Are we spoiled by using Paypal?
qualitycards
Posts: 2,811 ✭✭✭
After reading & responding to the thread about slow shippers like DSL & Fairway. usually the slowest shippers are the ones who don't take Paypal or credit cards. Obviously a check has to be mailed & sent to another part of the country, and if the seller chooses not to study the buyers feedback, it may be another week or 2 before the item is shipped.
I won a few lots from Grey Flannel a few weeks ago and as is the case w/ auction houses, they do not take credit cards as that will dip into their profit margin, but I always think that if they did choose to offer this service, how many more bids would they garner?
I'm always over-extending so i know my few bids would turn into many more.
As a seller I love Paypal, I have auctions ending in the evening and a large % of winning bidders pay in full soon after the auction ends, and the following morning I have maybe 1/4 of the lots packaged and ready for the post office. So within 12 hours of the auction ending, they are ready to ship. As a buyer, its a great service since I can pay quickly and have my lots shipped quicker, no .37 stamps to play with, no letters to address and no checks they need processing.
So as I wait each day for my Grey Flannel lots to arrive (My check has been cleared since early last week), I just think how much easier that Paypal has made our hobby/industry...jay
I won a few lots from Grey Flannel a few weeks ago and as is the case w/ auction houses, they do not take credit cards as that will dip into their profit margin, but I always think that if they did choose to offer this service, how many more bids would they garner?
I'm always over-extending so i know my few bids would turn into many more.
As a seller I love Paypal, I have auctions ending in the evening and a large % of winning bidders pay in full soon after the auction ends, and the following morning I have maybe 1/4 of the lots packaged and ready for the post office. So within 12 hours of the auction ending, they are ready to ship. As a buyer, its a great service since I can pay quickly and have my lots shipped quicker, no .37 stamps to play with, no letters to address and no checks they need processing.
So as I wait each day for my Grey Flannel lots to arrive (My check has been cleared since early last week), I just think how much easier that Paypal has made our hobby/industry...jay
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Comments
I agree with everything you say. I also love paypal.
I still haven't received cards I won on the 19th & 20th of November. Check cleared 2 weeks ago.
Buck, remember talking on the phone on the 26th? Night before Thanksgiving. I won that card also, I sent a M.O. Friday the 28th. All 3 cards are from the same seller. No cards yet. ___________NO MORE CHECKS___________
I used to just buy from sellers that take paypal, I'm going back. Change my ebay & paypal password every 2 weeks and never have a problem.
John
______________
1961 topps 100%
It takes me under a minute to pay someone with paypal.
To print out an invoce, get an envelope, write a check, record the check in the check register,
print my address on the invoice, address the envelope, make sure I haven't forgoten anything,
stamp it, seal it, and mail it is a total waste of my valuable time.
As for the money order ONLY sellers, they can kiss my sweet a...
I'd like to see ebay REQUIRE sellers to accept paypal.
It's time that everyone moved on out of the dark ages.
"How about a little fire Scarecrow ?"
Regards,
Alan
Setbuilders Sports Cards
Ebay: set-builders & set-builders2
<< <i>I seldom bid on auctions that do not offer paypal any more.
<< <i>
Amen to that Albie. Remember the days of writing checks, printing out invoices and stuffing envelopes? Then waiting multiple weeks for your cards to come?
That stuffs for the birds. Why did I do it? No options at the time I guess.
A money order only auction only gets about 50-75% of my maximum as a bid, and that's if I even bid at all.
A check/money order auction gets about 80-90% of my maximum as a bid. I don't mind sending a check, but if the seller is slow to ship I often don't buy from them again. I have yet to have a slow shipment from DSL or Fairway, but if I ever do, it will significantly curb what I spend with them.
One thing that I find strange about a MO-only auction... grocery store money orders are forged/counterfeited far more than personal checks. They are also much harder to pursue legally if they turn out to be bad. As a seller, if a first-time buyer I have had no prior contact with sends me PayPal or a USPS MO, I ship the same day or next morning, depending on when I get the mail. If they send a check, I ship the second morning after the check is deposited. If I get a grocery store money order, I hold the item for TWO WEEKS before shipping.
-
JR
Regards,
Alan
<< <i>I prefer my online billpay through my bank. You fill out the exact same information as paypal. The bank then cuts and mails certified payment to the seller. If there's a problem...you're not dealt with in a heavy handed fashion like paypal uses. >>
Alan-
Thats all well and good on your end...but the seller has to wait 3-4 days to receive your check, go to the bank to deposit it, etc.
With paypal the seller receives the funds and can turn around the same night to "reinvest" in the hobby...without his checking account being affected at all.
Plus....you are still going to have to wait as a buyer until the seller receives the check from your bank...rather than the card being shipped to you next day.
John
<< <i>Paypal is great until you have a problem...then it is somewhat less than great. >>
ALAN - I have heard some horror stories too! But knock on wood, all my transactions on both sides has been fine.
Another thing that I like about Paypal, is that they issued me a Paypal visa card. It is not a credit card. I can only use money thats in my account, and when I do I get 1.5% back on any purchase. Granted getting .15 cents on a $10 purchase is peanuts, but its still neat to get something back, and not pay 17% to use it like other cards I own. When I bought my shed in the spring, I put $1500 down on it w/ the card and got back $22.50, so it was like getting a 1962 PSA-8 common for free. Plus w/ the Paypal visa card, I can use the debit feature at the post office or supermarket and although they don't give you the 1.5% back on those transactions, I can still get cash as quick as a second after someone pays me. So to me its mind blowing that a buyer in Iowa can pay me for a card at noon, and at 12:10 I can turn it into cash in my hand...jay
Website: http://www.qualitycards.com
I don't believe that your bank check is any more sure than a personal account. It is not a certified check, and does not take money out of your account until the check is cashed. At least that is how my online checking works with Wachovia Bank.
Letting a bad transaction with paypal ruin it for you seems shortsighted. If it happens 1 out of a hundred times, which I doubt that it does, it still is a very small cost to pay for the convenience. Is it any different that dealing with a bounced check? And I suspect that it happens much less frequently.
Paul.
<< <i> I won a few lots from Grey Flannel a few weeks ago and as is the case w/ auction houses, they do not take credit cards as that will dip into their profit margin, but I always think that if they did choose to offer this service, how many more bids would they garner?
I'm always over-extending so i know my few bids would turn into many more. >>
Aha - but remember, Gray Flannel is only getting a % of the sale price, and the paypal/credit card fee would eat into only their commission, not the total amount. Consider (leaving aside S/H):
$1000 item sale - 15% BP and 10% Sellers - $1150 net price, $250 gross/net to auction co.
$1100 item sale - 15% BP and 10% Sellers - $1265 net price, 2.5% CC fee of $31.63, $275 GP less CC - $243.37 gross to auction co.
So if every item got an extra 10% bump, the auction co would STILL lose money by accepting credit cards. And that's a lot to ask, for a $2M company to go to $2.2M with the exact same quality merchandise and marketing.
On ebay, it's different when the seller is getting all of the $$ - he only needs a 5% bump to pay for the paypal fees and then some. I agree with everyone though - unless something is terribly tough to find, I will barely consider bidding w/o paypal. There's just too much stuff on ebay that I don't have to deal with the hassle of writing a check, and can track payment so much easier. Isn't it worth it just to know the seller can't tell you "your check hasn't cleared yet."
I bank with Wachovia as well and they take the money immediatelty. If the check is not cashed for some reason, they have to put the money back into your account. It goes out of your account on the day that the check is scheduled to be delivered.
If paypal works for you...great! I am simply offering decent alternatives. The online checks at Wachovia do take a few days...but in the grand scheme of things...so what? If you want to learn about the issues of paypal, click here
I think paypal is a good concept...it just needs better customer service. They operate in a very heavy handed manner. As long as you never have an issue that requires their attention...you will be fine.
Regards,
Alan
The customer service experience I had with them (4 times) was significantly below average and therefore I do not use them. I know I may lose a few bids etc, but I also do not have some headaches.
Maybe I am just old fashioned.....of course most of the items I am selling on ebay are less than $50 so people do not seem to have any issues with it
Dave
Collector of Vintage Golf cards! Let me know what you might have.
I had one problem in almost 4 years. I called paypal, they faxed me a form. I filled out the form, walked next door to one of my neighbors and she notarized it. I faxed the form back and never looked back. In two weeks my account was corrected. End of story. I know everyone doesn't have a notary public 2 houses down from them. The next day would have worked...
John
______________
1961 topps 100%
i had one problem as a buyer when i used paypal. short version- seller never delivered, stiffed a bunch of buyers. i filed a fraud complaint w/ebay and paypal, and ended up getting 85% of money refunded via paypal within 3 days of filing my fraud complaint. paypal promptly responded to my emails, and i never dealt w/a "live" person/wasted time on the telephone. as a buyer, i rarely bid on auctions that don't take paypal...as i said, it's too much of a hassle to get to the post office quickly. i've also had sellers claim that either the money order or cash i sent them was "lost". granted the $ amount involved was small, so i just re-sent the cash/money order rather than tracing them. taking paypal leaves no questions about whether the money was recieved.
<< <i>Also, if you add in the .37 cents for a stamp, and money for an envelope and money order, plus the annoyance of having to fill it all out, the 3% isn't really all that bad >>
DBJ - Keep in mind the 3% fee is ONLY for the seller, not the buyer. So as a buyer you can save on the stamp, and writing out the envelope & detailed list of what you won, and probably have your lot shipped within 24 hours of your payment...jay
Website: http://www.qualitycards.com
Wolfbear, that's a little harsh if you think Ebay should "require" PayPal use. I accept PayPal when I sell things but only for the buyer's convenience. If I had to choose, I would prefer checks and money orders all day to PayPal. I have to go to the bank anyways because half of the auctions are paid through the mail so it wouldn't be an extra trip. As a seller, it's tough to swallow all the PayPal and Ebay fees sometimes. There has been some months that I have paid $500 total to Ebay and PayPal, for 1 month! Granted I did a lot of sales, but not all sales are profit and some are at a loss. That $500 comes right out of the profit part of the gross total at the end of the month.
But Paypal is convenient, I have to say that. And, I'm sure it adds extra bids that wouldn't by placed otherwise so I will always take it. I just wish that the fee would be placed on the buyer because the real service involved by using Paypal is at the buyers end as stated previously in this thread.
I like the convenience as a seller too but......
I take 2 paypal orders from a verified buyer. I ship the cards in 2 lots (both are lots of off grade 56's...15 cards in all or so) USPS and insured. No problems. 3 months later, the buyer claims unauthorized use of a credit card. NOT that the cards weren't received. Because I didn't ship certified, registered or with delivery confirmation, I don't meet Paypal's requirements and I am now out the cards AND the money as they credited back against me. My bad for not requiring it but, still, there is no allegation that I didn't fullfill all my obligations, just that Paypal has transferred the risk of loss to me for not shipping with a tracking number (even though that tracking number has NO relevance to the transaction whatsoever). In addition, Paypal tacks on a $10/lot fee ($20) for their "trouble". I hate to do it but I am now inclined to tack another charge on to my shipping for delivery confirmation on all orders over a certain dollar amount just to ensure that I don't get scammed again.
Setbuilders Sports Cards
Ebay: set-builders & set-builders2
<< <i> had one problem in almost 4 years. I called paypal, they faxed me a form. I filled out the form, walked next door to one of my neighbors and she notarized it. I faxed the form back and never looked back. In two weeks my account was corrected. End of story. I know everyone doesn't have a notary public 2 houses down from them. The next day would have worked... >>
I had a problem earlier in the summer. Maybe some of yall remember me posting about it. Well, long story short: someone hacked into my account, cleaned out my Paypal balance of $180+ and 85% of my bank account (~$1400+). I went to my bank and told them, they call their people who call Paypal and get that money back. I get the Paypal forms, sign/notarize them, send them back. Ten days later I'm fully reimbursed. I called Paypal (using a number from paypalsucks.com) and talked to a live person twice, not having to hold for more than 5 minutes. They were very courteous and probably will have a lifelong customer. I could have lost $1500 but Paypal was there to help. This is where I preach changing your passwords AT LEAST once a month.
<< <i>Because I didn't ship certified, registered or with delivery confirmation, I don't meet Paypal's requirements and I am now out the cards AND the money as they credited back against me. >>
I've heard about this numerous times. Now I require additional money for DC. I put DC on every shipment out now regardless of payment method.
Justin
NAXCOM
<< <i>As a buyer, I don't use paypal. They were very corrupt before ebay bought them, and are just as corrupt since, in my opinion. If I were a seller, I would never accept it because ebay basically get three fees for their auctions with it. Listing fee, final value fee, then ebay fee. Since ebay now owns paypal, shouldn't paypal be free to use? >>
noname--What do you mean by corrupt?
For years at my store I accepted all the major credit cards and I was charged around the same % that Paypal offers. It helped many customers buy items that they didn't have cash in pocket for. Same w/ Paypal as many bid higher and more often knowing they can take
their time paying it via their credit card...jay
Website: http://www.qualitycards.com