Question
I needed a particular network adapter for my Tivo to get it hooked up to my new DSL system. Shopped around on Ebay, found a vendor that had the model and version number I needed, was a little concerned because they only had feedback of seven or eight (no negatives), all accrued in the last month, but they had no negatives, and I would hope people wouldn't hold it against me that my feedback is relatively low (at 28), so I went ahead and bid on and won the item.
Immediately after winning, I attempted to pay with paypal, and got the error message that this seller cannot accept paypal payments at this time. From reading this board, I know that this likely means that they either haven't set up a business account (they have only been selling, not buying on ebay) and have exceeded their paypal maximum on funds they can receive, that they have overdrawn their paypal account, or that there is some other problem. The red flag goes up, given that their total sales, all for the same item, would probably amount to about $200. But I try to keep an open mind, and email the seller to let them know there is a paypal problem, and once they fix it, I'll send them payment.
Got back an email from the seller this morning saying "yeah, I've been having problems with paypal" could I send a money order instead? Wait a minute now. You've been having problems with Paypal, which implies this is an ongoing problem, one you apparently don't expect to be ironed out anytime soon, and yet you left Paypal as the preferred payment option. Both this auction and the seller's others have no bids on them, and yet the seller left an apparently invalid payment method listed. Had Paypal not been there, I would not have bid. I don't like to send checks with my home address and bank account information to strangers, and getting a money order is an additional inconvenience I wasn't looking for. I was also expecting to pay for the item with my paypal balance. I could have bought from someone else instead. Now, at least to me, there seem to be several red flags waiving.
I would like some advice on how to handle this. Admittedly, the total sale only amounts to about $20, and I certainly don't want my rating negatively impacted, but if this person has only been selling for a month, and their paypal account is already put on hold (for some time in the past, and anticipated to last long enough that they've requested an alternate payment method), and they didn't change their auctions to remove paypal as a payment option (which to my mind, is not a completely honest way of doing business), one which will cause me an inconvenience I didn't want, I'm not particularly eager to do business with this person at this point. Yeah, its only $20, but if I do get burned, I'm not the type to roll over and take it, and it would be much more of a hassle trying to get back a money order than it would be to file a complaint with paypal. I'm not even sure I *could* get the money from the money order back.
What would you do? Or what would you advise me to do? (One thing I'm definitely thinking is that I need to set up a separate buyer account to make ebay purchases from folks who don't have a really established track record, or maybe I should never have made the purchase in the first place, although I hate to be so judgmental because other buyers may have the same attitude towards me as a seller because of a comparative lack of feedback. Everybody had a low feedback number at one point, even the powersellers.) My gut instinct is to try to cancel the transaction somehow, I'll take the hit of a withdrawn bid if I have to, or to insist on paying through paypal, thereby forcing them to fix the problem or cancel the transaction, but I'd probably receive a negative rating then, and I don't want that.
Thanks in advance for the input.
Answer
Originally Posted by colorscape_quilts
What would you do?
Send a check.
Originally Posted by colorscape_quilts
Or what would you advise me to do?
That's harder to say- I guess it depends on how insistent you are on paying through PayPal.
Answer
What would I do? BTDT-I won't purchase. Report to ebay. Buy from another seller.
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I would send them a check or money order .
poop happens , just becouse they have paypal issues in no way means the problems are of their doing or that they where aware of them before the auction
ended
why make a big deal of a 20 purchase
I don't like to send checks with my home address and bank account information to strangers,
do you ever pay by check ?
when you hand the cashier at the grocery store your check whats to keep them from copying the info down ?
when you pay a bill by check whats to keep the clerk opening the envolope from noting your name , address, bank routing number and checking account number ?
its out there for all the world to see.
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I'd probably get the money order. They are new, crap happens. Maybe they don't/didn't understand about PP's rules concerning Personal and Business accounts. It's a small amount, so I would probably give them the benefit of the doubt.
Personally, I've never understood people being afraid to use a personal check. For years, it's how most people bought stuff and paid their bills. You have to give the seller your address to ship to as well. You get "their" info back on the cancelled check as well.
Getting a MO would fix that worry anyway. Maybe a polite informative email about eBay rules and PP, so they don't start off getting in trouble, if you feel so inclined.
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I'd send a check, too. I do think it's a good sign that they answered your email. They sound like rank newbies to selling.
You're on the right track about having another ID-many sellers (myself included) have a buying ID so when situation like this arise, they don't impact our selling.
Answer
Originally Posted by mango man
I would send them a check or money order .
poop happens , just becouse they have paypal issues in no way means the problems are of their doing or that they where aware of them before the auction
ended
why make a big deal of a 20 purchase
As I said, I'm ambivalent about what to do, or whether I'm being overly worried, that's why I asked for advice. And their message was clear, they already knew about the paypal problems.
do you ever pay by check ?
when you hand the cashier at the grocery store your check whats to keep them from copying the info down ?
when you pay a bill by check whats to keep the clerk opening the envolope from noting your name , address, bank routing number and checking account number ?
its out there for all the world to see.
Actually, I never pay for anything by check -- debit cards, electronic transfers or cash. The only time in the past couple of years I've used a check is when I needed to write a check for a quilting seminar, the total amount of which exceeded my daily chargeable limit, so I had to use a check, no choice. I realize that people may still be able to see my home address or see my bank account info when I use debit or credit cards or electronic transfers, but I like to keep it to an absolute minimum.
Answer
Originally Posted by Meya
Personally, I've never understood people being afraid to use a personal check. For years, it's how most people bought stuff and paid their bills. You have to give the seller your address to ship to as well. You get "their" info back on the cancelled check as well.
Getting a MO would fix that worry anyway. Maybe a polite informative email about eBay rules and PP, so they don't start off getting in trouble, if you feel so inclined.
Well, I was stalked in college, so I'm particularly sensitive about my home address. And as a woman, I have to be more worried about such things. I was in a very minor fender bender a few weeks ago, and some nutcase who saw me exchanging insurance information with the other driver actually waited until I got back in my car, followed me half way to work, got my attention, and then tried to hit on me. When that didn't work, he still followed me for a while afterward. I had to make sure I had lost him/he'd given up before I approached the parking lot. The "ship to" address is a postal service address, unfortunately, its relatively new, whereas my checks are really old and have my home address since I never use them.
Yeah, I was planning on saying something in a hopefully polite manner to the seller once my irritation level goes down.
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Originally Posted by colorscape_quilts
My gut instinct is to try to cancel the transaction somehow,
Well I could be in a cynical mood today, but MY first thought was that the seller was flying the PayPal flag in order to get bids then pulling the ol switcheroo after the fact to a payment type that was much more difficult to track / withdraw / whatever.
I might email him, tell him I really could only pay with PayPal and ask to have the transaction mutually withdrawn. Then go find a seasoned seller.
Tomorrow, I might say 'aw it's only $20 - how much of a scam could it be?' but like I said: cynical mood today
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You could black out the address on your check. We did that years ago when we moved and had a new address. We stuck new address labels on the checks.