Dont know if im in the right section and if not i appolgize and ask the MOD to please move me. I was wondering how many of you guys buy and sell parts on thirdgen through pay pal and i was sondering how safe is it. I dont know if someone can scam me when theyre supposed to be paying me on pay pal.

 

I've personally made a couple of purchases from TGO members using pay pal without any problems. If you do have a problem with someone, you must dispute the issue fairly quick.

One way to cover yourself for sure when using pay pal is to have the amount charged to your credit card (if you have one). If you have the money taken out of your bank account, you don't have the additional dispute protection like you do when using your credit card. I hope this info helps you out

 

Other bit of advice, pack the item well (normally 2 inches of padding all around for UPS), insure for damage (they will not cover an item that is not packed to their standards, see first note), and get a tracking #, signature confirmation. This way your item is covered and there is a signature the person got it. Slight hassle for the person having to sign, but much less of a hassle if PayPal comes after you for "non delivery / non receipt"...

If shipping international.....USPS is cheapest (if the part is small), but they do not often cover more than $500... and customs is another issue... Still, I've shipped many items, made seller aware of the facts, (been using ebay since 1997 and I've shipped all over the world), I only had 1 guy requests that I pay the taxes for customs, which of course I didn't, since he previously agreed to it.... I would say, my record is stellar with no problems...

don't be afraid to ship, just cover your ***, it's all good and worth it...

 

Thanks a million for the advice guys. This guy in Cali want to buy an item from me. I will most likely be shipping it USPS and with a signature confirmation. Now how do i go about receiving payment for the item through pay pal, do i have to give them certain pay pal info on my part. Just making sure i dont go giving out too much or not enogh info for a smooth transaction. Thanks again guys.

 

Go create a paypal account... from within it, you can send him a bill to his email, or you an give him your email address (the one tied to your paypal account) and he can send you $$$... it's easy

Raf

 

PayPal will charge the seller a 6% fee, so you will not get the full sale price for your item. I always tell people that if they want to send me payment using PayPal, to add 6% to the price. That can be a deal breaker.
PayPal is nice for receiving a quick payment. I always figured that it might be better for larger companies that could absorb the 6% as a cost of doing business.

If everybody can wait out snail mail, have the buyer send you a Postal Money Order and ship the item after receipt of the MO. That way they have a Post Office MO receipt for their payment, and you have a Post Office MO payment before you send the part.

 

You can avoid the 6% fee if the payer checks the "gift" box when making the transaction. Only do this if you trust the OP. By doing this you lose some of the protection that Paypal offers. I had a dispute with a .com company that I paid with Paypal and my account was credited after a couple of requests. All in all it is a pretty safe and easy way to send money.

 

It's not 6%, it's less than half....
Free when the money comes from PayPal balance or bank account.
2.9% + $0.30 USD when the money comes from a debit or credit card or PayPal Credit
(the sender decides who pays this fee).

Yes there is a cost of doing business... but since I am not a business, beats having a merchant banking account ($$$), monthly or yearly fees to be able to process credit cards ($$$), and per transaction costs.... I think it's quite reasonable..

& I wouldn't sent a money order to someone I don't know....

Rafael

 

i use paypal all the time and have never had any issues. Claims take a little wile to resolve, but so far i have not had any issues with their claim system.

I believe if you send payment as a gift, you forfeit any chance of a claim if the parts dont arrive.

 

We really don't have a forum for this type of question, however, the Classifieds Feedback forum is probably the best suited as there are members who are cautious and know some ways to buy and sell more safely. So I've moved your thread to the Classifieds Feedback section.

 

Several hundred transactions as both a Buyer & Seller, and never any problems.

I usually do small $ amounts, I guess because I'm "scared", yet I have never had any issues. Biggest was like $400 & that was with a guy here on TGO. 100% smooth transaction.

 

DONT send money as a gift unless you know the person, a few users on here ask that you do that and have scammed people that way

6% isnt that much, its less than most peoples sales tax and is worth it when you go to file a claim on something

 

But as already said above...It isn't 6% (how did he ever get the idea it was?), it's either 2.9% + 30 cents or it is 1.9%-2.9%. Depends on the type of transaction.

 

so i just sold something for 30.00...and after the fee i got 28.83, what percentage is that? like 4%, either way still a small price to pay

 

Also, avoid sellers requesting you add the paypal fees onto the item total. This violates PP's end user license agreement and is a good way for PP to deny pretty much anything that could happen and possibly fine you

 

i second that as well...ive had a few sellers do that also. seems dumb that a seller wouldnt want to cough up the whopping dollar or two for the protection for themselves.

do things the right way and youll never have a problem...try to work around the system for your own personal game and you will get burned, one way or another

if the seller asks you to do it as a gift DONT
if the seller asks you to pay the PP fee DONT
if the seller asks you to send a Money order DONT

these are just a few signs that something sneaky could be going on

 

I completely disagree with the Seller having to pay the fees.

When the BUYER has the option of just sending a Money Order, but chooses Paypal, THEY should pay the fee, not the Seller. It isn't the Sellers fault that the Buyer chose Paypal.

In 99% of my Transaction I've done through Paypal, I've had the $ sent as a Gift to avoid the Fee. And not a single Buyer has been screwed or dissatisfied. Yes, there are dishonest Sellers out there, but...Buyer Beware. Too good to be true deals, usually are just that!

It is up to the Buyer to trust the Seller, not Paypal's responsibility to "protect" a buyer. Buyers should be responsible for their own choices & not leave it up to some company to be their "guardian".

 

There is a fee involved with a MO as well, plus it has almost zero buyer protection should the seller be less than honest

If the seller doesnt want to shake on a small % of his profit then post the F/S ad with a higher price, besides much like driving on the highway, it's their rules (EULA) and their playground. You dont like it? You get penalized if caught

 

Man, you guys are great.Thanks for all the helpful info. Do you guys think its better if i give the guy my pay pal email so he can pay pal me, or should i click the request money option on pay pal, or send him an invoice via pal pal.I didnt know if it mattered, but just want to keep my but covered, thanks again.

 

Guess being a geezer has taken the urgency out of my transactions.... I still just take a personal or company check and send the item when the check clears.... No hassles, no fees, just a bit slower. On large invoices over $2500.00 I will take a wire transfer to my bank, but only because I have a "gearhead friendly" banker who does all the work for me.

 

Nothing wrong with that, just some buyers are a bit impatient and will start screaming foul when you wait the oh-so-long 10 days before mailing their parts

 

Yeah, but I tell them up front that nothing gets shipped til the check clears. Impatience and the "I want it all and I want it right now" attitude is just one of the many things I don't like about the way things are these days.....

 

so long as that is made clear up front its not a huge problem, can make it a hard sell though

but by not conforming to how things are these days you lose a lot of protection. its kind of like sending a package with no tracking number. however if it works for you i dont see a problem with it. it would be nice if everything could be based on honesty like the good ole days

pay pal is easy old man give it a shot

 

I've tried the Pay Pal thing, an ugly story... I just refuse to accept the premise that honesty is old fashioned and out of style... When I ship I usually use USPS and get a signature confirmation, kind of like honesty with insurance!!!!

There's a couple of younger guys who've made the mistake of coming in my shop and "demanding" that I meet their time schedule....they both were asked politely to take their business elesewhere. Another of my old fashioned traits is; If you don't have the time and money to do it right, when are you going to have the time and money to do it over? I'm sure it's cost me a few bucks over the years, but it sure has saved a lot of grief!!!! I'm fortunate to have been in business long enough now that I have a very established clientele, lots of repeat customers, and I don't have to advertise for new customers or accept every project that shows up.... My old fashioned ways still work for me!

 

haha i have no argument to any of that..

 

I do not send/receive $$ or parts as "gifts". International buyers must deal with customs fees on the parts they have imported.

I PREFER money order payments. They are cheap, easy to get, and you are somewhat protected from fraud. (Be smart and follow the rules like be sure to place the sellers name on it, insurance on significant $ value Money Orders, Signature Confirmation, Ect... ) NEVER had a problem with a Money Order in over 15 years of shipping stuff. Postal MO's are the most secure IMO, they've gotten several safety features added recently.

I accept PayPal; I do not pay for it. E-Bay told me years ago that I could not honestly tell people they had to pay this 4% fee and suggested that I call the Paypal trasaction fee a "handling charge". ( one of the reasons I rarely sell stuff on E-Bay ) I'm honest with members here and tell them the truth,...... If you want it quick and easy than you need to pay for it. No one has complained to PayPal.

I don't pay for a money order, a stamp, electronic transactions, shipping, insurance or the gas people use to pick up their parts and don't expect them to pay for my expenses when I'm buying. If I'm askin' $100 for a B&M shifter than it's the same price for the guy that drives up to my house as it is for the guy in California that needs it by the end of the week.

 

I understand you not wanting to pay the paypal fees, no problem..
But how are you covered with a money order if say, you send me $100 and I don't' send you the item you paid me for? For example, as on this board (as opposed to Ebay that has protection) ???

That to me is where paypal / ebay helps....

I will not send a money order to somene on this message board for an item because if they never send me the item, I'm pretty much out... Paypal / ebay offer protection...

Unless I'm missing something...??

Rafael

 

An honest seller who only accepts MOs is pretty secure. The trouble is when shady sellers only want a MO then run off with it never sending the parts. Theres a BIG fight to try and recoup the funds as a buyer

Look at the negative feedback area, notice how most do not use PP, but prefer MOs. Theres a reason for this. PP is better about strong arming a bad seller into refunding the money. MOs require contacting the police in both your area and the sellers, often going to court in the end. By the end the fees are generally more than the amount lost

IMHO PP is more secure

 

Postal Money Order problems ( lost / stolen )


Click Here: http://www.usps.com/missingmoneyorders/welcome.htm

Like I said - play smart,..... place the name of the seller ( person cashing the MO ) on the Money Order and use signature confirmation.