can go along way.

for example, if you are a seller that accepts paypal, then make sure you connect your paypal acct via your bank acct and not your cc acct, that way, if there is a chargback they will only debit your paypal acct & not your cc acct. Paypal cant take funds from your bank acct with out your permission, but can off your cc acct.
if you empty your pp acct regularly, then they will put your pp acct in negative, and you can then see if paying them is warrented or not. (at least you have a small amount of control)

if you are a buyer, fund your pp acct via your cc acct. Then if you have a problem & you are not getting the result you feel you should from paypal then your cc provider will reverse the transaction on your behalf.

I don't like Paypal, but sometimes I have no choice but to use them, unfortunately.

Click to expand...

That's me, as well. They were the first to fill this new space in the cyber transaction world, and nobody better has been able to get a good foothold. And
just like with computer viruses and the companies that sell protection against them, there's always going to be an ongoing struggle. There are safer ways to transfer money, but it seems that PayPal is here to stay, and it's so easy for non commercial sellers to use that some see no need to accept any other form of payment. So if you avoid PayPal completely, you'll have to also avoid some 'paypal only' purchases.

dorkus_molorkus said:

if you are a buyer, fund your pp acct via your cc acct.

Click to expand...

When I signed up with PayPal, it was my understanding that all accounts had to be backed up with a credit card, even if you make payments out of a checking acct. A bank acct. isn't sufficient for fraud protection, on PayPal's end.

Paypal has both saved me from being screwed big time, and then also screwed me big time in other situations. I got robbed on ebay and paypal made it happen. They also saved my ass in the past, so I really don't know how to feel. I use it mostly because it is the only good widely accepted option in many situations.

@max- you have to go in & change the funding settings after you sign up.
Its hard to find, almost hidden even.

It wont protect you from fraud, but it gives you a tiny bit of control.

For example if I was a casual seller on ebay, and I sold an item for $200 & the buyer is a scumbag & does a chargeback sometime in the future.

If my pp acct was funded by my cc, then pp would just take the money back from my pp acct & if there wasnt $200 there, they would just take it from the cc. automatically, they take it 1st, then email you about it later.

whereas, if I funded my pp acct with my bank acct, then all pp can do is put your pp acct into negative balance if there wasnt $200 in your paypal acct. they cant help themselves to your bank acct, but they can to your credit card acct.

so, if your pp acct is in negative balance, you can then decided whether or not you wish to pay pp the money they reckon you have owed. depends on how important selling online is to you at the time.

like, I said, not protection, just a little bit of control.

PayPal is the last man standing ... i started on my website with CyberCash which got absorbed by PayPal. i only use PayPal myself for purchases from my India and China suppliers -- it's what they require.