Be Excellent To Each Other

I have noticed a few folks hate paypal.

I have never had any problems so far. What bad experiences have you lot had?

Only one I've had was where some bloke tried to do a chargeback for two large orders from my site. It's frustrating as Paypal take the funds back immediately and it can take an age to sort out without much in the way of contact.

Actually, I keep all my paypal emails so I'll check..

Jan 08 - Bloke places a couple of orders.
May 08 - Both chargebacks made. Paypal freeze the money for both. Not sure what would've happened if I hadn't got the funds in my account at the time.
June 08 - Paypal pass on the charge for the freeze onto me.
October 08 - Paypal reverse the chargebacks

So I got the money back but it took a good while. Other than that though, I've bought thousands of items using Paypal and have had no problems. I wish more retailers accepted it actually.

It's quite simple. When I was a child I went to an amusement park with my mother and father, and I recall how I held their hand. I held tight, because as I walked through the gates I sensed that there was something wrong with the place. Ahead of me the hill sloped up to a wooded crest, a deep rich green against an azure sky, the gravel path before us bracketed by stalls and games. We ascended and pushed through the green, and below us a deep, small valley fell into view, shaped like a bowl. At the bottom lay a small stream, and the paths wound down to the little red bridge that spanned it. Folk below us ambled along the pathways, but to my surprise there seemed to be few rides worth mounting. I looked and saw sad shacks of rifle-ranges and hook-a-duck, flabby bouncy castles, spinning teacup rides and other half-hearted offerings dwelling upon the dank grass. Mother and father smiled with placid contentment, and finding a park bench, sat - shooing me away to explore. I wound my way down to the belly of the valley, trying not to look into the troubled faces of the other children. Presently, I came upon a little clump of trees, and I pushed inside - a picture book within my pocket to sit and read, in nervous contempt of the park. But there, in the dark heart, upon a low wall, fixed a gaping metal thing with hysterical eyes and crimson lips. Beneath the jaunty-capped monstrosity was a sign reading 'Humptey Dumptey', but the clown like apparition bore scant resemblance - appearing instead to be a foul fairground ghoul from the age of organ-grinders and opium dens. Its painted skin was flaking and white as ivory and its teeth shone with a cruel metal gleam. And there, mouth working with a creak and a drunken, slurring, grating voice issuing from within the soot coloured maw, it told me things.

Mainly it told me not to use paypal, or it'd come and fuck me up.

I've never had a problem with buying anything, but they are AMAZINGLY arsey on giving refunds on dodgy ebay products.

I don't trust them to have my money and not have to conform to the same rules as a bank. If I have the option to use my Visa Debit or MasterCard, I will, as I trust my bank more than I trust Paypal.

Is it so much the service that's the problem, or the trustworthiness of its users?

Although I've never bought anything from Ebay, I've used Paypal to send money to recipients whose credentials I felt confident about.

[EDITED for abysmal post-pub grammar)

I paid some dick using PayPal to renew some of my domain names. He failed to extend them within the grace period and I started the PayPal dispute resolution process.

Apparently PayPal cannot arbitrate in the case of 'electronic goods transactions', despite (in this case) there being a much better factual and objective audit trail than disputes for most posted goods. Their customer service rep agreed that this bloke was at fault, but no action could be taken because they had this exception in their terms (you know those terms you're supposed to read before you tick the box and press 'ok').

Thankfully they were domains for a personal project rather than for my clients- and I managed to buy them again the day they became available, but it was still very irritating to be swindled out of a small amount of money and get lots of undue hassle.

And then there's that bloke who sold me a game on World of (Linda -Ed) for a quid who never ever sent it to me.

I should probably let it go......


AARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!

Where I have to use PayPal (eBay auctions) I put only the amount I need into my account, or wait for that amount to be deposited.

I get it out the PayPal account straight away, and then sever the Direct Debit using my internet banking.

I only reinstate the DD when I need to use the PayPal account, and then only for 1 day.

You do hear a lot of them freezing accounts when large amounts start to change hands though.

Leaving the owner of the account with no means to access their money.

http://www.google.com/search?client=ope ... 8&oe=utf-8

Large is a woolly number at best.

I got a couple of payments for jobs recently, which tipped my PayPal balance of some maximum they deemed scary (only a couple of grand), and it was immediately frozen, until I jumped through a couple of "I'm not a money-laundering fuck" hoops.

So basically you don't want too!!

Google checkout now worse than PayPal?

http://www.slash7.com/articles/2009/3/2 ... r-business

I use both. I only sell using PP though (with quite large totals per year), and so far (fingers crossed) not had any rampage-causing events.

Decidedly dodgy that they can just go "computer says no" and keep your money at any point though.

I don't like Paypal becuase it won't let me add a card to my account, no matter how hard I try.

Paypal won't let me add a bank account, because apparently it's linked to another Paypal. No transactions have ever been made, though. I am confused.