Help asap! Another Ebay question

[Jessd]

Hi!

I put some things on Ebay, have sold many items, but now someone has paid through Paypal with a credit card. I have a personal Paypal account.

It shows the the estimated fee and is asking if I want to accept or decline the payment.

Do I have upgrade to a Paypal premier account? Is there just a fee when I accept a credit card payment? Will there be a charge when someone pays through their bank account or is that free like it was before?

thanks!

Jess

 

[debdot]

this has happened to me many times although i clearly state that i do not accpet credit cards -

anyhow the way i handled it was that first i deny the payment through paypal - then i send a email to the buyer explaining that i only have a personal account because of the fees etc. and ask them to pay through paypal with a debit/credit card that is funded through a checking or savings account or if they want to wait i will accept a check.

i've always had positive results.

 

[DMRick]

As of the 19th, if you have Paypal on your auction, you must upgrade to a business account. There is no more free Paypal if you say you accept Paypal on eBay.

Here is the announcement from last month:
Beginning August 19, 2005, all sellers who offer PayPal as a payment option for their eBay listings must accept all forms of PayPal payment. This includes payments made via PayPal account balances, bank accounts, or credit cards, regardless of whether sellers display the PayPal logo with credit card icons.

We've had a lot of buyers and sellers tell us that the current policy is confusing, or felt it was unclear how PayPal's and eBay's respective policies applied to the situation where a seller displayed the PayPal logo but stated in their item description that they only accept payment via a balance or bank transfer. Our goal in updating this policy is to not only provide a consistent user experience for buyers, but also to create clearer policy and to better provide a level playing field for all sellers on eBay.

When the new policy takes effect, sellers who list with a PayPal Personal account may still receive payments funded via account balance or bank account transfers but must also be willing to upgrade to a PayPal Premier or Business Account if they receive a credit card payment via PayPal from their buyer.

Additionally, sellers may not communicate to eBay buyers (for example, in their item description) that they only accept, or will not accept, specific forms of PayPal payment. Doing so in a listing can lead to it being cancelled, and refusal to accept a payment after the auction has ended will constitute Seller Non-Performance.

The details of this policy update can be found both in PayPal's Policy section and on eBay on our PayPal Payments Policy page.

 

[grlpwrd]

Yup, they changed their policy again.

 

[mello]

Yup, they changed their policy again.

I used to only accept non cc paypal, since I only sell a few things once in awhile, and on the premier accts you have to pay extra fees on every transaction, whether cc or not. Now they're forcing you to upgrade or not take ppal at all. I think I'm going to quit taking it altogether now. It was so convenient, but gee, they already get a big enough chunk of my measly profits whenever I sell that I can't justify it.

 

[swilshire]

I'm going to quit taking it altogether now.

Ditto. Hopefully there will be enough of us doing so that they will back down on the new policy. I'm afraid not, though, since most people seem to be willing to just reluctantly accept the new costs.

I sell maybe a dozen things a year and most of them are only worth a few dollars. By the time I pay the eBay fees, I'm not making anything anyway. I like the convenience of Paypal, but am not willing to pay more for it.

Sheila

 

[Jessd]

So if you don't take Paypal anymore, what do you take? I am kind of new to the selling part.

Thanks!

Jess

 

[dadtoagirl]

I cancelled my paypal account last week. I'm sick of it. I sell high dollar collectible cars and boats on ebay and I've went to cash on pickup or wire transfer only. Certified check fraud is so rampant you basically can't accept them anymore without holding for 10 days to see if it clears.

I suggest only accepting cash or USPS money orders. You can take a USPS money order to the post office and cash it immediately. If you take cash brush up on how to spot fakes and get a counterfit detection pen at an office store. Can't be too safe these days dealing with strangers on the net.

 

[debdot]

wow - that really stinks -

i hate being bullied into doing something i don't want - this seems very unfair to the casual seller - how much more do these people want

i guess my listings will now only be payable by check or money order - which really slows things down

 

[DMRick]

Why would people think it's unfair that Paypal accept your payments (even credit cards), make the buyers feel safe, going through Paypal, give the money to you, and charge you about 3-4% (of course if you only sell $3.00 items, it would be 10%, because of the .30..so I would suggest grouping them to cut that cost) for the trouble? I don't like more fees anymore than the next person, but we are the ones that are selling our items..why should Paypal have ever been free? Who pays for their paper work, and workers? Money orders aren't free, stamps to send a check aren't free.
I personally found my sales doing much better, once I started to accept Paypal and the fees are better than what it would cost me to accept regular credit cards, and no monthly charges. My handling is .50 - .75, above my shipping costs, which helps to cover my "handling" cost of business, which means no matter how low I sell an item, I pay less than 3% to Paypal.
If you sell a child's dress at a garage sale, and earn .25, and sell if for $4 on eBay and earn $2-3.00 after fees (or more, if it's a name brand), which is the better deal?

wow - that really stinks -

i hate being bullied into doing something i don't want - this seems very unfair to the casual seller - how much more do these people want

 

[mello]

Money orders aren't free, stamps to send a check aren't free.
My handling is .50 - .75, above my shipping costs, which helps to cover my "handling" cost of business,

Yes, but in the case of mo's and stamps, the costs are the buyer's responsibility and not the seller's. In the case of paypal fees, costs are the seller's responsibility. Now I know that high-volume sellers don't mind paying these fees as they're a drop in the bucket, but we small-time sellers find that it cuts drastically into our already small profits. I know - I tried having a Premier account, and wound up backing down to a Personal Account again.

You have solved that problem by passing on your fee expenses on to your buyers, which is fine, and is certainly an option for all sellers. However, from a buyer's standpoint, that practice contributes to higher overall prices on ebay, and if you're a buyer, which would you rather do: spend .37 on a stamp or .50-.75 in extra handling fees?

This new policy has set up a lose/lose situation for both buyers and sellers.

Also, it is Paypal who offers both Premier and Personal accounts. I don't believe they were co-erced into doing that by all of us "cheap" ebay sellers. It is something they have chosen to offer. But what is the point of them continuing to offer Personal accounts, if we're effectively barred from using them on ebay? Why not just be honest and say, "We can't afford to offer Personal accounts any more" and do away with them, instead of saying that their reason for requiring everyone to upgrade is because "some buyers are confused". Well, duh! There are always people who can't or don't read auction terms, but that's just a silly reason to force sellers to upgrade. While I respect your opinion and your reasoning, and support your solution to the problem, it looks more like a transparent cover for extracting more fees and driving out small sellers, to me. (And don't forget that ebay owns paypal now, which is most certainly the driving factor behind many of the recent changes - we've got an effective monopoly going on here).

 

[DMRick]

Well it appears from all the people that talk about their sales going up, once they switched their PP, to accept credit cards, that the buyers don't want to go through the bother of the stamp/envelope/check and wait for it to get to the sellers..so the sellers, if they want to sell, need to take on that expense. As for some of the cost being passed on in handling fees..apparently the buyers don't mind that, as long as they don't have to go to the PO to get that money order (which is even more), or go to the trouble of writing out the check. I've had that expense for a number of years, and my items sell for between $3.50 - $18, so I sure don't consider it a drop in the bucket..while I am often high volumn, the percentage of cost is still up there on my lower items, and it hits my pocketbook. Would sellers rather eBay just drop PP, rather than have those who use it pay? I would be very unhappy. PP makes a sale easy, and when people can put it on their credit card, they often spend more. The buyer likes the fast turnaround, and so do the sellers. There have been many products over the years, that charged the buyer a lot more than the small handling charge I charge, and they are all gone. Paypal stayed.
As far as a personal account, I still have one and use it. It is limited, but for me, it has uses other than eBay. I really don't understand why they don't drop it, as it has to cost them money. I wouldn't be surprised to see it go all together. As far as it being a monopoly, there are other ways to pay, but as I said, they just weren't as successful. I use PP on eBay and my website, and while just like with Vendio and other auction helps, I always preferred them to be free.. I also thought they were stupid for keeping them free. Neither is free anymore, but I'm hooked..so I guess I'll keep paying the fees. Buy the way, I'm a buyer also, and I know just why those handling fees are what they are (they don't cover the entire cost, by the way, but just some of it)..but the items I buy are obviously still a bargain, since I'm still buying.

Yes, but in the case of mo's and stamps, the costs are the buyer's responsibility and not the seller's. In the case of paypal fees, costs are the seller's responsibility. Now I know that high-volume sellers don't mind paying these fees as they're a drop in the bucket, but we small-time sellers find that it cuts drastically into our already small profits. I know - I tried having a Premier account, and wound up backing down to a Personal Account again.

You have solved that problem by passing on your fee expenses on to your buyers, which is fine, and is certainly an option for all sellers. However, from a buyer's standpoint, that practice contributes to higher overall prices on ebay, and if you're a buyer, which would you rather do: spend .37 on a stamp or .50-.75 in extra handling fees?

This new policy has set up a lose/lose situation for both buyers and sellers.

Also, it is Paypal who offers both Premier and Personal accounts. I don't believe they were co-erced into doing that by all of us "cheap" ebay sellers. It is something they have chosen to offer. But what is the point of them continuing to offer Personal accounts, if we're effectively barred from using them on ebay? Why not just be honest and say, "We can't afford to offer Personal accounts any more" and do away with them, instead of saying that their reason for requiring everyone to upgrade is because "some buyers are confused". Well, duh! There are always people who can't or don't read auction terms, but that's just a silly reason to force sellers to upgrade. While I respect your opinion and your reasoning, and support your solution to the problem, it looks more like a transparent cover for extracting more fees and driving out small sellers, to me. (And don't forget that ebay owns paypal now, which is most certainly the driving factor behind many of the recent changes - we've got an effective monopoly going on here).

 

[dadtoagirl]

I didn't close my paypal account due to fees but scamming. Here is how it goes:

Scammer gets someones elses credit card number.
They buy on ebay with it and pay with paypal
They file a dispute with paypal after they receive the item or credit card holder gets their bill and go what is this charge and call their credit card company which reverses paypal charge
Paypal will immediately put a freeze on your account as a claim has been filed against you
Scammer could care less as they have you item and no cash out of pocket
Paypal might deny or may not, depends on what mood the examiner is in

Either way the seller feels the of the effects.

 

[phorsenuf]

For me, I won't even consider buying something on Ebay if they don't take Paypal. Too much of a hassle to get the MO and stamps (I do everything online so I never have stamps around). To me if someone passes their .50 paypal fee onto me, thats just fine and dandy. I think it saves me time and money in the long run. I'm all for convenience! LOL