Comments on: PayPal launch ‘unwelcome’ campaign

By: Ian Ferguson

Ian Ferguson — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:31:11 +0000

I just posted here but it was marked as spam and rejected

Anyway: I received one of the Unwelcome doormats yesterday. Unfortunately for PayPal, I have a bit of a grudge against them after being scammed one too many times, and receiving a complete lack of customer service.

I have posted pictures of the mat and had a little rant here:
http://ianferguson.blogspot.com/2008/10/paypal-we-want-to-walk-over-your.html

By: Ian Ferguson

Ian Ferguson — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:27:11 +0000

I received one of these doormats yesterday. Unfortunately for PayPal's marketing team, I was scammed through PayPal a couple of years back and haven't forgiven them for the lack of customer service I received... so I've posted pictures of the Unwelcome mat and had a little rant here. If anyone wants it, I'm open to offers. Just don't expect to pay me through PayPal...

By: FenLex

FenLex — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:47:48 +0000

43 – In Scotland and Northern Ireland, banks DO have licenses to print money, which is why LloydsTSBScottishWidowsCheltenham&GloucesterHalifaxBankofScotland will be putting up a brass plate on The Mound in Edinburgh!

By: Super Max

Super Max — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:02:48 +0000

#42 north, I just wish i could open a bank, its always looked like a license to print money to me, even the banks going bust the guys at the top have made millions in bonuses.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:38:28 +0000

banks, credit card companies, online payment providers
little difference with any of them , most are legalised bandits,
they hide behind small print and legal teams,
there only purpose is to get as much of your dosh as they can

By: Super Max

Super Max — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:38:06 +0000

Like north says, most of these guarantees are pretty worthless, but I’m more prepared to trust the consumer credit act’s protection of all purchases over 100 with my credit card more than I am paypal’s.

And believe me i don’t trust my bank much, and i trust paypal less.

(as an aside it was quite funny going into a Halifax branch on Thursday to pay a few thousand in and going to the cashier ‘bet I’m the first person you’ve seen today paying money in’)

By: FenLex

FenLex — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:43:28 +0000

39 – I meant the emphasis of what I was saying to be on the fact that a buyer using PayPal probably forfeits what protection they would otherwise have by using the very same credit card.

It is something that PayPal don’t exactly publicise and is, to my mind, an accident waiting to happen.

But, put it this way, I wouldn’t pay for an airline ticket with PayPal at the moment.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:34:11 +0000

Credit card purchases are indeed protected, though via the Consumer Credit Act .
yeah yeah,
and you cant speed, and you cant park on double yellows
garages dont over charge, restaurants only ever serve fresh food

By: Board_Surfer

Board_Surfer — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:09:05 +0000

The folk that sell cars and take paypal are actually very smart

vehicles are excluded from PP’s buyer protection.

By: FenLex

FenLex — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:55:17 +0000

Credit card purchases are indeed protected, though via the Consumer Credit Act (not the Consumer Protection Act).

That does NOT necessarily apply to purchases (even credit card funded ones) made via PayPal.

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:41:02 +0000

Credit Card purchase are automatically protected by the Consumer Protection Act,

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:10:47 +0000

the same as the poor sods that paid with credit card and were not covered thru ATOL

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:38:26 +0000

I wonder what would have happened if I had bought an XL holiday with PayPal?

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:09:21 +0000

#32: I *did* use PayPal to purchase a car – Mr Biddy went to see it, phoned me and said “yeah it’s fine, pay the guy”. Even though it was straight off my debit card, it came up as an echeque because it was so much more than my usual amount spent with PayPal. How embarrassing was that.

Fortunately for us, the buyer was a very sweet newbie, was utterly impressed that someone with a zillion feedback was buying his car, and said he trusted it would clear. Thank goodness it did!

In the future, I might pay with a bankers draft or cash, I think

By: Whirly

Whirly — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:54:36 +0000

Paypal is great for buyers when things go wrong and bad for sellers when things go wrong.

If I could use paypal to make a big purchase like a car etc I would, simply because if the slightest thing went wrong with it I could put the fear of god into the seller in 5 seconds flat. The guys who sell on eBay motors and offer Paypal are stark raving bonkers.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:05:40 +0000

“For a large value transaction I would always feel safer using a credit card (especially in the present financial climate).”

eh?
half the buggers are flapping about like fish out of water, not able to finance their lending

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:50:51 +0000

PayPal is great for eBay but there are a few of things I don’t like.

As a seller: The poor leval of phone support, eCheques, The way disputes are handled.

As a buyer: That you have to link a bank account (after a certain spend). That payment defaults to “PayPal balance”.

For a large value transaction I would always feel safer using a credit card (especially in the present financial climate).

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:22:04 +0000

though as a seller their spanish inquisition attitude pees me off

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:18:22 +0000

when I buy on ebay
the fact I can use paypal and the security it offers is more important to me than the sellers feedback
I know my money is as safe as it can be,
may be that is why paypal suffers such vitriol from sellers

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:12:43 +0000

cant understand why any buyer would even consider paying in any other way than with paypal,

they just about execute sellers if the item does not arrive or is not as described
any buyer who pays via bank transfer is daft
you have got their dosh then

By: ebuyerfb

ebuyerfb — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:27:15 +0000

@ #23

I don’t think German buyers like Paypal very much, this is not the first time that this kind of thing has happened.

Even eBay Germany doesn’t trust PayPal.

http://www.tamebay.com/2008/06/ebay-germany-boss-doesnt-trust-paypal.html

By: ebuyerfb

ebuyerfb — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:23:02 +0000

if I don’t have my card on me, or have PP balance I want to use, offering PayPal might win you a sale that you’d lose if you made me get up off my bum and go find my wallet to pay you.

That is the one great thing about PayPal. However I got tired of locating my wallet so I just memorized the number. I don’t know how it is over there but here it is usually 16 digits + expiration + security number. That is only 23 digits.

By: Super Max

Super Max — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:27:35 +0000

Personally I will look else where if paypal is the only option.

As a business man though I do offer it, the more choices the better.

The reasons not to offer paypal as the sole option are simple:

a) They don’t accept several oddly formated cards, for example, some 18 digit solo or maestro cards.
b) Lots of people end up with their paypal accounts frozen or blocked through fraud/misuse and as it takes ages to unblock them often don’t bother, thus are unable to use paypal.
c) Lots of people hate paypal as a company.

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:35:43 +0000

I have a buyer in Germany who has bought 10 CDs from me this week – but only because I said he could pay by bank transfer. He said he didn’t want to buy them if Paypal was the only option. I’m not willing to lose a sale like that thanks very much.
And bank transfer is much cheaper for me (ie free).

I don’t think German buyers like Paypal very much, this is not the first time that this kind of thing has happened.

I’ve also had a couple of cheques this week, and I don’t want ebay sending those customers away either.

By: Kevin_T

Kevin_T — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:46:18 +0000

This, at a time when Ebay.com is effectively telling buyers who do not wish to pay by electronic means (with particular emphasis on PayPal) that they are unwelcome. I still receive a few cheques from the UK and the USA – I don’t like Ebay sending those customers away.

Oh the irony!
Kevin