Question
Story From Geek News... Reuters...
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/20...0913026921.htm
So... what is the next step for Fines? What will you do when fines are imposed for other violations of the User Agreement?
What comes next? Hmmmm
Answer
I would get in touch with the FTC and demand they provide the user protection they guaranteed when they allowed the purchase of PayPal by eBay.
Oh wait a minute. Meg recently made a video in support of Bush/Cheney Re-Election.
press release
Plan B - I would pay the fine and ask would they please, please let me continue to use there fine service.
Answer
Paypal has a real deficit of imagination and creativity as these new rules clearly demonstrate.
If they actually start to levy these "fines" it will come back to bite them.
There are far less obnoxious and more effective ways to enforce their arbitrary rules IMHO.
Sadly, Paypal has a long history of making its customers its bitterest detractors. The new rules are certainly is in keeping with that tradition.
Larry
Answer
Hypothetically speaking ....
Let's say I'm selling some sort of "forbidden" widgets. Instead of accepting PayPal payments through eBay's check-out, I e-mail bidders directly and ask that they mark their PayPal payment as being "Goods (Other)" or "Service" so that no item number is required.
How would PayPal be able to prove I sold a "forbidden" widget? That's the part I don't get. (???) For all they know, Joe Smith could be paying me for painting his house or building him a website.
I'm not suggesting anyone try this, but I don't see how they can truly enforce their new policy.
Answer
...but with full access to your bank account can PayPal decide it doesn't like a transaction and impose a fine immediately?
...what happens is they will at their whim suddenly take money from you. PayPal has had the reputation of doing this in the past. They have simply confiscated money and not return it.
Scary stuff there - we've all heard the stories about how PP shoots first and asks questions later. They could wreak havoc with someone's bank account. All the more reason not to accept PayPal. (I notice they'll also be fining buyers.)
Answer
Originally Posted by moonrise
... I don't see how they can truly enforce their new policy.
Lets say John decides to sell pornography using PayPal knowing it's against the acceptable use policy. John sells and sells till he gets caught. John's not worried because PayPal will have to release his funds to him in 180 days. Now John might (though I doubt it) be less willing to use the same tactic if he knows that in 180 days he'll be getting back $500 less than he expected.
As it stands now the only liability to using PayPal for unacceptable usages is losing your account and having funds locked up for 180 days. When you consider a person might have several friends that they can use to set up PayPal accounts they could run the same operation many times and basically be using throw away accounts for their porn sales. They'll still be able to, but it would be less profitable at $500.00 a violation.
Just a different train of thought.
Answer
Originally Posted by moonrise
Hypothetically speaking ....
Let's say I'm selling some sort of "forbidden" widgets. Instead of accepting PayPal payments through eBay's check-out, I e-mail bidders directly and ask that they mark their PayPal payment as being "Goods (Other)" or "Service" so that no item number is required.
How would PayPal be able to prove I sold a "forbidden" widget? That's the part I don't get. (???) For all they know, Joe Smith could be paying me for painting his house or building him a website.
I'm not suggesting anyone try this, but I don't see how they can truly enforce their new policy.
There is nothing hypothetical about your scenario.
It is exactly how many adult sellers and non-recognized drug sellers have been doing it since Paypal officially banned them from using their service.
While the threat of fines may deter some casual sellers, those in these businesses are used to finding ways around such obstacles to their profitablity. They have always been far more creative and clever than the think-within-the-box mediocrities who work for Paypal and eBay.
Larry