Having a hard time finding a renter who takes paypal :(

[jemiaule]

Whoever posted that paypal does not charge fees for personal accounts for the first 5 transactions per year is not correct. Currently, paypal charges 3% on every transaction. I have given renters the option of either paying by paypal, which some people find convenient, but including enought to cover the transaction fees, or they can send me a personal or bank check. If its a personal check, I have no problem with that but I let them know that obviously the check has to clear and I will wait enough time to make sure that happened (10 days to 2 weeks to be safe), so I make sure I have received payment in full well before the 30 day cancellation deadline.

You read my post wrong. I said on personal accounts you can accept up to 5 credit card funded transactions per year. I did not state that your first 5 transactions per year were fee free.

So my mistake, I was incorrect on how I stated the fees:

1) If you have a personal account and if it is one of your 5 yearly allowed credit card funded transactions, you will be charged a transaction fee.

2) If the payment is made by PayPal balance or eCheck there is no transaction fee.

By the way it is against PayPal's User Agreement to charge a surcharge (ie: making the buyer pay your transaction fees) fwhen using PayPal to accept a pyament.

Also, under Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express regulations and the laws of several states, you may not charge a fee to the buyer for accepting credit card payments.

 

[jemiaule]

As a seller/owner, you have plenty of protection because if you don't get paid, or a check bounces or whatever, you can simply cancel the reservation and rerent, as long as you did not put yourself in a bind by renting too close to your cancellation or expiration dates.

There is no "plenty of protection". A buyer can easily come back after their trip, dispute the charges on Paypal or, if they paid on PayPal using a credit card, file a chargeback through their credit card company.

There is one particularly henious type of dispute that a buyer can do on Paypal (I absolutely refuse to mention which type this is) where, as a seller, you would be absolutely screwed and PayPal only gives you three options to resolve it:

1) Provide a refund to the buyer for the full amount of the disputed transaction.

2) Provide proof of a previously issued refund to the buyer for the full amount of the disputed transaction

3) Work with the buyer to cancel the dispute

If one of the three is not done Paypal will refund the buyer and will limit the access on the sellers account.

 

[jemiaule]

Just look at those email headers (the full headers) and you'll quickly discover what is a scam. I've had several and a couple that were very clever scams sent to me (they used a PayPal page as a screen capture/photo insert), but I know enough to know how to discern good from bad e-mail.

Also, if you ever get an email that is purportedly from Paypal and it has you concerned don't EVER click any links in it. Go to your browser, login to PayPal and check everything there.

If you see nothing in your Paypal account like what was mentioned in the email you recieved, forward the email to spoof@paypal.com and then delete that email you recieved.

 

[crisi]

Also, if you ever get an email that is purportedly from Paypal and it has you concerned don't EVER click any links in it. Go to your browser, login to PayPal and check everything there.

If you see nothing in your Paypal account like what was mentioned in the email you recieved, forward the email to spoof@paypal.com and then delete that email you recieved.

Though there are rumors of new attacks that hijacks and aliases the paypal DNS address and sends it to the scam "paypal" site. Now THAT is scary.

 

[HookdonWDW]

By the way it is against PayPal's User Agreement to charge a surcharge (ie: making the buyer pay your transaction fees) fwhen using PayPal to accept a pyament.

Also, under Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express regulations and the laws of several states, you may not charge a fee to the buyer for accepting credit card payments.

Although you're not supposed to charge a surcharge for accepting CC/Paypal, you can offer a discount to those who choose to pay with cash...

 

[JLS]

Agreed with the last poster who pointed out that you can offer a "discount" to those people who pay in cash. I think it is quibbling a bit to take issue with people saying that they require the renters the pay the transaction fees. Basically, whatever you want to call it, you as the buyer can charge for the points in such a way that it covers any transaction fees whether or not the renter is being charged separately for such fees. Or, as suggested, offer a "discounted price" to people paying in cash/check.

Thanks to the posters who pointed out that owners could have problems after the fact if renters dispute the charges. I don't know how that works or why paypal would automatically find for the renter, but that will make me think twice about accepting paypal for such transactions in the future until I hear more.

Interesting thread.

 

[fkj2]

I know this is a little OT, but since so many of you have had poor/bad experiences with PayPal, is there a service that's similar that's better?

 

[dianeschlicht]

I know this is a little OT, but since so many of you have had poor/bad experiences with PayPal, is there a service that's similar that's better?

LOL, cashiers check or money order might do it!

 

[Muushka]

I know this is a little OT, but since so many of you have had poor/bad experiences with PayPal, is there a service that's similar that's better?

For the very few times I rented (3?) I took a personal check. There was plenty of time for the check to clear, and I think it was a friendlier arrangement between me and the rentee. Showed that I also trusted them.

I have rented a few times on the TUG board and also was grateful when they would accept my personal check. Which they all (about 3 times again) did.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I'm another person who has cancelled my Paypal account. I just got spooked by all those emails I kept getting saying there was something wrong with my account, blah, blah, blah. Now I can delete them without a thought, since I know I don't have an account.

I've had success with cashiers checks and contracts, and twice with personal checks and a friendly phone call. Maybe it's naive, but I feel better talking with someone on the phone first so they can get a sense of me and I of them. It helps a lot, too, if the person I am dealing with has a number of substanitive (sp?) posts on the DIS - I just generally try to get the best "feel" of the person I can, and then trust. So far, so good.

 

[carolina_yankee]

Also, if you ever get an email that is purportedly from Paypal and it has you concerned don't EVER click any links in it. Go to your browser, login to PayPal and check everything there.

If you see nothing in your Paypal account like what was mentioned in the email you recieved, forward the email to spoof@paypal.com and then delete that email you recieved.

More to the point - don't ever answer any email from any financial provider that says there is a problem with your account, etc. I get them all the time from banks I don't even have accounts with! And at an email address I only use for work purposes. Geesh.

This is a very illuminating thread. I think I would be inclined to accept a Paypal transaction for renting points, but I'm probably going to charge a bit more per point as a result. I'm just one of those people that look at service fees as the cost of doing business - I stopped long ago worrying about ATM fees and such.

I personally was very glad the renter I used once accepted paypal because I could pay instantly and she didn't have to worry about me. Now that I"m a DVC owner and understand DVC better, I'd be happy to take a personal check if it was well before any loss deadlines, but I'd be clear that an NSF would result in an immediate cancellation of the reservation.

Dirk

 

[Sammie]

Believe me if you ever have to dispute anything with Paypal you will understand CarolA's comments about them.

They let someone open a fraudulent account using my name and address using a stolen credit card, that was not even mine and they wanted to hassle me about it.

It took a court order and the intervention of the FBI, to get it straightened out. They were useless and I will never use them or recommend them to anyone.

 

[kimberh]

I am receiving the fake emails as we speak. I emailed security at Paypal last night and asked them if they were from them. No! This is a eye opening thread.

 

[drakethib]

I have paid for transfer points before using paypal and never had a problem

The lady (very nice I may add)a few years ago on the transfer told me upfront. Points were $1.00 per point with cash or check, $1.50 per point using paypal.

Was no big deal.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

that reminds me, I need to go remove my bank account from paypal. And close it down.

It used to use my credit card as my main account and the bank was only my backup.

Now Paypal has arbitrarily decided that it will use my bank account as the main form of payment, without telling me.

Nice.

Count me as another person who is getting rid of their paypal account.

After all the horror stories I've read on the disboards and other sites, if I ever rent again, it will be with a personal check and a nicely worded contract.

 

[crys5]

LOL, cashiers check or money order might do it!

I would watch when taking these forms of payments also! We have had fake ones that we have taken to the bank to deposit into my account and the teller couldn't tell they were fake, we found out a few days later after they were deposited in my account that they were fake, and i was charged a fee! They looked real......

 

[Inkmahm]

that reminds me, I need to go remove my bank account from paypal. And close it down.

It used to use my credit card as my main account and the bank was only my backup.

Now Paypal has arbitrarily decided that it will use my bank account as the main form of payment, without telling me.

Nice.

Count me as another person who is getting rid of their paypal account.

After all the horror stories I've read on the disboards and other sites, if I ever rent again, it will be with a personal check and a nicely worded contract.

Every time I make a payment with paypal I select my backup credit card to use rather than the bank account that is set up as the primary paypal account. It always asks if I really want to do that. Two "clicks" and my payment is from the account I want it to be from. Not a big deal to me.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Every time I make a payment with paypal I select my backup credit card to use rather than the bank account that is set up as the primary paypal account. It always asks if I really want to do that. Two "clicks" and my payment is from the account I want it to be from. Not a big deal to me.

right, but it used to be that you could choose your bank account to be your backup and your cc to be your main, and they switched it without asking me.

Luckily that purchase was some weeny electronic cord for 10 bucks-had I bought something big I might have bounced a check somewhere else not knowing that it hadn't been pulled from my credit card, but directly from my checking account.

And gee, doesn't that annoy the SNOT out of you that every time you want to pay with a credit card that Paypal requires you to go through those clicks. I mean, you're paying THEM, can't you set it up in the manner that is most helpful for you?

 

[MojitoMiss]

I have paid for transfer points before using paypal and never had a problem

The lady (very nice I may add)a few years ago on the transfer told me upfront. Points were $1.00 per point with cash or check, $1.50 per point using paypal.

Was no big deal.

Wow! Where can I find this lady?! I'm interested in renting points from her!

MM