Since I assume that a number of folks who post here use Paypal to purchase classic and vintage bike items, I have some questions . I've used money orders exclusively for all my ebay sales and purchases. So it looks like I will need to go that way if I want to continue buying on ebay.

My concern: Paypal has been around for a long time, but if you do any search you find that there are lots of people that have had nummerous problems using Paypal.

What say all you???? Good, bad, OK???

Best to tie paypal to a credit card or ???

Options other than paypal???

My apologies if this is too off topic, but I figured that here would be the best place to get real world answers.
Thanks,
Robert

From my understanding the safest way to use it is to tie it to a credit card not associated with your checking/savings accounts.

I've had issues with them in the past, but am back to using them again.

I would have a separate account where they can't cause your family to have economic issues should they screw up. We have a savings account that I have my paypal account linked to.

I don't see much problem in general

I have a bank account tied to my paypal that is used for paypal only. No other tie ins with
other accounts. I do pay mostly with credit card via paypal though.

Marty

I use it exclusively and have had no issues. I will, on occasion, accept a check or money order but it obviously needs to clear first.

As others have said, its best to link it to non-household/family bank account 'just in case'.

Your life will be so much easier if you use Paypal. Everything you need is right there and you can even print postage through paypal at a discount. The fees are more than reasonable considering all that they offer.

Jim

Two issues for me. One they ding me for receiving a payment even if it is a draw from a bank account. If it were a credit card, okay. Two..if I were wanting to put a received payment back into my bank account, they do not allow me to do that immediately. Why not? They can draft my account if they need to do so. I know why and it does not sit well with me. I use the credit car option more often than not.

Your receiving money...what difference does it make how the sender chooses to send it? Their fees are for the convenience of the service not for the method of 'transmission'.

I, in general, have been able to transfer received funds relatively quickly. Becuase your/I'm selling a product the delay in transfer of funds is to prevent seller fraud. Regardless, a short hold is better than having to run all over town trying to cash a money order or waiting for a check to arrive and having a hold on that.

Jim

I don't like paypal simply because so many times you are FORCED to use their sevrices, like ebay for example. It appears that many ebay sellers are still accepting money orders, they just note it in their item description instead now.

I use it for all my e-bay stuff, but I don't buy all that much. I haven't had any problems with PP.

I have been using Paypal since probably about the time it started.....can't say I'm necessarily a fan, but it's like Ebay for some things: the simplicity is worth the "price". That said, I do a few things to make it palatable:
1. I have a separate 'ebay/paypal' bank account that's tied w/ paypal
2. I have a Paypal debit card so I very very rarely actually transfer funds back to that account...I usually just spend with the card (which gives something like 1% cash back, btw).

I have had friends who have had terrible Paypal problems....where Paypal has taken/siezed funds based on a buyer claim & in effect put someone's checking acct in a tailspin...and the customer service is probably on par with most cellular phone services. But, the ease factor - especially for printing shipping labels - is worth it to me for the fee/risk/etc.

Paypal is so much easier than other choices, both for selling and buying on ebay. Snail mailing checks and or money orders makes no sense, and has its own security risks.

give me convenience or give me death, huh?

Because until I "upgraded" so I could accept a credit card based payment, they did not charge me. if it was for convenience of service, why did they not charge me when using my account. You should also be aware that they make interest off the funds they hold. A lot of small amounts add up quickly even with low interest.

I've used paypal since 2000 with no issues at all. Large eBay purchases are made using a credit card. I usually keep a small amount of cash in the PayPal account for small eBay purchases so as not to use the credit card or the cash in a separate bank account. After a large eBay sale I usually transfer the money to my bank account. Again, no issues whatsoever.

stan

That's exactly the one, and only gripe I have with them as well. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd get around it by opening another account for cash/debit transactions only.

Good point. I guess I've always accepted CC payments from the get go. It costs ~2% to process CC transactions so without billing the merchant (seller) they'd lose money on the deal.

What paypal does is more fair than what happens with regular buisnessws. Regular buisnesses spread out their CC fees over all of the goods they sell regardless of methos of payment. Cash and check buyers are getting charged the CC buyers fees.

Which is exactly what PP is doing to me and everyone else with the upgraded accounts.

I use PayPal but try to stay under the $200 guarantee limit, so I don't get ripped off by Randy West in Las Vegas when he sells me an '87 Ironman with no intentions of ever shipping it. As it was, I lost $50 on the deal.

I try to use Postal money orders, because they're basically legal tender and don't require me to have an account, etc etc. And banks are supposed to cash them, too.

I'm OK w/PayPal for buying. If I'm selling, I know I'll get nailed for a fee, but yep, it's convenient.

been using pp since 98 or so. Any issues I've had have not been due to problems with paypal themselves. In fact several times I've used them to file a complaint for damaged/non existent goods that a buyer refused to deal with. They're good for that.

As for googling Paypal to find people that have had issues, try that with any other payment option and see what you find...

True but the rate they're charging you for CC transactions is considerably less with the upgraded account versus with the personal account.

With your old account they were charging you 4.9% on CC's while the upgraded account is a maximum of 2.5%.

+1. I find it odd how people like to rip Paypal and point out their faults. Paypal is allowing me to conduct buisness worldwide from the comfort of my living room. I can run a buisness without the hassle of setting up a buisness.

If I had a brick and morter store I'd have to jump through hoops to get set up to accept CC's and I wouldnt get compensated from the bank for weeks.

+1 Try starting a small business and running your own credit card system. You will get hammered by American Express, MC and Visa.

+1. I cant say I own a CC processing company but I helped to fund my brothers so I hear it from the otherside.

The basic personal account I signed up for did not incur any charges. The only stipulation was that I could not accept a credit card based payment. I had to upgrade to do so. So for me it was a case of zero cost and only taking bank account payments or paying a fee on all payments, credit card or not.

Now, if I am not mistaken, you have to take a CC payment. So it would appear the program I signed up for some 11 years ago does not exist.

Randy West in Las Vegas, you say?

jim