OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Definitely Paypal items sell for more, also a lot less trouble. I hate the process of writing and mailing a check, then receiving the item if the seller so chooses. Paypal also provides a money back guarantee for the buyer and many fewer hassles for the seller. After all, checks bounce but you never know until you deposit them, at which point your bank charges fees that you'll never recoup from the buyer. I used to offer Paypal only until some potential buyers begged me to accept money orders and/or checks, which I did. It was miserable, now it's Paypal only.

Pam

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Dick Coers

>Isn't there the chance that the buyer will claim some sort problem and pull back the payment through his credit card when using PayPal? Of course that would be after you have sent the items. Seems like nothing is safe on Ebay to me.

From a buyer

Wiley Horne

>Hi Bill,

I think it can cut both ways, and you might want to offer options. I use Paypal now, but for a long time I didn't, for various reasons. At that time, if a seller was 'Paypal only' I just skipped over the listing. There may be other buyers out there who, for reasons of their own, just don't have a Paypal account. I still don't want a pipeline into my bank account, and for that reason remain unverified.

On the other hand, some buyers insist on Paypal.

For the items I track, Todd Hughes always gets top buck, and he doesn't do Paypal. So go figure.

I have a slight preference for Paypal now, because it's so easy and fast (and I'm not paying the fees!), but writing a check doesn't bother me at all.

Wiley

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Dale Lenz

>I prefer to buy using PayPal, as Pam said it's easier, just a few clicks and the buyer's part is done.

Can the seller get burned by taking PayPal, Sure! I never have yet, knock on wood.

When selling and buying there are always risk. Don't like risk, stay in bed, even then the ceiling Could fall in on you, : ' >.

Yellow flag: when the PayPal buyer's address is different from address their credit card is billed too, it's to called ~ non confirm "something". I've shipped to non confirmed addy before and done fine, it's a judgement call.

As an Eseller, many folks want to talk to me over the phone first, don't mind a bit. Then again, I'm not trying anything tricky either.

Good luck,

Dale

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>There is the chance, but Paypal requires them to make a good case for refund and you can refute, ask for item return.

Pam

I don't use Paypal

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>I had an account and someone was always trying to hack it. I never could get a live person on Paypal to deal with so I said screw them and canceled.

Never-the-less, I have bought numerous items from "Paypal only" sellers. I email the seller and ask if they accept a bank cashiers check, which I get made for free at my handy bank. They always do, as it is as good as cash. It may be a good thing to not make buying too easy. It may weed out the marginally motivated which are likely the ones that give problems.

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Todd Hughes

>I sell alot on ebay [Around 20-40 things a week, 5G a month] and I don't take paypal and this is my take.

Ebay tells me that paypal sellers get 5% higher for thier stuff then non paypal sellers. I think on avarage they are right but I think where it makes a big difference is with sellers that sell common ordinary stuff. If you have a choice between buying a T shirt or CD from a paypal seller or one where you you have to send a check and you like using paypal chances are you will go with the Paypal seller who will make more money because he is using the paypal.I don't sell T shirts or CDs but stuff that buyers maybe can't find other places or is not presented as well etc. by paypal sellers so I do fine.

..... Also for the seller it costs them about 3% to use paypal so when you take this in account the price gap narrows. If I used Paypal it would cost me about $1,500 a year if most people used it.Most people that I know that takes paypal charge an inflated shipping fee to cover this cost which I would not feel right about doing as I charge actual postage costs. Do I lose some money because I don't take Paypal?...I'm sure I do. do I lose $1,500 a year? I don't think so. I think on the avarage what I sell goes as high as anybodys even those that take paypal.

.....Is funny but when I used to get emails like "Since you don't take paypal I'm not bidding on your auction" and I would email them back telling them they can pay me using my girlfriends paypal account NOT ONCE did any of these people ever win an auction.I get the feeling that "Must use Paypal" buyers are not real dedicated buyers who don't like to bid to high and often get out bid.

..... I have also listed identical items under my girlfriend paypal taking name and my non paypal name and the prices they brought was about the same or more under mine...go figure on that.

...I know sellers that were ripped off by buyers using paypal scams. Knock on wood in many thousands of checks I have only ever got ONE bad check [was a cashiers check which I thought was "funny"]

I think eventually all sellers will be forced by Ebay to take Paypal. Recently Ebay made it so that any new sellers must offer take it to join up.When Ebay forces everyone to use it then I will take it too.If I thought I was really losing much money I would take it now but I don't, and believe me I have thought alot about this.

....Know what you are selling, Describe it very well with enough good photographs and talk it up so people want it and your stuff will do well and sell for top bucks. You won't need to take paypal to get it ......Todd

P.S.

Todd Hughes

>Thought I would do a little looking on Ebay compeleted auctions. I recently sold a Stanley 42X saw set and figured this would be a good thing to compare since it is a pretty common tool that you can check the prices they bring.

.... Besides mine I saw three others that sold plus an auction that had a 42X with some yankee screwdrivers and etc. and an auction of FOUR Stanley saw sets including a 42X. All these auctions took paypal while I do not. All looked as nice as mine or pretty close and a couple had very good photos too.I did notice that some charged a slightly inflated postage fee [maybe to make up for paypal fees?] Now if paypal made a real difference you would think I would get hurt right ?

The 3 auctions for the 42X went $22, $22 and $28. The one with the screwdrivers and etc. went for $19 and the four saw sets went for $37....Mine sold for $52 which is around what I normaly get for them [$35-$55]. Did I get hurt for not taking paypal? I don't think so. Maybe it would have gone for $55 if I took it? Who knows?.....I do know though to get top dollor [or at least good money] on the ebay you don't have to take paypal .......Todd

Re: P.S.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Did your bank charge you a whopping fee for that bounced cashier's check?

Pam

Todd....

Rob Brophy...lost in Niagara

>People pay more for your stuff because they 'know' and trust you as well as the thorough, clear descriptions & photos (but your "bid high" scale dollar is getting a little crumpled). You've built an audience...how many repeat customers do you get? Quite a few? I'd happily pay a premium for the security of dealing with a trusted seller: you're not going to add extra charges, hide a defect or ship it in a substandard package...AND you'll ship to Canada (& the rest of the world). Quite a few ebay dealers won't ship out of the continental US.

Sure, you get a little extra for your goods, but I suspect you earn every cent.

Rob...who is gonna surf ebay now that the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American dollar for the first time in years.

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Ernie Miller

>I take paypal does it bring higher prices I don't know it does seem easier for my cliants to just pay me most times with in minutes of the sales end. Then I am able to make one trip to the PO on monday and ship the stuff. It cost but that is the price of doing buisness. in the end that is one of the things that can be written off in the taxes making my liability that much less. in the end it is a choice you have to make. I hate the limits the place on withdraws in a month. that hurts us small people.

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Michael Recchione

>In a different context, I know of one seller who claimed that his business was destroyed by this practice. A number of unscrupulous buyers claimed either non-receipt of the merchandise or damage, and pulled back their payments. These were relatively high-ticket items compared to hand-tools (violins), and the business operated on such narrow margins that the receipts from sold merchandise was needed to fill current orders, and once that money was pulled back...

Of course, this could have all been an excuse for a badly run business to begin with. But it certainly gave me a pre-disposition to deal in money-orders (no personal checks). If you're the seller, that leaves you in control. With paypal, you're not.

That said, I prefer buying with paypal. You get the stuff quicker, it's much less of a hassle... So I guess it depends on which side of the fence you sit on.

I've never sold anything, but...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>I've bought a lot of things. I prefer to use paypal, it fast and easy for me.

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>For a seller of high ticket items, it's advisable to mail with return receipts and the like. I used to do this for shipping software. Then the only thing you need worry about is a collusion between recipient and postman/delivery person.

Money orders are ok, too, but I've heard there are ways to cheat here, too. For example, forged MO's; but at least you can try to cash them at the PO and can avoid bank fees when they bounce.

Pam

Nope....

Todd Hughes

>I didn't get charged anything.....this was the only bad check I ever got so to be honest don't know if they normaly charge a fee on bounced checks or not but they didn't in this case. I have been charged a $3 fee on occasion when by mistake I cash a foreign check instead of depositing it and sending it out for collection. All I do is go the next week and tell the teller about it and they refund me the $3. Really pays to be on a first name basis with all the bank folks....and I do admit to talking all the women up at the bank pretty good too! Never hurts to give candy and silver jewelry out you know.

The bad cashiers check was a very large one [over $8,500] and I had reason to think it might be funny from how the buyer acted. Went to a different bank branch then i normaly do to see if it cleared and was told by the teller that it had. I still had a bad feeling and didn't send the item. Went to my regular bank and talked to the head gal and told i was suspicious about the check. She called the senders bank and talked with them and told me somthing was funny and she would know more the next day. Next day she calls me and tells me that the sender had stopped payment on the check and because he had waited 7 days to do so it looked like at first it had cleared. Really paid off to be on good terms with the bank, Worked out OK as i sold it to the back up bidder for the same price and didn't have ebay fees. ......Todd

Re: Nope....

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Yeah, well good job. Unfortunately the bad check I was given was the first and last one I accepted; and my bank charged $30 when it bounced (welcome to big banking, even though I chose a smaller bank). I didn't send the item.

Pam

As an "international" buyer...

Paul Kierstead

>I love paypal. Most buyers demand a "cheque drawn on a US bank" which, not suprisingly in Canada, is a major PITA. So I have to go to the post office and get a money order. *generally* I am hesitant to send the money order via snail mail, so expedited mail it is; otherwise the sellers can get all ansty at the delay, plus you never know when it is lost. All in all, not using Paypal can easily cost *me* $10-$15 is most cases, and the close to receive delay is several weeks. For a smaller item, that is unacceptable. So if you don't take paypal, you'll probably suffer loss of international orders (though admittedly Canada is not a huge market, and Europe probably balks at the shipping) or have at least reasonably liberal policies. It's a tough business. It would be nice to have a better solution then paypal; really the banks should have got onto this, but they are always a decade late and 50% over budget.

Re: OT - PayPal vs. checks selling on deBay

John Weber

>With over 4000's transactions, I accept any form of payment the buyer wishes to make. PayPal is great, makes everything easier, but some people don't like it. I'm not had any problems.

What's a check?

McKay Sleight

>It has been so long that I have written a check that I do not even know where my check book is.